On the Statelets between Nanzhao and the Dali Kingdom
After the demise of Nanzhao 南诏, the Buddhist kingdom that integrated the tribes of the Erhai region in the second half of the first millennium, local strongmen proclaimed a succession of short-lived statelets before Duan Siping 段思平 in 937 CE established the Dali Kingdom 大理国.
Kids from one of Lancang's 澜沧县 schools dress up in minority clothes for the annual Gourd Festival 葫芦节.
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.
A traditional technique making little figures etc from cloth, in Jianchuan county.
A history trading post on the upper reaches of the Yangzi.
C. Patterson Giersch: Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier
Yunnan was not always China: indeed not so long ago large parts of Yunnan were only nominally part of the empire. To make Yunnan, outside the main Han cities, a Chinese province required significant effort. Here Giersch's study on Yunnan's hinterland makes an interesting if academic read.
Biggest festival in the Dali region, once Bai New Year.
A history trading post on the upper reaches of the Yangzi.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Walnut Festival | 01 Sep |
| Circling the Mountain | 06 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship | 06 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship (Fengyu Area) | 06 Sep |
| White Dew | 07 Sep |
| Shibaoshan Songfest | 08 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 09 Sep |
| Sigunai Temple Fair | 09 Sep |
| Teachers' Day | 10 Sep |
| Azhali Ritual | 11 Sep |
| New Moon Ritual | 11 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship (Fengyu Area) | 11 Sep |
Markets this Monday
| Kunming | 昆明 |
|---|---|
| Kedu | 柯渡镇 |
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Wanqiao | 湾桥 |
| Biaocun | 表村 |
| Haidong | 海东 |
| Jizushan | 鸡足山 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Misha | 弥沙 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Tuanjie | 团结 |
| Baishi | 白石 |
| Shuanglang | 双廊镇 |
| Shaping | 沙平村 |
| Miaowei | 苗尾傈僳族乡 |
| 西庄 | |
| Taiping | 太平乡 |
| Beiya | 北衙 |
| 龙洞村 | |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| 寅街村 | |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Shunzhou | 顺州 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Mengla | 勐拉 |
| Laozhai | 老寨苗族乡 |
| Chemalong | 车玛龙 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Puxiong | 普雄 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Maandi | 马鞍底 |
| Baihe | 白河乡 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |