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.
Ronald G. Knapp: China's Old Dwellings
Few people know as much about Chinese architecture as Knapp: from palaces to humble homes he explains important building principles; the connection between environment and housing styles and the development of style over time. A section on minority housing styles complements the book.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Historic ancestral hall north of Pingchuan.
A spectacularly narrow canyon high above the Jinsha River.
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.
Baofeng's Benzhu festival is classed as Dali-level intangible cultural heritage.
With its well-preserved architecture and tranquil atmosphere, Weishan's capital is Yunnan's most beautiful county town.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Fishpond Fair | 25 Sep |
| Fenghuan Mountain Music Festival | 01 Oct |
| National Day | 01 Oct |
| Baobo Festival | 02 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship (Fengyu Area) | 03 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 03 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship on Jiansuo Island | 03 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship (Dengchuan Area) | 03 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship | 03 Oct |
| Sky Lantern Festival | 03 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship | 03 Oct |
| Mountain God Temple Worship | 05 Oct |
Markets this Thursday
| Kunming | 昆明 |
|---|---|
| Kedu | 柯渡镇 |
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Nanxin | 南新 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Yangcen | 羊岑 |
| Maidi | 脉地 |
| Gudi | 古底 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Daying | 大营 |
| Taiyi | 太邑彝族乡 |
| Qiaohou | 乔后 |
| Shuanglang | 双廊镇 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Qiaodian | 乔甸镇 |
| 鲁庄 | |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| 太和社区 | |
| 寅街村 | |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| 西庄 | |
| Junhuacun | 均华村 |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| 龙洞村 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Liming | 黎明 |
| Xishuangbanna | 西双版纳 |
|---|---|
| Xiding | 西定哈尼族乡 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Xiaopingtian | 小平田 |
| Tengchong | 腾冲县 |
| Wama | 瓦马彝族白族乡 |
| Qujing | 曲靖市 |
|---|---|
| Daibu | 待补镇 |
| Fenghuang | 凤凰 |
| 干海子 | |
| Jiache | 驾车乡 |
| Laochang | 老厂乡 |
| Wuxing | 五星乡 |
| Xinjie | 新街回族乡 |
| Yangmeishan | 杨梅山 |