Learning Bai
Bai 白族话 is the language spoken by the Bai people 白族 in the Dali area. While Chinese has become the lingua franca, Bai is still actively spoken by many, particularly older people, but it does not have a native written form and comes in many dialects. Here we list the available resources for learning this difficult language.
The temple in Mangdao 芒岛, built in 1899, is one of few surviving examples of Dai Buddhist temples having survived the Cultural Revolution by being converted into grain storage.
Brenda McLean: George Forrest, Plant Hunter
George Forrest, perhaps the most successful plant collector of his time, left little written about his numerous journeys to Yunnan, so this well-illustrated book fills in much needed detail about his life.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Sculpture making in the Dali region.
An unspoilt Tibetan area along the Zhibaluo River.
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.
Temple fair in the Fengyu basin.
The turn of the Yangzi made Chinese civilization possible and was the location of many important battles.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Zheng He Cultural Tourism Festival | 11 Jul |
| Southern Dipper Ritual | 14 Jul |
| Lizhi Festival | 16 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 18 Jul |
| Flowery Face Festival | 18 Jul |
| Waxberry Festival | 19 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 19 Jul |
| Sixth of June | 19 Jul |
| Bai Yi New Year | 19 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 19 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 19 Jul |
| Wild Mushroom Trade Fair | 20 Jul |
Markets this Friday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Hecun | 萂村 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Xiangtu | 象图乡 |
| Jiancao | 捡槽 |
| Waxi | 瓦溪 |
| Wanqiao | 湾桥 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Gunipen | 沽泥盆 |
| Wuxing | 五星 |
| Pingchuan | 平川 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Baidangping | 白荡坪 |
| Yangbi | 漾濞彝族自治县 |
| Shaxi | 沙溪 |
| Yousuo | 右所镇 |
| Wachang | 瓦厂乡 |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| 西庄 | |
| 汤涧 | |
| Xishan | 西山乡 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| 寅街村 | |
| 大栗树 | |
| Jijie | 鸡街乡 |
| Beiya | 北衙 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Shunzhou | 顺州 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinhua | 新华乡 |
| Lengdun | 冷墩 |
| Lengquan | 冷泉镇 |
| Dongshan | 东山镇 |
| Sankeshu | 三棵树 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Shitouzhai | 石头寨 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Dixibei | 地西北 |
| Qujing | 曲靖市 |
|---|---|
| Daba | 大坝 |
| 干海子 | |
| Jiache | 驾车乡 |
| Kuangshan | 矿山镇 |
| Laochang | 老厂乡 |
| Wuxing | 五星乡 |
| Xinjie | 新街回族乡 |
| Yangmeishan | 杨梅山 |
| Yulu | 雨碌乡 |