Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


On the Statelets between Nanzhao and the Dali Kingdom

After the demise of Nanzhao 南诏, the Buddhist kingdom that integrated the tribes of the Erhai region in the second half of the first millennium, local strongmen proclaimed a succession of short-lived statelets before Duan Siping 段思平 in 937 CE established the Dali Kingdom 大理国.




The discovery of the bronze age culture of Sanxingdui in the Chengdu Plain is one of the most significant of the 20th century.


Jim Goodman: Living in Shangrila: Tibetans and Mosuo in Northwest Yunnan

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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.


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

The Danxia, or red sandstore, cliffs around Liming are a hikers' and climbers' paradise that is just now being discovered.


Jim Goodman: The Terrace Builders: The Hani and their Neighbors in Yunnan's Ailao Mountains

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Abstract: The rice terraces of the Ailao Mountains in southern Yunnan province, China, are some of the oldest terraced farms in Asia. First mentioned in Tang Dynasty records, these farms, 80% of which are irrigated, with water running through them all year round, have been in continuous use for over a thousand years. In 2013 UNESCO declared the heartland of this area a World Heritage Site. The Terrace Builders is a detailed account of how these farms are made and used, the cities and mountains of Honghe Prefecture and the far north of Vietnam, as well as the various ethnic minorities who live there. The book pays special attention to the Hani people, the largest ethnic group in the area, and includes summaries of the culture and clothing of their neighbors the Yi, Miao, Yao, Zhuang and Dai. The book includes 300 photos of the land and its people.


Yunnan's only Shui-Township with stunning karst scenery.

Markets this Wednesday

Kunming 昆明
Jijie 鸡街乡
Shilin 石林彝族自治县
Tuanjie 团结
Longtou 龙头街

Dali 大理
Haidong 海东
Xintun 辛屯
Shunbi 順濞
Songgui 松桂
Shaba 沙坝
Huangping 黄平镇
Zhongying 种英
Shanglan 上兰
Zhouguanying 周官营
顺荡
Hedian 禾甸镇
Hongyan 红岩镇
Qinghaiying 青海营
龙街
Shangcang 上沧
Gongguoqiao 功果桥镇

Lijiang 丽江
Shigu 石鼓镇

Dehong 德宏
Kachang 卡场镇
Lianghe 梁河县

Honghe 红河
Zhicun 芷村镇
Shengcun 生村
Shalatuo 沙拉托
Wuwan 乌弯
Daheigong 大黑公
Baiyun 白云乡
Yongning 永宁乡
Panzihua 攀枝花
Tongchang 铜厂
Zhemi 者米拉祜族乡
Tutai 土台
Hongtian 红田

Wenshan 文山
Babu 八布乡
Tiechang 铁厂镇
Banlun 板仑乡
Zhuanjiao 篆角乡
Mulun 睦伦乡

Chuxiong 楚雄
Xiaoju 小苴
Maojie 猫街镇
Shizhong 适中乡
Yaoan 姚安县

Baoshan 保山市
Wafang 瓦房彝族白族乡
Mangbang 芒棒

Lincang 临沧
Yongde 永德县
Danjia 单甲乡
Wumulong 乌木龙乡
Mengdui 孟堆乡
Fuhe 复合

Qujing 曲靖市
Dahai 大海乡
Huohong 火红乡
Nagu 娜姑镇
Sandao 三道
Xitu 西土
Yema 野马林场
迤车

Zhaotong 昭通
Shikan 石坎
Jiucheng 旧城
Weixin 威信
Changan 长安

Yuxi 玉溪
Chahe 岔河
Dalongtan 大龙潭

Nujiang 怒江
Lazan 腊咱
Lumadeng 鹿马登乡

Puer 普洱
Jiangcheng 江城哈尼族彝族自治县
Mangxin 芒信镇
Qiannuo 千糯
Jiahe 嘉禾乡

Diqing 迪庆
Kaifaqu 开发区