From Niujiaozhai to Yuanyang
Yuanyang county, south of the Red River in the province's southeast, is famous for its Hani rice-terraces. With its splendid vistas and ethnic mix it is also a great area for hiking. Here we describe a moderate day-hike starting at the market-town of Niujiaozhai, passing through Yi and Hani villages and ending with stunning sunset vistas over the rice-terraces of Longshuba.
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.
Daoist temple mountain and a centre of Yi culture.
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.
Suona melodies in the Pingchuan area of Binchuan.
Best surviving station on the French-built Vietnam-Kunming railway.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Pupeng Zhejume Pilgrimage | 31 Oct |
| Dharmic Assembly | 31 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship | 31 Oct |
| Temple Fair | 01 Nov |
| Open Door Festival | 01 Nov |
| Benzhu Worship | 01 Nov |
| Anniversary of Yangbi County Foundation | 01 Nov |
| Benzhu Festival | 01 Nov |
| Dongshan Tuzhu Temple Fair | 02 Nov |
| Benzhu Festival | 04 Nov |
| Jingpo New Rice | 04 Nov |
| Benzhu Festival | 05 Nov |
Markets this Friday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Xiangtu | 象图乡 |
| Hecun | 萂村 |
| Jiancao | 捡槽 |
| Gunipen | 沽泥盆 |
| Waxi | 瓦溪 |
| Wuxing | 五星 |
| Pingchuan | 平川 |
| Weishan | 巍山彝族回族自治县 |
| Qinghua | 清华 |
| Fengyi | 凤仪 |
| Yangbi | 漾濞彝族自治县 |
| Baidangping | 白荡坪 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Shaxi | 沙溪 |
| Dianzhong | 甸中 |
| Yousuo | 右所镇 |
| Wase | 挖色 |
| Luming | 鹿鸣乡 |
| 妙姑村 | |
| 汤涧 | |
| Xishan | 西山乡 |
| 北桥 | |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| 果城村 | |
| 大栗树 | |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| 田口 | |
| Shidongcun | 石洞村 |
| Jijie | 鸡街乡 |
| Wachang | 瓦厂乡 |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinhua | 新华乡 |
| Nafa | 那发 |
| Lengdun | 冷墩 |
| Lengquan | 冷泉镇 |
| Dongshan | 东山镇 |
| Jiache | 架车 |
| Shitouzhai | 石头寨 |
| Zhongzhai | 中寨 |
| Shiping Guanyin Temple Alley | 石屏观音寺巷 |
| Chezhi | 扯直 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Menggu | 蒙姑镇 |
| Yuxi | 玉溪 |
|---|---|
| Fuliangpeng | 富良棚 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Nuofu | 糯福 |
| Dashan | 大山乡 |
| Mengma | 孟马镇 |
| Fubang | 富邦乡 |
| Meizi | 梅子镇 |
| Dehua | 德化镇 |
| Mujia | 木戛乡 |
| Kangping | 康平乡 |
| Ankang | 安康佤族乡 |
| Liming | 黎明乡 |
| Wendong | 文东佤族乡 |
| 把边 |