古镇: Death-knell for Yunnan's Historic Towns
In China even the 'old towns' are new. Under the 古镇, or ancient town, moniker old towns are razed and their population driven out to make space for sanitized versions of Chinese history that drive the tourist dollar.
The watermills in Fengqing's Gumo village operate just like a thousand years ago.
Jim Goodman: Children of the Jade Dragon: the Naxi of Lijiang and their mountain neighbours the Yi
In the first half of the 1990s Lijiang had barely made its appearance on the Chinese tourism stage, even less so the then remote mountains of Ningland and Lugu Lake. Jim Goodman's account of the Naxi and the Yi draws back to a time where not everything was staged for mass tourism: an account of a lost world.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Historic Building of the Pacification Commission in Menglian
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
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.
Azhali is a historic branch of Buddhism with strong Bai local characteristics.
Hometown of many Bai merchants, Xizhou boast some impressive architecture.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Yangmei Festival | 01 May |
| Migan Festival | 02 May |
| Zhetu Flower Street | 06 May |
| Start of Summer Market | 09 May |
| Sizhuang Pond Fair | 10 May |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 10 May |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 11 May |
| Benzhu Worship | 13 May |
| Master Earth | 14 May |
| Mouding March Fair | 14 May |
| Donghuangdadi Birthday | 14 May |
| Baimakou Village Festival | 14 May |
Markets this Friday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Xiangtu | 象图乡 |
| Hecun | 萂村 |
| Jiancao | 捡槽 |
| Shuixie | 水泄 |
| Waxi | 瓦溪 |
| Gunipen | 沽泥盆 |
| Pingchuan | 平川 |
| Wuxing | 五星 |
| Baidangping | 白荡坪 |
| Yangbi | 漾濞彝族自治县 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Shaxi | 沙溪 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Zuòyì | 作邑 |
| Gonglang | 公郎镇 |
| Yousuo | 右所镇 |
| Zhongjiang | 中江 |
| Houshancun | 后山村 |
| 汤涧 | |
| Jindunjiecun | 金墩街村 |
| 前所 | |
| 三胜 | |
| Caifeng | 财丰 |
| Xishan | 西山乡 |
| 大栗树 | |
| Jijie | 鸡街乡 |
| Miaojie | 庙街镇 |
| 云南驿村 | |
| 三鹤 | |
| Wachang | 瓦厂乡 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinhua | 新华乡 |
| Niujiaozhai | 牛角寨 |
| Lengquan | 冷泉镇 |
| Sancun | 三村 |
| Lengdun | 冷墩 |
| Majie | 马街 |
| Dongshan | 东山镇 |
| Lvchun | 绿春县 |
| Shitouzhai | 石头寨 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Nanke | 南科 |
| Jinping | 金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县 |
| Niujie | 牛街镇 |
| Mengqiao | 勐桥乡 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Pingzhai | 平寨乡 |
| Banggu | 蚌谷乡 |
| Muyang | 木央镇 |
| Nanping (Majie) | 南屏镇 (马街） |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Kangpu | 康普 |