Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


Watersplashing in Yongping

Watersplashing in Yongping
Ask for the Watersplashing Festival, or Poshuijie 泼水节, and everyone will tell you to go to Jinghong, capital of Yunnan's Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Region: the 'biggest and best' Dai celebrations to mark their New Year are taking place there. And big it is. Thousands of Han Chinese and foreign tourist flock to Jinghong every year. Jinghong's Poshuijie certainly is big -- and very commercial. If big crowds and big events are your thing, go to Jinghong.



Lingjiu Temple near Fengyu is said to date back to Nanzhao, but the current structures are from the Qing Dynasty


Jim Goodman: Living in Shangrila: Tibetans and Mosuo in Northwest Yunnan

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Abstract: When Diqing Prefecture, opened its doors to foreign visitors in 1992, tourist agencies and government officials promoted Zhongdian County as the Shangrila of James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon. In 2001 the city officially changed its name to Shangrila. On a high plateau of over 3200 meters, surrounded by snow covered mountain peaks, inhabited mainly by relatively prosperous, friendly and contented Tibetans, with beautiful monasteries, lakes, forests and summer flowers, the county’s scenery and lifestyle certainly bore a strong resemblance to that in the novel. Living in Shangrila describes the life and environment of the Tibetan people throughout Diqing Prefecture. It also examines their neighbors the Mosuo, a branch of the Naxi nationality, who adopted Tibetan Buddhism as their religion, but are still mainly a matrilineal society, unique to Yunnan, living around Lugu Lake, the most picturesque body of water in the province. The book includes over 200 photographs.


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

Ronald G. Knapp: China's Old Dwellings

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Few people know as much about Chinese architecture as Knapp: from palaces to humble homes he explains important building principles; the connection between environment and housing styles and the development of style over time. A section on minority housing styles complements the book.


Extremely beautiful Wenchang Temple, created in part by national level Intangible Cultural Heritage transmitter Li Yunyi.



Once an important salt-mining town, now the second largest town along the Heihui River north of Yangbi.

Markets this Sunday

Kunming 昆明
Zhuanlong 转龙镇
Xundian 寻甸回族彝族自治县
Kedu 柯渡镇

Dali 大理
Jiuzhou 旧州
Sanying 三营
Haidong 海东
Wanqiao 湾桥
Yunlong 云龙县
Fengyi 凤仪
Weishan 巍山彝族回族自治县
Beitou 北头
Liantie 炼铁
Binchuan 宾川县
Wase 挖色
Lawu 拉乌
Jianchuan 剑川县
Changxin 长新
Shuanglang 双廊镇
Eryuan 洱源县
Pingpo 平坡
Dianzhong 甸中
妙姑村
龙洞村
Luming 鹿鸣乡
青苗
Niujie 牛街彝族乡
Shalong 沙龙镇
田口
Minjian 民建乡
北桥
Shidongcun 石洞村
Longjie 龙街
Xiazhuang 下庄镇

Lijiang 丽江
Hongyan 红岩

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

Dehong 德宏
Husa 户撒乡
Nangsong 曩宋阿昌族乡

Honghe 红河
Pingbian 屏边苗族自治县
Niujiaozhai 牛角寨
Diema 垤玛
Mengla 勐拉
Mengzi 蒙自县
Azhahe 阿扎河
Jiayin 甲寅
Chake 岔科
Liangdi 浪堤
Baohua 宝华
Yongning 永宁乡
Luoen 洛恩
Laomeng 老勐
Maandi 马鞍底

Wenshan 文山
Guangnan 广南县
Shadou 沙斗
Nijiao 腻脚彝族乡
Pingyuan 平远
Zhesang 者桑乡
Jijie 鸡街乡
Donggan 董干镇
Babao 八宝镇
Tienpeng 田蓬镇
Jiumo 旧莫乡

Chuxiong 楚雄
Nanhua 南华县
Dayao 大姚县
Bailu 白路
Yaoan 姚安县
Guanglu 光路镇

Baoshan 保山市
Manglong 芒龙

Lincang 临沧
Cangyuan 沧源佤族自治县
Lushi 鲁史
Fengqing 凤庆县
Shuangjiang 双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县
Quannei 圈内
Junsai 军赛乡
Zhenkang 镇康县

Qujing 曲靖市
Baiwu 白雾
Daibu 待补镇
Daqiao 大桥乡
Leye 乐业镇
Malu 马路乡
Sandao 三道
Zhehai 者海镇
Zhichang 纸厂乡

Yuxi 玉溪
Fuliangpeng 富良棚

Nujiang 怒江
Liuku 六库
Tongdian 通甸
Fugong 福贡

Puer 普洱
Lancang 澜沧拉祜族自治县
Kangping 康平乡
Fuyan 富岩