Into the Land of the Black Lisu
The Nujiang Canyon, on Yunnan's western frontier, was until the 1930s a blank area on the map that not even Chinese troops dared to enter. In 1905 two British explorers made the first foray into this land of the Black Lisu.
A Lahu minority Christian service in a hill village near Menglian.
Jim Goodman: The Akha: Guardians of the Forest
The Akha, in China known as the Aini branch of the Hani people, migrated from China southwards into Laos, Burma and Thailand. In this richly illustrated book J Goodman, aka 'Akha Jim', explains their life and culture.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Shaxi is the most complete historic ensemble of a caravan town in Yunnan.
Best surviving station on the French-built Vietnam-Kunming railway.
Jim Goodman: The Terrace Builders: The Hani and their Neighbors in Yunnan's Ailao Mountains
Abstract: The rice terraces of the Ailao Mountains in southern Yunnan province, China, are some of the oldest terraced farms in Asia. First mentioned in Tang Dynasty records, these farms, 80% of which are irrigated, with water running through them all year round, have been in continuous use for over a thousand years. In 2013 UNESCO declared the heartland of this area a World Heritage Site. The Terrace Builders is a detailed account of how these farms are made and used, the cities and mountains of Honghe Prefecture and the far north of Vietnam, as well as the various ethnic minorities who live there. The book pays special attention to the Hani people, the largest ethnic group in the area, and includes summaries of the culture and clothing of their neighbors the Yi, Miao, Yao, Zhuang and Dai. The book includes 300 photos of the land and its people.
Raw pork skin, together with raw pork meat and sometimes even raw pork liver are traditional delicacies in Dali.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Kuoshi | 20 Dec |
| New Moon Ritual | 20 Dec |
| Mojiang Winter Solstice Festival | 21 Dec |
| Winter Solstice | 21 Dec |
| Hat Festival | 22 Dec |
| Christmas | 25 Dec |
| Festival of Lights | 26 Dec |
| Kuoshi Lisu New Year | 27 Dec |
| Bulang Harvest Festival | 27 Dec |
| Atai Birthday | 27 Dec |
| Mizhi Festival | 29 Dec |
| Coffee Festival | 01 Jan |
Markets this Sunday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Jiuzhou | 旧州 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Sanying | 三营 |
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Shuixie | 水泄 |
| Yunlong | 云龙县 |
| Binchuan | 宾川县 |
| Beitou | 北头 |
| Dali | 大理 |
| Caicun | 才村 |
| Liantie | 炼铁 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Lawu | 拉乌 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Zuòyì | 作邑 |
| Jianchuan | 剑川县 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Changxin | 长新 |
| Pingpo | 平坡 |
| Eryuan | 洱源县 |
| Gonglang | 公郎镇 |
| 前所 | |
| Minjian | 民建乡 |
| 青苗 | |
| 西庄 | |
| Junhuacun | 均华村 |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| 寅街村 | |
| Niujie | 牛街彝族乡 |
| 云南驿村 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Pingbian | 屏边苗族自治县 |
| Diema | 垤玛 |
| Sancun | 三村 |
| Mengzi | 蒙自县 |
| Majie | 马街 |
| Lvchun | 绿春县 |
| Liangdi | 浪堤 |
| Jiayin | 甲寅 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Azhahe | 阿扎河 |
| Chake | 岔科 |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Baohua | 宝华 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Nanke | 南科 |
| Yongning | 永宁乡 |
| Jinping | 金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县 |
| Luoen | 洛恩 |
| Mengqiao | 勐桥乡 |
| Laomeng | 老勐 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Pingzhai | 平寨乡 |
| Guangnan | 广南县 |
| Pingyuan | 平远 |
| Zhesang | 者桑乡 |
| Banggu | 蚌谷乡 |
| Muyang | 木央镇 |
| Babao | 八宝镇 |
| Nanping (Majie) | 南屏镇 (马街） |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |