Learning Bai
Bai 白族话 is the language spoken by the Bai people 白族 in the Dali area. While Chinese has become the lingua franca, Bai is still actively spoken by many, particularly older people, but it does not have a native written form and comes in many dialects. Here we list the available resources for learning this difficult language.
In Huize, the old capital of copper in Yunnan, many splendid guildhalls survive.
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.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Azhali is a historic branch of Buddhism with strong Bai local characteristics.
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.
Local Dali opera form.
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.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Benzhu Worship | 10 Feb |
| Lunar New Year's Eve | 16 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 16 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 16 Feb |
| Daba Spring Festival Evening Party | 16 Feb |
| Dalaogeng | 17 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 17 Feb |
| New Year Ritual | 17 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 17 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 17 Feb |
| Spring Festival | 17 Feb |
| Daguan Park Lantern Festival | 17 Feb |
Markets this Wednesday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Shunbi | 順濞 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Shaba | 沙坝 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Zhongying | 种英 |
| Shanglan | 上兰 |
| Zhouguanying | 周官营 |
| Junhuacun | 均华村 |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| Shangcang | 上沧 |
| 西庄 | |
| Gongguoqiao | 功果桥镇 |
| 顺荡 | |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| 寅街村 | |
| 龙街 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Liming | 黎明 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Zhicun | 芷村镇 |
| Sankeshu | 三棵树 |
| Dixibei | 地西北 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Baiyun | 白云乡 |
| Yongning | 永宁乡 |
| Tutai | 土台 |
| Hongtian | 红田 |
| Qujing | 曲靖市 |
|---|---|
| Daba | 大坝 |
| 干海子 | |
| Jiache | 驾车乡 |
| Kuangshan | 矿山镇 |
| Laochang | 老厂乡 |
| Sandao | 三道 |
| Wuxing | 五星乡 |
| Xinjie | 新街回族乡 |
| Yangmeishan | 杨梅山 |
| Yulu | 雨碌乡 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Kaifaqu | 开发区 |
| 岩瓦 |