Into the Land of the Black Lisu
The Nujiang Canyon, on Yunnan's western frontier, was until the 1930s a blank area on the map that not even Chinese troops dared to enter. In 1905 two British explorers made the first foray into this land of the Black Lisu.
The firing of self-made rockets is one of the fun parts of the Dai Watersplashing Festival 泼水节.
C. Patterson Giersch: Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier
Yunnan was not always China: indeed not so long ago large parts of Yunnan were only nominally part of the empire. To make Yunnan, outside the main Han cities, a Chinese province required significant effort. Here Giersch's study on Yunnan's hinterland makes an interesting if academic read.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Upper Benzhu Temple in Wase.
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.
Extremely beautiful Wenchang Temple, created in part by national level Intangible Cultural Heritage transmitter Li Yunyi.
Largest Miao village in the Kunming area with a large Christian community and a nationally-acclaimed church-choir.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Ghost Month | 13 Aug |
| Mule Fair | 17 Aug |
| Moerduo Temple Fair | 22 Aug |
| End of Heat | 23 Aug |
| Playing the Fragrant Dragon | 23 Aug |
| Benzhu Worship | 25 Aug |
| Burning Bag Festival | 26 Aug |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 26 Aug |
| Maulid an-Nabi | 26 Aug |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 26 Aug |
| Benzhu Worship | 27 Aug |
| Ghost Month Rituals | 27 Aug |
Markets this Sunday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Jiuzhou | 旧州 |
| Sanying | 三营 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Wanqiao | 湾桥 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Yunlong | 云龙县 |
| Binchuan | 宾川县 |
| Beitou | 北头 |
| Liantie | 炼铁 |
| Lawu | 拉乌 |
| Changxin | 长新 |
| Jianchuan | 剑川县 |
| Eryuan | 洱源县 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Pingpo | 平坡 |
| Miaojie | 庙街镇 |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| Houshancun | 后山村 |
| Minjian | 民建乡 |
| 三胜 | |
| 果城村 | |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| 龙洞村 | |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| 青苗 | |
| Niujie | 牛街彝族乡 |
| Caifeng | 财丰 |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Pingbian | 屏边苗族自治县 |
| Diema | 垤玛 |
| Mengzi | 蒙自县 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Liangdi | 浪堤 |
| Chake | 岔科 |
| Jiayin | 甲寅 |
| Azhahe | 阿扎河 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Mengping | 勐坪 |
| Baohua | 宝华 |
| Yongning | 永宁乡 |
| Luoen | 洛恩 |
| Niujie | 牛街镇 |
| Laomeng | 老勐 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Guangnan | 广南县 |
| Shuanglongying | 双龙营乡 |
| Lida | 里达镇 |
| Zhujie | 朱街镇 |
| Mugan | 木杆 |
| Zhulin | 珠琳镇 |
| Pingyuan | 平远 |
| Funing | 富宁县 |
| Zhesang | 者桑乡 |
| Babao | 八宝镇 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Lancang | 澜沧拉祜族自治县 |
| Nanling | 南岭乡 |
| Mangxin | 芒信镇 |
| Qiannuo | 千糯 |
| Fubang | 富邦乡 |
| Mujia | 木戛乡 |
| Ankang | 安康佤族乡 |
| Wendong | 文东佤族乡 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Jiagetu | 价格土 |
| 岩瓦 |