Guandu Old Town
With the Bird and Flower Market and the Muslim Quarter fallen, little remains of 'Lao Kunming', the characterful old town of former times. Now it is all high-rises, wide avenues, chain-shops. Everywhere? No, a small part of Kunming is holding out...
The watermills in Fengqing's Gumo village operate just like a thousand years ago.
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.
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 fake festival that has become part of Dali's intangible cultural heritage.
Best surviving station on the French-built Vietnam-Kunming railway.
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.
Bai rattlestick dance in the Dali region.
With its well-preserved architecture and tranquil atmosphere, Weishan's capital is Yunnan's most beautiful county town.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| May Day | 01 May |
| Yangmei Festival | 01 May |
| Third Month Fair | 01 May |
| Migan Festival | 02 May |
| Baitan Temple Fair | 04 May |
| Start of Summer | 05 May |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 05 May |
| Start of Summer Market | 05 May |
| Start of Summer | 05 May |
| Yangbi Jijie Song Festival | 05 May |
| Smelly Water | 05 May |
| Zhetu Flower Street | 06 May |
Markets this Tuesday
| Kunming | 昆明 |
|---|---|
| Jijie | 鸡街乡 |
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Zhongsuo | 中所 |
| Fuheng | 富恒 |
| Liandong | 炼洞 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Fengyu | 风羽 |
| Fengyi | 凤仪 |
| Guanping | 关平 |
| Yongjian | 永连 |
| Wase | 挖色 |
| Baofeng | 宝丰乡 |
| Madeng | 马镫 |
| Binju | 宾居 |
| Shuijing | 水井 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Zuòyì | 作邑 |
| Zhongjiang | 中江 |
| Hongyan | 红岩镇 |
| 妙姑村 | |
| Jindunjiecun | 金墩街村 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| 蛇街 | |
| Shidongcun | 石洞村 |
| Hedian | 禾甸镇 |
| Luming | 鹿鸣乡 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Judian | 巨甸镇 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Shengcun | 生村 |
| Mingjiu | 鸣鹫镇 |
| Caoba | 草坝镇 |
| Wantang | 湾塘乡 |
| Shalatuo | 沙拉托 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Dayangjie | 大羊街 |
| Zhemi | 者米拉祜族乡 |
| Panzihua | 攀枝花 |
| Tongchang | 铜厂 |
| Yuxi | 玉溪 |
|---|---|
| Mosha | 漠沙镇 |
| Xingmeng | 兴蒙 |
| Hexi | 河西 |
| Fuliangpeng | 富良棚 |
| Nujiang | 怒江 |
|---|---|
| Gudeng | 古登 |
| Bingzhongluo | 丙中洛 |
| Lishadi | 利沙底乡 |
| Fugong | 福贡 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Jiangcheng | 江城哈尼族彝族自治县 |
| Mangxin | 芒信镇 |
| Qiannuo | 千糯 |
| Meizi | 梅子镇 |
| Wenggake | 翁嘎科镇 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Weideng | 维登 |
| 岩瓦 |