Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


Dancing under the Moonlight: the Costume Festival of Zhizuo

Dancing under the Moonlight: the Costume Festival of Zhizuo
As villages go, Zhizuo could hardly be more remote. Some 70km from the county town, first along a winding mountain road, then on a deeply rutted track without public transport: even in the dry season it takes several hours and a bit of stamina to reach. Yet, at least on the first full moon of the year, the effort is worth it, as Zhizuo holds one of Yunnan's most colourful festivals, the Dress Competition Festival or Caizhuangjie 赛装节.



Early 20th century murals at Mangzhong Temple near Menglian


Liao Yiwu: God is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China

Cover Image
Liao Yiwu, one of China's most prominent dissidents, was driven out of China, but not before he used a period of internal exile to research Christian groups, mainly in Yunnan. In this book he tells the stories of the Christians of Dali and of Wuding county.


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

Judith Shapiro: Mao's War Against Nature: Politics and the Environment in Revolutionary China

Cover Image
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 pretty lake area south of Eryuan.

Markets this Monday

Dali 大理
Biaocun 表村
Xintun 辛屯
Haidong 海东
Wanqiao 湾桥
Jizushan 鸡足山
Songgui 松桂
Tuanjie 团结
Misha 弥沙
Baishi 白石
Shaping 沙平村
Huangping 黄平镇
Liuchang 刘厂镇
龙洞村
Xinjie 新街镇
Mizhi 密祉镇
果城村
Shalong 沙龙镇
Houshancun 后山村
Miaowei 苗尾傈僳族乡
三胜
Caifeng 财丰
Miaojie 庙街镇
Taiping 太平乡
Xiazhuang 下庄镇

Lijiang 丽江
Shigu 石鼓镇
Yongsheng 永胜县
Banqiao 板桥

Honghe 红河
Laozhai 老寨苗族乡
Chemalong 车玛龙
Shaochong 哨冲镇
Mengping 勐坪
Puxiong 普雄
Niujie 牛街镇
Baihe 白河乡

Wenshan 文山
Lida 里达镇
Zhujie 朱街镇
Shuanglongying 双龙营乡
Mugan 木杆
Zhulin 珠琳镇
Funing 富宁县

Chuxiong 楚雄
Chadian 插甸乡
Qianchang 前场镇

Baoshan 保山市
Xinzhai 新寨
Hehua 荷花傣族佤族乡

Lincang 临沧
Mengding 孟定
Fengqing 凤庆县
Nanmei 南美拉祜族乡
Banhong 班洪乡

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

Zhaotong 昭通
Shikan 石坎
Jiucheng 旧城
Weixin 威信
Changan 长安

Yuxi 玉溪
Yangjie 羊街乡
Dianzhong 甸中

Nujiang 怒江
Pengdang 捧当
Maji 马吉乡

Puer 普洱
Nuofu 糯福
Dashan 大山乡
Fubang 富邦乡
Mengma 孟马镇
Mujia 木戛乡
Ankang 安康佤族乡
Wendong 文东佤族乡
恩永

Diqing 迪庆
Zili 梓里
Jiagetu 价格土
Kaifaqu 开发区
岩瓦