The Dengchuan Plain 邓川坝子
The Dengchuan Plain 邓川坝子, north of Dali's Erhai Lake 洱海, has with West Lake 西湖 and the Miju River corridor 弥苴河 some beautiful, if hardly known, scenic areas. It's natural scenery, however, is man-made, the result of more than a thousand years of cultivation and water-management projects that have transformed a swamp and marshland into the current cultural environment.
Hand-made giant sparklers, called "Fire Flowers" 火花, are part of the firework displays for temple fairs in Menglian county.
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.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Yunlong's famous bridges.
Jim Goodman: Living in Shangrila: Tibetans and Mosuo in Northwest Yunnan
Abstract: When Diqing Prefecture, opened its doors to foreign visitors in 1992, tourist agencies and government officials promoted Zhongdian County as the Shangrila of James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon. In 2001 the city officially changed its name to Shangrila. On a high plateau of over 3200 meters, surrounded by snow covered mountain peaks, inhabited mainly by relatively prosperous, friendly and contented Tibetans, with beautiful monasteries, lakes, forests and summer flowers, the county’s scenery and lifestyle certainly bore a strong resemblance to that in the novel. Living in Shangrila describes the life and environment of the Tibetan people throughout Diqing Prefecture. It also examines their neighbors the Mosuo, a branch of the Naxi nationality, who adopted Tibetan Buddhism as their religion, but are still mainly a matrilineal society, unique to Yunnan, living around Lugu Lake, the most picturesque body of water in the province. The book includes over 200 photographs.
Scenic karst mountain and lake area with local Yi culture.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Descent of Frost | 23 Oct |
| Xinuluo Remembrance Day | 23 Oct |
| Temple Fair | 23 Oct |
| Open Door Festival | 24 Oct |
| Full Moon Ritual | 24 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship | 24 Oct |
| Guanyin Enlightenment | 28 Oct |
| Opening of the Fishing Season | 28 Oct |
| Dharmic Assembly | 31 Oct |
| Pupeng Zhejume Pilgrimage | 31 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship | 31 Oct |
| Temple Fair | 01 Nov |
Markets this Saturday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Zhoucheng | 州城 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Lijiao | 力角 |
| Paiying | 排营 |
| Haidong | 海东 |
| Qinghua | 清华 |
| Shijing | 师井 |
| Diannan | 甸南 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Jiangwei | 江尾镇 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Hongyan | 红岩镇 |
| Qinghaiying | 青海营 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Hedian | 禾甸镇 |
| Changyi | 长邑村 |
| 桥街 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Jiuhe | 九河 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Shengcun | 生村 |
| Nafa | 那发 |
| Xinansuo | 新安所镇 |
| Daheishan | 大黑山乡 |
| Leyu | 乐育 |
| Xinxian | 新现乡 |
| Jiache | 架车 |
| Zhongzhai | 中寨 |
| Baoxiu | 宝秀镇 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Xincheng | 新城乡 |
| Lincang | 临沧 |
|---|---|
| Menglai | 勐来乡 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Jiangcheng | 江城哈尼族彝族自治县 |
| Lancang | 澜沧县 |
| Donghui | 东回镇 |
| Xuelin | 雪林佤族乡 |
| Menglian | 孟连傣族拉祜族佤族自治县 |
| Mengsuo | 勐梭镇 |