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 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
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.
Temple to some of the rulers after Nanzhao.
A history trading post on the upper reaches of the Yangzi.
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.
A well-preserved Bai merchant town with perhaps the best examples of Bai traditional architecture.
Fog swirling on a cold winter morning over endless rice-terraces, the red of the
early morning sun reflected in the flooded paddies: this is the classic view of the
Hani Rice Terraces of Yuanyang, now of UNESCO World Heritage status.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Flower Festival | 17 Jun |
| Green Flag Festival | 29 Jun |
| Full Moon Ritual | 29 Jun |
| Slight Heat | 07 Jul |
| Zheng He Cultural Tourism Festival | 11 Jul |
| Mango Festival | 11 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 12 Jul |
| Zhoucheng Patron Saint Birthday | 12 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 12 Jul |
| South Gate Festival | 12 Jul |
| Danu Festival | 13 Jul |
| Southern Dipper Ritual | 14 Jul |
Markets this Tuesday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Fuheng | 富恒 |
| Zhongsuo | 中所 |
| Liandong | 炼洞 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Fengyu | 风羽 |
| Fengyi | 凤仪 |
| Guanping | 关平 |
| Weishan | 巍山彝族回族自治县 |
| Dali | 大理 |
| Caicun | 才村 |
| Baofeng | 宝丰乡 |
| Wase | 挖色 |
| Madeng | 马镫 |
| Binju | 宾居 |
| Shuijing | 水井 |
| Dianzhong | 甸中 |
| 龙洞村 | |
| Shidongcun | 石洞村 |
| 田口 | |
| Luming | 鹿鸣乡 |
| 妙姑村 | |
| 北桥 | |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| Hedian | 禾甸镇 |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| Hongyan | 红岩镇 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Manglong | 芒龙 |
| Lincang | 临沧 |
|---|---|
| Cangyuan | 沧源佤族自治县 |
| Fengqing | 凤庆县 |
| Quannei | 圈内 |
| Shuangjiang | 双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县 |
| Zhenkang | 镇康县 |
| Junsai | 军赛乡 |
| Yuxi | 玉溪 |
|---|---|
| Mosha | 漠沙镇 |
| Fuliangpeng | 富良棚 |
| Nujiang | 怒江 |
|---|---|
| Gudeng | 古登 |
| Bingzhongluo | 丙中洛 |
| Lishadi | 利沙底乡 |
| Fugong | 福贡 |