1875: Death of a British Diplomat
After Britain's 1852 annexation of lower Burma lucrative trade with China through its back-door seemed more than a distant possibility. But after a successful first mission up the Irrawaddy and into Yunnan in 1868, the second British mission six years later ended in tragedy.
Hand-made giant sparklers, called "Fire Flowers" 火花, are part of the firework displays for temple fairs in Menglian county.
Liao Yiwu: God is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China
Liao Yiwu, one of China's most prominent dissidents, was driven out of China, but not before he used a period of internal exile to research Christian groups, mainly in Yunnan. In this book he tells the stories of the Christians of Dali and of Wuding county.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Remote temple in Weishan, site of temple fair.
Judith Shapiro: Mao's War Against Nature: Politics and the Environment in Revolutionary China
Even if Chinese civilization has developed more against than with nature, the Mao years were a particular exercise in environmental destruction. In one case-study Shapiro tells the story of the draining of the northern part of Dianchi Lake, one of the first steps turning Kunming's lake into the fetid cess-pool it is today.
Village Benzhu Temple.
The turn of the Yangzi made Chinese civilization possible and was the location of many important battles.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Opening of the Fishing Season | 28 Oct |
| Guanyin Enlightenment | 28 Oct |
| Dharmic Assembly | 31 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship | 31 Oct |
| Pupeng Zhejume Pilgrimage | 31 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship | 01 Nov |
| Open Door Festival | 01 Nov |
| Anniversary of Yangbi County Foundation | 01 Nov |
| Benzhu Festival | 01 Nov |
| Temple Fair | 01 Nov |
| Dongshan Tuzhu Temple Fair | 02 Nov |
| Jingpo New Rice | 04 Nov |
Markets this Tuesday
| Kunming | 昆明 |
|---|---|
| Jiulong | 九龙乡 |
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Fuheng | 富恒 |
| Zhongsuo | 中所 |
| Fengyu | 风羽 |
| Liandong | 炼洞 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Wanqiao | 湾桥 |
| Guanping | 关平 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Baofeng | 宝丰乡 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Madeng | 马镫 |
| Binju | 宾居 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Shuijing | 水井 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Beiya | 北衙 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Shunzhou | 顺州 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Niujiaozhai | 牛角寨 |
| Caoba | 草坝镇 |
| Mingjiu | 鸣鹫镇 |
| Wantang | 湾塘乡 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Yafangzi | Yafangzi |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Sankeshu | 三棵树 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Dayangjie | 大羊街 |
| Dixibei | 地西北 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |
| Nujiang | 怒江 |
|---|---|
| Gudeng | 古登 |
| Bingzhongluo | 丙中洛 |
| Lishadi | 利沙底乡 |