Into the Land of the Black Lisu
The Nujiang Canyon, on Yunnan's western frontier, was until the 1930s a blank area on the map that not even Chinese troops dared to enter. In 1905 two British explorers made the first foray into this land of the Black Lisu.
Hidden in the forests above Shangyun 上允 are the ruins of a Buddhist temple fortress founded during the Qing Dynasty by separatist monks from Jizushan who built a significant religious following by the local Lahu and Dai people.
Jim Goodman: The Terrace Builders: The Hani and their Neighbors in Yunnan's Ailao Mountains
Abstract: The rice terraces of the Ailao Mountains in southern Yunnan province, China, are some of the oldest terraced farms in Asia. First mentioned in Tang Dynasty records, these farms, 80% of which are irrigated, with water running through them all year round, have been in continuous use for over a thousand years. In 2013 UNESCO declared the heartland of this area a World Heritage Site. The Terrace Builders is a detailed account of how these farms are made and used, the cities and mountains of Honghe Prefecture and the far north of Vietnam, as well as the various ethnic minorities who live there. The book pays special attention to the Hani people, the largest ethnic group in the area, and includes summaries of the culture and clothing of their neighbors the Yi, Miao, Yao, Zhuang and Dai. The book includes 300 photos of the land and its people.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Extremely beautiful Wenchang Temple, created in part by national level Intangible Cultural Heritage transmitter Li Yunyi.
Unspoiled Weishan boast Yunnan's most beautiful county town, an important Taoist mountain and areas of strong Muslim and Yi tradition.
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.
Upper Benzhu Temple in Wase.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Walnut Festival | 01 Sep |
| Yunlong August Trade Fair | 13 Sep |
| New Rice | 15 Sep |
| "Replenish Provisions" Ritual | 16 Sep |
| Benzhu Festival | 16 Sep |
| Benzhu Festival | 16 Sep |
| Corpse Recovering Festival | 18 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship | 18 Sep |
| Yu An Hall Temple Fair | 18 Sep |
| Lingrui Temple Fair | 18 Sep |
| Shihe Luban Festival | 18 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship | 18 Sep |
Markets this Tuesday
| Kunming | 昆明 |
|---|---|
| Jiulong | 九龙乡 |
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Fuheng | 富恒 |
| Zhongsuo | 中所 |
| Liandong | 炼洞 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Fengyu | 风羽 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Fengyi | 凤仪 |
| Guanping | 关平 |
| Wase | 挖色 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Yongjian | 永连 |
| Baofeng | 宝丰乡 |
| Yinqiao | 银桥 |
| Madeng | 马镫 |
| Binju | 宾居 |
| Shuijing | 水井 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Zhongjiang | 中江 |
| 西庄 | |
| 蛇街 | |
| Shidongcun | 石洞村 |
| Luming | 鹿鸣乡 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| 妙姑村 | |
| 寅街村 | |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| Qinghaiying | 青海营 |
| Jindunjiecun | 金墩街村 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Judian | 巨甸镇 |
| Yuxi | 玉溪 |
|---|---|
| Mosha | 漠沙镇 |
| Xingmeng | 兴蒙 |
| Fuliangpeng | 富良棚 |
| Hexi | 河西 |
| Nujiang | 怒江 |
|---|---|
| Gudeng | 古登 |
| Bingzhongluo | 丙中洛 |
| Lishadi | 利沙底乡 |
| Fugong | 福贡 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Weideng | 维登 |
| 岩瓦 |