The Old Salt Roads in Yunnan
The Tea Horse Road 茶马古道 into Tibet has become a romantic moniker for Yunnan, but economically more important were the old salt roads.
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.
Fei Hsiao-Tung and Chang Chih-I: Earthbound China: A Study of Rural Economy in Yunnan
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.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Location of the historically important 'Cangshan Conference' in 794AD.
With its well-preserved architecture and tranquil atmosphere, Weishan's capital is Yunnan's most beautiful county town.
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.
Traditional Bai vernacular architecture with buildings to three sides and a screenwall.
Largest Miao village in the Kunming area with a large Christian community and a nationally-acclaimed church-choir.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Bai Yi New Year | 19 Jul |
| Wild Mushroom Trade Fair | 20 Jul |
| Lingshan Temple Fair | 21 Jul |
| Ongkor Festival | 23 Jul |
| Great Heat | 23 Jul |
| Bai Yi New Year | 25 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship (Eryuan Area) | 25 Jul |
| Nuodeng Dragon King Temple Fair | 26 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 26 Jul |
| Qingyuan Cave Festival | 26 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 27 Jul |
| Full Moon Ritual | 28 Jul |
Markets this Tuesday
| Kunming | 昆明 |
|---|---|
| Kedu | 柯渡镇 |
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Fuheng | 富恒 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Zhongsuo | 中所 |
| Fengyu | 风羽 |
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Liandong | 炼洞 |
| Haidong | 海东 |
| Guanping | 关平 |
| Baofeng | 宝丰乡 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Madeng | 马镫 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Binju | 宾居 |
| Shuijing | 水井 |
| Shuanglang | 双廊镇 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| 西庄 | |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| 龙洞村 | |
| Junhuacun | 均华村 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| 寅街村 | |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Liming | 黎明 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |
| Nujiang | 怒江 |
|---|---|
| Gudeng | 古登 |
| Bingzhongluo | 丙中洛 |
| Lishadi | 利沙底乡 |