Learning Bai
Bai 白族话 is the language spoken by the Bai people 白族 in the Dali area. While Chinese has become the lingua franca, Bai is still actively spoken by many, particularly older people, but it does not have a native written form and comes in many dialects. Here we list the available resources for learning this difficult language.
Hand-made giant sparklers, called "Fire Flowers" 火花, are part of the firework displays for temple fairs in Menglian county.
Jim Goodman: The Terrace Builders: The Hani and their Neighbors in Yunnan's Ailao Mountains
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.
Yunnan's best preserved historic town.
Jim Goodman: Children of the Jade Dragon: the Naxi of Lijiang and their mountain neighbours the Yi
In the first half of the 1990s Lijiang had barely made its appearance on the Chinese tourism stage, even less so the then remote mountains of Ningland and Lugu Lake. Jim Goodman's account of the Naxi and the Yi draws back to a time where not everything was staged for mass tourism: an account of a lost world.
Mountain area north of Erhai.
Unspoiled Weishan boast Yunnan's most beautiful county town, an important Taoist mountain and areas of strong Muslim and Yi tradition.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Northern Dipper Ritual | 10 Oct |
| Gongguoqiao September Trade Fair | 12 Oct |
| Flower Lantern | 15 Oct |
| Lajing Salt Road Culture Festival | 15 Oct |
| Holy Crane Festival | 17 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship (Eryuan Area) | 17 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship | 18 Oct |
| Achimugua | 18 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship (Fengyu Area) | 18 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship (Fengyi Area) | 18 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship (Eryuan Area) | 19 Oct |
| Street Festival | 19 Oct |
Markets this Saturday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Zhoucheng | 州城 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Haidong | 海东 |
| Shuixie | 水泄 |
| Lijiao | 力角 |
| Paiying | 排营 |
| Shijing | 师井 |
| Diannan | 甸南 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Jiangwei | 江尾镇 |
| Gonglang | 公郎镇 |
| 桥街 | |
| 前所 | |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| 西庄 | |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Changyi | 长邑村 |
| 云南驿村 | |
| 寅街村 | |
| Beiya | 北衙 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinansuo | 新安所镇 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Daheishan | 大黑山乡 |
| Leyu | 乐育 |
| Lvchun | 绿春县 |
| Majie | 马街 |
| Yafangzi | Yafangzi |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Xinxian | 新现乡 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Nanke | 南科 |
| Jinping | 金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县 |
| Mengqiao | 勐桥乡 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |