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.
Light falls through the cracks of the Baoxiang cave temple on Jianchuan's Shibao Mountain 石宝山, illuminating the Buddhist statues
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.
An ancient exorcism ritual in Nanjian county.
A history trading post on the upper reaches of the Yangzi.
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.
Nuodeng is an ancient Bai salt producing village in Yunlong.
The Danxia, or red sandstore, cliffs around Liming are a hikers' and climbers' paradise that is just now being discovered.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Kuoshi Lisu New Year | 23 Jan |
| Wuxi Festival | 24 Jan |
| "Replenish Provisions" Ritual | 24 Jan |
| Lingshan Temple Fair | 26 Jan |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 26 Jan |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 27 Jan |
| Long Table Feast | 27 Jan |
| Benzhu Festival | 27 Jan |
| Benzhu Worship | 01 Feb |
| Full Moon Ritual | 02 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 02 Feb |
| Start of Spring | 04 Feb |
Markets this Friday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Hecun | 萂村 |
| Xiangtu | 象图乡 |
| Jiancao | 捡槽 |
| Gunipen | 沽泥盆 |
| Waxi | 瓦溪 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Pingchuan | 平川 |
| Wuxing | 五星 |
| Yinqiao | 银桥 |
| Baidangping | 白荡坪 |
| Yangbi | 漾濞彝族自治县 |
| Shaxi | 沙溪 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Yousuo | 右所镇 |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| Wachang | 瓦厂乡 |
| 果城村 | |
| Qinghaiying | 青海营 |
| Xishan | 西山乡 |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| 大栗树 | |
| 三胜 | |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| Houshancun | 后山村 |
| Caifeng | 财丰 |
| Miaojie | 庙街镇 |
| Jijie | 鸡街乡 |
| 汤涧 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinhua | 新华乡 |
| Lengquan | 冷泉镇 |
| Lengdun | 冷墩 |
| Dongshan | 东山镇 |
| Shalatuo | 沙拉托 |
| Shitouzhai | 石头寨 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Niujie | 牛街镇 |
| Panzihua | 攀枝花 |
| Zhemi | 者米拉祜族乡 |
| Tongchang | 铜厂 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Jiagetu | 价格土 |
| 岩瓦 |