Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


Kiss of Life for an Old Caravan Market

Until the middle of last century, Shaxi was a flourishing village on the caravan road to Tibet. The following decades made it a place that history forgot. Now Shaxi is undergoing an award-winning restoration.



Kids from one of Lancang's 澜沧县 schools dress up in minority clothes for the annual Gourd Festival 葫芦节.


C. Patterson Giersch: Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier

Cover Image
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.

Rattlestick Dance is a traditional dance of the Bai minority, specifically in Jianchuan county.



Best surviving station on the French-built Vietnam-Kunming railway.


C. Patterson Giersch: Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier

Cover Image
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.


Benzhu is the native believe system of the Bai peole.



A history trading post on the upper reaches of the Yangzi.

Markets this Monday

Kunming 昆明
Tuanjie 团结

Dali 大理
Junhua 均化
Duomei 朵美
Biaocun 表村
Shuixie 水泄
Jizushan 鸡足山
Liuhe 六合
Misha 弥沙
Heqing 鹤庆县
Tuanjie 团结
Baishi 白石
Shaping 沙平村
Zuòyì 作邑
Gonglang 公郎镇
前所
Miaowei 苗尾傈僳族乡
Taiping 太平乡
云南驿村

Dehong 德宏
Husa 户撒乡
Nangsong 曩宋阿昌族乡

Honghe 红河
Niujiaozhai 牛角寨
Laozhai 老寨苗族乡
Sancun 三村
Lvchun 绿春县
Majie 马街
Chemalong 车玛龙
Nanke 南科
Puxiong 普雄
Jinping 金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县
Mengqiao 勐桥乡
Baihe 白河乡

Wenshan 文山
Pingzhai 平寨乡
Banggu 蚌谷乡
Muyang 木央镇
Nanping (Majie) 南屏镇 (马街)

Chuxiong 楚雄
Qianchang 前场镇
Chadian 插甸乡
Mixing 弥兴镇

Baoshan 保山市
Manglong 芒龙

Lincang 临沧
Cangyuan 沧源佤族自治县
Quannei 圈内
Shuangjiang 双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县
Xinhua 新华彝族苗族乡
Junsai 军赛乡
Zhenkang 镇康县

Qujing 曲靖市
Dahai 大海乡
Huohong 火红乡
Luna 鲁纳乡
Nagu 娜姑镇
Shangcun 上村乡
迤车
Zhehai 者海镇

Zhaotong 昭通
Shuanghe 双河

Yuxi 玉溪
Chahe 岔河
Dalongtan 大龙潭

Nujiang 怒江
Pengdang 捧当
Maji 马吉乡

Puer 普洱
Minle 民乐
Fuyan 富岩
Puyi 普义乡
恩永

Diqing 迪庆
Zili 梓里
Zhonglu 中路
Kaifaqu 开发区