Protecting Erhai: The Seven Big Activities
When in April 2017 guesthouses and restaurants around western Yunnan's Erhai Lake were suddenly summarily ordered closed until further notice, big character slogans also began proclaiming: "Protecting Erhai: The Seven Big Activities" 保护洱海七大行动. The slogan suggests that the closure of tourist facilities is just one part of a wider campaign to clean up the Erhai environment.
Early 20th century murals at Mangzhong Temple near Menglian
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.
A well-preserved Bai merchant town with perhaps the best examples of Bai traditional architecture.
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.
Historic ancestral hall north of Pingchuan.
A spectacularly narrow canyon high above the Jinsha River.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Water Splashing Festival | 15 Apr |
| Yongping Watersplashing Festival | 16 Apr |
| Water Splashing Festival | 16 Apr |
| Mengdui Bada | 17 Apr |
| Buddha Relic Worship | 17 Apr |
| Xu Xiake Memorial Event | 17 Apr |
| Gutianshi Temple Fair | 17 Apr |
| New Moon Ritual | 17 Apr |
| Mengdui Daba | 17 Apr |
| Seeing off the Emperor's Son in Law Ritual | 18 Apr |
| Seeing off the Emperor's Son in Law | 18 Apr |
| Buddha Relic Worship | 18 Apr |
Markets this Saturday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Zhoucheng | 州城 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Lijiao | 力角 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Paiying | 排营 |
| Shijing | 师井 |
| Diannan | 甸南 |
| Dali | 大理 |
| Caicun | 才村 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Zuòyì | 作邑 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Jiangwei | 江尾镇 |
| Zhongjiang | 中江 |
| 三鹤 | |
| 桥街 | |
| Houshancun | 后山村 |
| 三胜 | |
| Caifeng | 财丰 |
| Jindunjiecun | 金墩街村 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Changyi | 长邑村 |
| Miaojie | 庙街镇 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Niujiaozhai | 牛角寨 |
| Xinansuo | 新安所镇 |
| Leyu | 乐育 |
| Daheishan | 大黑山乡 |
| Sancun | 三村 |
| Xinxian | 新现乡 |
| Sankeshu | 三棵树 |
| Dixibei | 地西北 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Niujie | 牛街镇 |