Xu Xiake 徐霞客 in Dali
Xu Xiake (1586 - 1641) was China's first travel blogger. During the third lunar month in 1639 he travelled through Dali and recorded his experiences in his diary, posthumously published as 徐霞客游记. Is it still possible to retrace Xu's steps on the Dali plain?
Hand-made giant sparklers, called "Fire Flowers" 火花, are part of the firework displays for temple fairs in Menglian county.
Liao Yiwu: God is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China
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.
Shaxi is the most complete historic ensemble of a caravan town in Yunnan.
Yunnan's only Shui-Township with stunning karst scenery.
Jim Goodman: Living in Shangrila: Tibetans and Mosuo in Northwest Yunnan
Abstract: When Diqing Prefecture, opened its doors to foreign visitors in 1992, tourist agencies and government officials promoted Zhongdian County as the Shangrila of James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon. In 2001 the city officially changed its name to Shangrila. On a high plateau of over 3200 meters, surrounded by snow covered mountain peaks, inhabited mainly by relatively prosperous, friendly and contented Tibetans, with beautiful monasteries, lakes, forests and summer flowers, the county’s scenery and lifestyle certainly bore a strong resemblance to that in the novel. Living in Shangrila describes the life and environment of the Tibetan people throughout Diqing Prefecture. It also examines their neighbors the Mosuo, a branch of the Naxi nationality, who adopted Tibetan Buddhism as their religion, but are still mainly a matrilineal society, unique to Yunnan, living around Lugu Lake, the most picturesque body of water in the province. The book includes over 200 photographs.
Suona melodies in the Pingchuan area of Binchuan.
The turn of the Yangzi made Chinese civilization possible and was the location of many important battles.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Benzhu Worship | 21 Oct |
| Orionid Meteor Shower | 21 Oct |
| Descent of Frost | 23 Oct |
| Xinuluo Remembrance Day | 23 Oct |
| Temple Fair | 23 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship | 24 Oct |
| Full Moon Ritual | 24 Oct |
| Open Door Festival | 24 Oct |
| Guanyin Enlightenment | 28 Oct |
| Opening of the Fishing Season | 28 Oct |
| Dharmic Assembly | 31 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship | 31 Oct |
Markets this Thursday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Nanxin | 南新 |
| Yangcen | 羊岑 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Maidi | 脉地 |
| Gudi | 古底 |
| Yinqiao | 银桥 |
| Qiaohou | 乔后 |
| Daying | 大营 |
| Taiyi | 太邑彝族乡 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Zhongjiang | 中江 |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Jindunjiecun | 金墩街村 |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| 鲁庄 | |
| 太和社区 | |
| 龙洞村 | |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| 果城村 | |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| Beiya | 北衙 |
| Qiaodian | 乔甸镇 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Shunzhou | 顺州 |
| Xishuangbanna | 西双版纳 |
|---|---|
| Xiding | 西定哈尼族乡 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Dianwei | 甸尾乡 |
| Yafangzi | Yafangzi |
| Heping | 和平乡 |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Mengping | 勐坪 |
| Baixian | 白显 |