Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


Xu Xiake 徐霞客 in Dali

Xu Xiake (1586 - 1641) was China's first travel blogger. During the third lunar month in 1639 he travelled through Dali and recorded his experiences in his diary, posthumously published as 徐霞客游记. Is it still possible to retrace Xu's steps on the Dali plain?




A performance of the modern Yunnan Opera 滇剧 "Sima Yi"《司马懿》at the Kunming Theatre 昆明剧院.


Jim Goodman: The Akha: Guardians of the Forest

Cover Image
The Akha, in China known as the Aini branch of the Hani people, migrated from China southwards into Laos, Burma and Thailand. In this richly illustrated book J Goodman, aka 'Akha Jim', explains their life and culture.


A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.

Raw pork skin, together with raw pork meat and sometimes even raw pork liver are traditional delicacies in Dali.



The old border crossing to Guizhou.


马健雄 (Ma Jianxiong): The Lahu Minority in Southwest China: A Response to Ethnic Marginalization on the Frontier

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The Lahu, with a population of around 470,000, inhabit the mountainous country in Yunnan Province bordering on Burma, Laos and northern Thailand. Buddhists, with a long history of resistance to the Chinese Han majority, the Lahu are currently facing a serious collapse of their traditional social system, with the highest suicide rate in the world, large scale human trafficking of their women, alcoholism and poverty. This book, based on extensive original research including long-term anthropological research among the Lahu, provides an overview of the traditional way of life of the Lahu, their social system, culture and beliefs, and discusses the ways in which these are changing. It shows how the Lahu are especially vulnerable because of their lack of political representatives and a state educated elite which can engage with, and be part of, the government administrative system. The Lahu are one of many relatively small ethnic minorities in China – overall the book provides an example of how the Chinese government approaches these relatively small ethnic minorities.


Hometown of many Bai merchants, Xizhou boast some impressive architecture.

Markets this Thursday

Kunming 昆明
Kedu 柯渡镇

Dali 大理
Nanxin 南新
Niujie 牛街
Yangcen 羊岑
Maidi 脉地
Xintun 辛屯
Songgui 松桂
Gudi 古底
Taiyi 太邑彝族乡
Daying 大营
Qiaohou 乔后
Shuanglang 双廊镇
Huangping 黄平镇
Longjie 龙街
三胜
鲁庄
Houshancun 后山村
龙洞村
Xiazhuang 下庄镇
Qiaodian 乔甸镇
Shalong 沙龙镇
Caifeng 财丰
Miaojie 庙街镇
太和社区

Lijiang 丽江
Shigu 石鼓镇
Yongsheng 永胜县
Banqiao 板桥

Xishuangbanna 西双版纳
Xiding 西定哈尼族乡

Honghe 红河
Niujiaozhai 牛角寨
Mengla 勐拉
Dianwei 甸尾乡
Heping 和平乡
Shaochong 哨冲镇
Baixian 白显
Niujie 牛街镇
Maandi 马鞍底

Wenshan 文山
Shadou 沙斗
Nijiao 腻脚彝族乡
Jijie 鸡街乡
Donggan 董干镇
Tienpeng 田蓬镇
Jiumo 旧莫乡

Chuxiong 楚雄
Jiyi 己衣乡
Tanhua 昙花乡
Sanchahe 三岔河乡
Dongpo 东坡傣族乡
Guanglu 光路镇

Baoshan 保山市
Xinzhai 新寨
Hehua 荷花傣族佤族乡

Lincang 临沧
Fengqing 凤庆县
Lushi 鲁史
Mengding 孟定
Nanmei 南美拉祜族乡
Banhong 班洪乡

Qujing 曲靖市
Baiwu 白雾
Daibu 待补镇
Daqiao 大桥乡
Leye 乐业镇
Malu 马路乡
Zhehai 者海镇
Zhichang 纸厂乡

Zhaotong 昭通
Shikan 石坎
Jiucheng 旧城
Weixin 威信
Changan 长安

Yuxi 玉溪
Yangjie 羊街乡
Mosha 漠沙镇
Dianzhong 甸中

Nujiang 怒江
Jiakedi 架科底乡
Pihe 匹河怒族乡
Dimaluo

Puer 普洱
Nuofu 糯福
Mengma 孟马镇

Diqing 迪庆
Jiagetu 价格土
岩瓦