Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


From Niujiaozhai to Yuanyang

Yuanyang county, south of the Red River in the province's southeast, is famous for its Hani rice-terraces. With its splendid vistas and ethnic mix it is also a great area for hiking. Here we describe a moderate day-hike starting at the market-town of Niujiaozhai, passing through Yi and Hani villages and ending with stunning sunset vistas over the rice-terraces of Longshuba.



The discovery of the bronze age culture of Sanxingdui in the Chengdu Plain is one of the most significant of the 20th century.


Liao Yiwu: God is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China

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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.


A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.

Unspoiled Weishan boast Yunnan's most beautiful county town, an important Taoist mountain and areas of strong Muslim and Yi tradition.


Judith Shapiro: Mao's War Against Nature: Politics and the Environment in Revolutionary China

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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.


Rushan is a dried cow milk cheese, made in the Dali region. 



The turn of the Yangzi made Chinese civilization possible and was the location of many important battles.

Markets this Sunday

Kunming 昆明
Zhuanlong 转龙镇
Jijie 鸡街乡
Tuanjie 团结
Xundian 寻甸回族彝族自治县

Dali 大理
Jiuzhou 旧州
Sanying 三营
Xintun 辛屯
Songgui 松桂
Yunlong 云龙县
Yinqiao 银桥
Beitou 北头
Liantie 炼铁
Binchuan 宾川县
Lawu 拉乌
Jianchuan 剑川县
Changxin 长新
Pingpo 平坡
Eryuan 洱源县
Huangping 黄平镇
Xinjie 新街镇
Liuchang 刘厂镇
青苗
Niujie 牛街彝族乡
Minjian 民建乡
果城村
Mizhi 密祉镇

Lijiang 丽江
Shigu 石鼓镇
Hongyan 红岩

Xishuangbanna 西双版纳
Menghun 勐混
Mengman 勐满拉祜族哈尼族布朗族镇

Honghe 红河
Pingbian 屏边苗族自治县
Diema 垤玛
Mengzi 蒙自县
Shalatuo 沙拉托
Liangdi 浪堤
Azhahe 阿扎河
Jiayin 甲寅
Chake 岔科
Baohua 宝华
Yongning 永宁乡
Luoen 洛恩
Tongchang 铜厂
Panzihua 攀枝花
Laomeng 老勐
Zhemi 者米拉祜族乡

Wenshan 文山
Tiechang 铁厂镇
Babu 八布乡
Guangnan 广南县
Zhuanjiao 篆角乡
Pingyuan 平远
Zhesang 者桑乡
Funing 富宁县
Babao 八宝镇
Jiumo 旧莫乡
Mulun 睦伦乡

Chuxiong 楚雄
Nanhua 南华县
Xiaoju 小苴
Dayao 大姚县
Shizhong 适中乡
Bailu 白路
Yaoan 姚安县
Guanglu 光路镇

Baoshan 保山市
Zhonghe 中和
Bawan 坝湾镇
Mangkuan 芒宽彝族傣族乡

Lincang 临沧
Luodang 洛党
Menglai 勐来乡
Wumulong 乌木龙乡

Qujing 曲靖市
Dahai 大海乡
Huohong 火红乡
Nagu 娜姑镇
Sandao 三道
Yema 野马林场
迤车

Zhaotong 昭通
Jiucheng 旧城
Shikan 石坎
Weixin 威信
Changan 长安

Yuxi 玉溪
Chahe 岔河
Dalongtan 大龙潭

Nujiang 怒江
Liuku 六库
Tongdian 通甸

Puer 普洱
Lancang 澜沧拉祜族自治县
Jiahe 嘉禾乡
Menglian 孟连傣族拉祜族佤族自治县
Mengsuo 勐梭镇