Dancing under the Moonlight: the Costume Festival of Zhizuo
As villages go, Zhizuo could hardly be more remote. Some 70km from the county town, first along a winding mountain road, then on a deeply rutted track without public transport: even in the dry season it takes several hours and a bit of stamina to reach. Yet, at least on the first full moon of the year, the effort is worth it, as Zhizuo holds one of Yunnan's most colourful festivals, the Dress Competition Festival or Caizhuangjie 赛装节.
A Lahu minority Christian service in a hill village near Menglian.
Jim Goodman: Children of the Jade Dragon: the Naxi of Lijiang and their mountain neighbours the Yi
In the first half of the 1990s Lijiang had barely made its appearance on the Chinese tourism stage, even less so the then remote mountains of Ningland and Lugu Lake. Jim Goodman's account of the Naxi and the Yi draws back to a time where not everything was staged for mass tourism: an account of a lost world.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
The Dali history museum inside the headquarters of Du Wenxiu.
Largest Miao village in the Kunming area with a large Christian community and a nationally-acclaimed church-choir.
John Israel: Lianda: A Chinese University in War and Revolution
Everyone knows about the Mao's Long March, but a few years later another long march took place: that of Chinese students leaving their cushy campuses on the east coast, trekking all the way to Yunnan where their universities reformed as Lianda, the united university. Kunming, then a total backwater, became a hotbed for new ideas, not just scientific. We liked the section of east coast girls scampering around Mengzi in their latest fashion.
Ancient Daoist temple music performed in Dali.
With its well-preserved architecture and tranquil atmosphere, Weishan's capital is Yunnan's most beautiful county town.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Full Moon Ritual | 03 Jan |
| Yi New Year | 04 Jan |
| Slight Cold | 05 Jan |
| Birthday of the Sun | 07 Jan |
| Birthday of the Sun | 07 Jan |
| Gedong | 14 Jan |
Markets this Saturday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Zhoucheng | 州城 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Paiying | 排营 |
| Lijiao | 力角 |
| Haidong | 海东 |
| Shuixie | 水泄 |
| Shijing | 师井 |
| Diannan | 甸南 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Jiangwei | 江尾镇 |
| Gonglang | 公郎镇 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Changyi | 长邑村 |
| 桥街 | |
| Beiya | 北衙 |
| 云南驿村 | |
| 前所 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinansuo | 新安所镇 |
| Niujiaozhai | 牛角寨 |
| Daheishan | 大黑山乡 |
| Leyu | 乐育 |
| Majie | 马街 |
| Lvchun | 绿春县 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Xinxian | 新现乡 |
| Nanke | 南科 |
| Jinping | 金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县 |
| Mengqiao | 勐桥乡 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Manglong | 芒龙 |
| Lincang | 临沧 |
|---|---|
| Cangyuan | 沧源佤族自治县 |
| Luodang | 洛党 |
| Xinhua | 新华彝族苗族乡 |
| Shuangjiang | 双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县 |
| Quannei | 圈内 |
| Zhenkang | 镇康县 |
| Junsai | 军赛乡 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |