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.
Early 20th century murals at Mangzhong Temple near Menglian
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.
Shaxi is the most complete historic ensemble of a caravan town in Yunnan.
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.
A Lahu Church
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Buddha Relic Worship | 17 Apr |
| Buddha Relic Worship | 18 Apr |
| Buddha Relic Worship | 19 Apr |
| Hanna Temple Worship | 20 Apr |
| Ximu Buddha Print | 21 Apr |
| "Replenish Provisions" Ritual | 22 Apr |
| Zhefang Buddha Print | 22 Apr |
| Tongkuang Bada | 23 Apr |
| Woba Festival | 23 Apr |
| Manluo Temple Fair | 23 Apr |
| Fumeng Bada | 24 Apr |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 24 Apr |
Markets this Thursday
| Kunming | 昆明 |
|---|---|
| Jijie | 鸡街乡 |
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Nanxin | 南新 |
| Yangcen | 羊岑 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Maidi | 脉地 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Gudi | 古底 |
| Qiaohou | 乔后 |
| Daying | 大营 |
| Taiyi | 太邑彝族乡 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Hedian | 禾甸镇 |
| 鲁庄 | |
| Houshancun | 后山村 |
| 太和社区 | |
| 三胜 | |
| Hongyan | 红岩镇 |
| Caifeng | 财丰 |
| Miaojie | 庙街镇 |
| Qiaodian | 乔甸镇 |
| Xishuangbanna | 西双版纳 |
|---|---|
| Xiding | 西定哈尼族乡 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Shengcun | 生村 |
| Sancun | 三村 |
| Dianwei | 甸尾乡 |
| Heping | 和平乡 |
| Shalatuo | 沙拉托 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Baixian | 白显 |
| Niujie | 牛街镇 |
| Tongchang | 铜厂 |
| Zhemi | 者米拉祜族乡 |
| Panzihua | 攀枝花 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Jiangcheng | 江城哈尼族彝族自治县 |
| Nuofu | 糯福 |
| Dashan | 大山乡 |
| Mengma | 孟马镇 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Jiagetu | 价格土 |
| 岩瓦 |