Guandu Old Town
With the Bird and Flower Market and the Muslim Quarter fallen, little remains of 'Lao Kunming', the characterful old town of former times. Now it is all high-rises, wide avenues, chain-shops. Everywhere? No, a small part of Kunming is holding out...
Impressions from a small Dai village in Menglian county near the Burmese border
C. Patterson Giersch: Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier
Yunnan was not always China: indeed not so long ago large parts of Yunnan were only nominally part of the empire. To make Yunnan, outside the main Han cities, a Chinese province required significant effort. Here Giersch's study on Yunnan's hinterland makes an interesting if academic read.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Large Benzhu temple above Shangyangxi village.
An unspoilt Tibetan area along the Zhibaluo River.
Liao Yiwu: God is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China
Liao Yiwu, one of China's most prominent dissidents, was driven out of China, but not before he used a period of internal exile to research Christian groups, mainly in Yunnan. In this book he tells the stories of the Christians of Dali and of Wuding county.
Historic ancestral hall north of Pingchuan.
This old caravan town on the Jinsha River is Yunnan's gateway to Tibet.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Gedong | 14 Jan |
| Benzhu Worship | 18 Jan |
| Pulling the Wooden Drum | 19 Jan |
| New Moon Ritual | 19 Jan |
| Great Cold | 20 Jan |
| Kuoshi Lisu New Year | 23 Jan |
| Wuxi Festival | 24 Jan |
| "Replenish Provisions" Ritual | 24 Jan |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 26 Jan |
| Lingshan Temple Fair | 26 Jan |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 27 Jan |
| Long Table Feast | 27 Jan |
Markets this Saturday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Zhoucheng | 州城 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Paiying | 排营 |
| Lijiao | 力角 |
| Weishan | 巍山彝族回族自治县 |
| Shijing | 师井 |
| Fengyi | 凤仪 |
| Diannan | 甸南 |
| Wase | 挖色 |
| Shuanglang | 双廊镇 |
| Jiangwei | 江尾镇 |
| Zuòyì | 作邑 |
| Dianzhong | 甸中 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| 西庄 | |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| Changyi | 长邑村 |
| 龙洞村 | |
| Shidongcun | 石洞村 |
| 寅街村 | |
| 田口 | |
| 妙姑村 | |
| 北桥 | |
| 桥街 | |
| Luming | 鹿鸣乡 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Jiuhe | 九河 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinansuo | 新安所镇 |
| Mengla | 勐拉 |
| Leyu | 乐育 |
| Daheishan | 大黑山乡 |
| Sancun | 三村 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Xinxian | 新现乡 |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Maandi | 马鞍底 |
| Yuxi | 玉溪 |
|---|---|
| Mosha | 漠沙镇 |
| Fuliangpeng | 富良棚 |