Watersplashing in Yongping
Ask for the Watersplashing Festival, or Poshuijie 泼水节, and everyone will tell you to go to Jinghong, capital of Yunnan's Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Region: the 'biggest and best' Dai celebrations to mark their New Year are taking place there. And big it is. Thousands of Han Chinese and foreign tourist flock to Jinghong every year. Jinghong's Poshuijie certainly is big -- and very commercial. If big crowds and big events are your thing, go to Jinghong.
Lingjiu Temple near Fengyu is said to date back to Nanzhao, but the current structures are from the Qing Dynasty
Jim Goodman: Living in Shangrila: Tibetans and Mosuo in Northwest Yunnan
Abstract: When Diqing Prefecture, opened its doors to foreign visitors in 1992, tourist agencies and government officials promoted Zhongdian County as the Shangrila of James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon. In 2001 the city officially changed its name to Shangrila. On a high plateau of over 3200 meters, surrounded by snow covered mountain peaks, inhabited mainly by relatively prosperous, friendly and contented Tibetans, with beautiful monasteries, lakes, forests and summer flowers, the county’s scenery and lifestyle certainly bore a strong resemblance to that in the novel. Living in Shangrila describes the life and environment of the Tibetan people throughout Diqing Prefecture. It also examines their neighbors the Mosuo, a branch of the Naxi nationality, who adopted Tibetan Buddhism as their religion, but are still mainly a matrilineal society, unique to Yunnan, living around Lugu Lake, the most picturesque body of water in the province. The book includes over 200 photographs.
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 Bai village rich in cultural heritage.
Ronald G. Knapp: China's Old Dwellings
Few people know as much about Chinese architecture as Knapp: from palaces to humble homes he explains important building principles; the connection between environment and housing styles and the development of style over time. A section on minority housing styles complements the book.
Extremely beautiful Wenchang Temple, created in part by national level Intangible Cultural Heritage transmitter Li Yunyi.
Once an important salt-mining town, now the second largest town along the Heihui River north of Yangbi.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Flowery Face Festival | 18 Jul |
| Tuanjie Torch Festival | 18 Jul |
| Taliu Pancake Festival | 18 Jul |
| Yi Torch Festival | 18 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 18 Jul |
| Torch Festival | 18 Jul |
| Red Rice Festival | 18 Jul |
| Mishi Festival | 18 Jul |
| Shaxi Torch Festival | 19 Jul |
| Dengchuan Torch Festival | 19 Jul |
| Worship the Tree God | 19 Jul |
| Dragon Boat Races | 19 Jul |
Markets this Sunday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Jiuzhou | 旧州 |
| Sanying | 三营 |
| Haidong | 海东 |
| Wanqiao | 湾桥 |
| Yunlong | 云龙县 |
| Fengyi | 凤仪 |
| Weishan | 巍山彝族回族自治县 |
| Beitou | 北头 |
| Liantie | 炼铁 |
| Binchuan | 宾川县 |
| Wase | 挖色 |
| Lawu | 拉乌 |
| Jianchuan | 剑川县 |
| Changxin | 长新 |
| Shuanglang | 双廊镇 |
| Eryuan | 洱源县 |
| Pingpo | 平坡 |
| Dianzhong | 甸中 |
| 妙姑村 | |
| 龙洞村 | |
| Luming | 鹿鸣乡 |
| 青苗 | |
| Niujie | 牛街彝族乡 |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| 田口 | |
| Minjian | 民建乡 |
| 北桥 | |
| Shidongcun | 石洞村 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Hongyan | 红岩 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Pingbian | 屏边苗族自治县 |
| Niujiaozhai | 牛角寨 |
| Diema | 垤玛 |
| Mengla | 勐拉 |
| Mengzi | 蒙自县 |
| Azhahe | 阿扎河 |
| Jiayin | 甲寅 |
| Chake | 岔科 |
| Liangdi | 浪堤 |
| Baohua | 宝华 |
| Yongning | 永宁乡 |
| Luoen | 洛恩 |
| Laomeng | 老勐 |
| Maandi | 马鞍底 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Guangnan | 广南县 |
| Shadou | 沙斗 |
| Nijiao | 腻脚彝族乡 |
| Pingyuan | 平远 |
| Zhesang | 者桑乡 |
| Jijie | 鸡街乡 |
| Donggan | 董干镇 |
| Babao | 八宝镇 |
| Tienpeng | 田蓬镇 |
| Jiumo | 旧莫乡 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Manglong | 芒龙 |
| Lincang | 临沧 |
|---|---|
| Cangyuan | 沧源佤族自治县 |
| Lushi | 鲁史 |
| Fengqing | 凤庆县 |
| Shuangjiang | 双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县 |
| Quannei | 圈内 |
| Junsai | 军赛乡 |
| Zhenkang | 镇康县 |
| Yuxi | 玉溪 |
|---|---|
| Fuliangpeng | 富良棚 |