Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


The Old Bridges Across the Longjiang

The Old Bridges Across the Longjiang

Many old bridges still span the Longjiang River in western Yunnan. 




The watermills in Fengqing's Gumo village operate just like a thousand years ago.


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.


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

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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.


Once an important salt-mining town, now the second largest town along the Heihui River north of Yangbi.

Markets this Sunday

Kunming 昆明
Zhuanlong 转龙镇
Jijie 鸡街乡
Xundian 寻甸回族彝族自治县

Dali 大理
Duomei 朵美
Jiuzhou 旧州
Junhua 均化
Sanying 三营
Haidong 海东
Yunlong 云龙县
Binchuan 宾川县
Liuhe 六合
Beitou 北头
Liantie 炼铁
Lawu 拉乌
Heqing 鹤庆县
Jianchuan 剑川县
Changxin 长新
Eryuan 洱源县
Pingpo 平坡
Niujie 牛街彝族乡
Beiya 北衙
Minjian 民建乡
Hedian 禾甸镇
Hongyan 红岩镇
青苗

Lijiang 丽江
Shunzhou 顺州
Hongyan 红岩

Xishuangbanna 西双版纳
Menghun 勐混
Mengman 勐满拉祜族哈尼族布朗族镇

Honghe 红河
Pingbian 屏边苗族自治县
Shengcun 生村
Diema 垤玛
Mengzi 蒙自县
Shalatuo 沙拉托
Liangdi 浪堤
Longwu 龙武镇
Chake 岔科
Jiayin 甲寅
Azhahe 阿扎河
Baohua 宝华
Luoen 洛恩
Yongning 永宁乡
Zhemi 者米拉祜族乡
Panzihua 攀枝花
Laomeng 老勐
Tongchang 铜厂

Wenshan 文山
Babu 八布乡
Tiechang 铁厂镇
Guangnan 广南县
Zhuanjiao 篆角乡
Pingyuan 平远
Zhesang 者桑乡
Babao 八宝镇
Mulun 睦伦乡

Chuxiong 楚雄
Nanhua 南华县
Dayao 大姚县
Bailu 白路
Mixing 弥兴镇
Guanglu 光路镇
Yaoan 姚安县

Baoshan 保山市
Zhonghe 中和
Bawan 坝湾镇
Mangkuan 芒宽彝族傣族乡

Lincang 临沧
Menglai 勐来乡
Fengqing 凤庆县
Wumulong 乌木龙乡

Qujing 曲靖市
Fenghuang 凤凰
干海子
Laochang 老厂乡
Sandao 三道
Wuxing 五星乡
Xinjie 新街回族乡
Yangmeishan 杨梅山
Yema 野马林场

Zhaotong 昭通
Shuanghe 双河
Menggu 蒙姑镇

Yuxi 玉溪
Yani 亚尼
Yuanjiang 元江哈尼族彝族傣族自治县
Nanuo 那诺乡

Nujiang 怒江
Liuku 六库
Tongdian 通甸

Puer 普洱
Jiangcheng 江城哈尼族彝族自治县
Lancang 澜沧拉祜族自治县
Nanling 南岭乡
Donghui 东回镇
Menglian 孟连傣族拉祜族佤族自治县
Xuelin 雪林佤族乡
Mengsuo 勐梭镇

Diqing 迪庆
岩瓦