Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


Black Well, White Gold

Black Well, White Gold
Heijing is a small town in the northern Chuxiong mountains. Salt once made Heijing one of Yunnan's richest towns. Now its architectural splendours are being rediscovered.



Early 20th century murals at Mangzhong Temple near Menglian


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.


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

With its well-preserved architecture and tranquil atmosphere, Weishan's capital is Yunnan's most beautiful county town.


Fei Hsiao-Tung and Chang Chih-I: Earthbound China: A Study of Rural Economy in Yunnan

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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.


Azhali is a historic branch of Buddhism with strong Bai local characteristics.



An unspoilt Tibetan area along the Zhibaluo River.

Markets this Monday

Kunming 昆明
Banqiao 板桥乡

Dali 大理
Junhua 均化
Duomei 朵美
Biaocun 表村
Wanqiao 湾桥
Qinghua 清华
Jizushan 鸡足山
Liuhe 六合
Heqing 鹤庆县
Tuanjie 团结
Misha 弥沙
Baishi 白石
Niujie 牛街
Shaping 沙平村
Hongyan 红岩镇
Miaowei 苗尾傈僳族乡
Puping 普淜镇
Beiya 北衙
Taiping 太平乡
Hedian 禾甸镇

Lijiang 丽江
Shunzhou 顺州

Honghe 红河
Shengcun 生村
Nafa 那发
Laozhai 老寨苗族乡
Chemalong 车玛龙
Jiache 架车
Longwu 龙武镇
Puxiong 普雄
Zhongzhai 中寨
Baihe 白河乡

Wenshan 文山
Puyang 普阳
Shupi 树皮彝族乡
Xichou 西畴县

Chuxiong 楚雄
Chadian 插甸乡
Qianchang 前场镇
Mixing 弥兴镇

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

Lincang 临沧
Menglai 勐来乡
Fengqing 凤庆县

Qujing 曲靖市
Wopo 窝坡
Fenghuang 凤凰
干海子
Laochang 老厂乡
Wuxing 五星乡
Xinjie 新街回族乡
Yangmeishan 杨梅山

Zhaotong 昭通
Shuanghe 双河
Menggu 蒙姑镇

Yuxi 玉溪
Yani 亚尼
Yuanjiang 元江哈尼族彝族傣族自治县
Nanuo 那诺乡

Nujiang 怒江
Pengdang 捧当
Maji 马吉乡

Puer 普洱
Jiangcheng 江城哈尼族彝族自治县
Donghui 东回镇
Menglian 孟连傣族拉祜族佤族自治县
Xuelin 雪林佤族乡
Mengsuo 勐梭镇
恩永

Diqing 迪庆
Zili 梓里
Kaifaqu 开发区
岩瓦