Lijiang - Twenty Years On
Jim Goodman, veteran researcher and writer on Yunnan and its people, has just republished his 1997 book "Children of the Jade Dragon: the Naxi and Yi of Northwest Yunnan". In its new preface he looks back at the changes the last twenty years have brought.
A Lahu minority Christian service in a hill village near Menglian.
Jim Goodman: Xishuangbanna: The Tropics of Yunnan
For most of its history Xishuangbanna existed as an autonomous state on the remote southern periphery of China, run by the same Dai family since the 12th century. Lying in the tropical zone, on the northern rim of Southeast Asia, with flora and fauna not only unlike the rest of China, but even unique in Yunnan province, it has had close ethnic and cultural relations with its neighbors in Myanmar, Thailand and Laos. The valleys are home to the Dai nationality, while several ethnic minorities inhabit the hills. Xishuangbanna: the Tropics of Yunnan narrates the history and development of the Dai people, their culture, society and religion, from ancient times through the period of incorporation into the Chinese state. It also covers the characteristics of the lifestyle, culture and celebrations of the peoples of the mountains, as well as the economic and political changes of recent times and their effects on both hill and plain.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Temple to some of the rulers after Nanzhao.
Fog swirling on a cold winter morning over endless rice-terraces, the red of the
early morning sun reflected in the flooded paddies: this is the classic view of the
Hani Rice Terraces of Yuanyang, now of UNESCO World Heritage status.
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.
Locally important temple.
Once an important salt-mining town, now the second largest town along the Heihui River north of Yangbi.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| New Moon Ritual | 20 Nov |
| Anniversary of Dali Bai Autonomous Region Foundation | 22 Nov |
| Yiyi Festival | 22 Nov |
| Slight Snow | 22 Nov |
| Meige Festival | 27 Nov |
| Mother Earth Worship | 27 Nov |
| Yi New Year | 29 Nov |
| Street Banquet | 30 Nov |
| Hani New Year | 01 Dec |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 02 Dec |
| Full Moon Ritual | 04 Dec |
| Yongning Mule Fair | 04 Dec |
Markets this Thursday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Nanxin | 南新 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Yangcen | 羊岑 |
| Maidi | 脉地 |
| Haidong | 海东 |
| Fengyi | 凤仪 |
| Gudi | 古底 |
| Weishan | 巍山彝族回族自治县 |
| Wase | 挖色 |
| Daying | 大营 |
| Qiaohou | 乔后 |
| Taiyi | 太邑彝族乡 |
| Dianzhong | 甸中 |
| 北桥 | |
| 龙洞村 | |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| 太和社区 | |
| 果城村 | |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| 鲁庄 | |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| 妙姑村 | |
| Luming | 鹿鸣乡 |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Shidongcun | 石洞村 |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| Qiaodian | 乔甸镇 |
| 田口 |
| Xishuangbanna | 西双版纳 |
|---|---|
| Xiding | 西定哈尼族乡 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Xiaopingtian | 小平田 |
| Tengchong | 腾冲县 |
| Wama | 瓦马彝族白族乡 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Menggu | 蒙姑镇 |
| Yuxi | 玉溪 |
|---|---|
| Mosha | 漠沙镇 |
| Fuliangpeng | 富良棚 |