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?
Early 20th century murals at Mangzhong Temple near Menglian
Fei Hsiao-Tung and Chang Chih-I: Earthbound China: A Study of Rural Economy in Yunnan
Fei is the father of modern sociology in China: western-trained, he came to Yunnan at the end of the 1930s when China's eastern universities relocated west. In "Earthbound China" he applied modern empirical techniques that he had pioneered around Shanghai to the Chinese hinterland. The economical development, and subsequent societal changes, of three un-named, but typical villages in Yunnan is analyzed in great detail in this fascinating study.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Traditional dress in the Erhai region.
Best surviving station on the French-built Vietnam-Kunming railway.
Judith Shapiro: Mao's War Against Nature: Politics and the Environment in Revolutionary China
Even if Chinese civilization has developed more against than with nature, the Mao years were a particular exercise in environmental destruction. In one case-study Shapiro tells the story of the draining of the northern part of Dianchi Lake, one of the first steps turning Kunming's lake into the fetid cess-pool it is today.
Largest Miao village in the Kunming area with a large Christian community and a nationally-acclaimed church-choir.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Water Splashing Festival | 15 Apr |
| Gutianshi Temple Fair | 17 Apr |
| Buddha Relic Worship | 17 Apr |
| Buddha Relic Worship | 18 Apr |
| Buddha Relic Worship | 19 Apr |
| Chenghuang Temple Fair | 19 Apr |
| Hanna Temple Worship | 20 Apr |
| Grain Rain | 20 Apr |
| Mangduo Bada | 20 Apr |
| Jianchuan Old Chenghuang Temple Fair | 21 Apr |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 21 Apr |
| Jinggu Dazhai Bada | 21 Apr |
Markets this Tuesday
| Kunming | 昆明 |
|---|---|
| Banqiao | 板桥乡 |
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Zhongsuo | 中所 |
| Fuheng | 富恒 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Fengyu | 风羽 |
| Liandong | 炼洞 |
| Guanping | 关平 |
| Qinghua | 清华 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Yinqiao | 银桥 |
| Baofeng | 宝丰乡 |
| Binju | 宾居 |
| Madeng | 马镫 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Shuijing | 水井 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| 果城村 | |
| Qinghaiying | 青海营 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Junhuacun | 均华村 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Liming | 黎明 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Manglong | 芒龙 |
| Lincang | 临沧 |
|---|---|
| Cangyuan | 沧源佤族自治县 |
| Quannei | 圈内 |
| Shuangjiang | 双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县 |
| Junsai | 军赛乡 |
| Zhenkang | 镇康县 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |
| Nujiang | 怒江 |
|---|---|
| Gudeng | 古登 |
| Bingzhongluo | 丙中洛 |
| Lishadi | 利沙底乡 |