The Dengchuan Plain 邓川坝子
The Dengchuan Plain 邓川坝子, north of Dali's Erhai Lake 洱海, has with West Lake 西湖 and the Miju River corridor 弥苴河 some beautiful, if hardly known, scenic areas. It's natural scenery, however, is man-made, the result of more than a thousand years of cultivation and water-management projects that have transformed a swamp and marshland into the current cultural environment.
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.
Bai rattlestick dance in the Dali region.
Hometown of many Bai merchants, Xizhou boast some impressive architecture.
C. Patterson Giersch: Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier
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.
Yunnan's best preserved historic town.
Largest Miao village in the Kunming area with a large Christian community and a nationally-acclaimed church-choir.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Yu An Ceremonies | 07 Jun |
| Raosanling | 07 Jun |
| Start of Raosanling | 07 Jun |
| Raosanling | 08 Jun |
| Benzhu Worship | 08 Jun |
| Raosanling in Heyicheng | 09 Jun |
| Praying For Rain | 10 Jun |
| Benzhu Worship | 10 Jun |
| Raosanling in Majiuyi | 10 Jun |
| Medicine Buddha Birthday | 13 Jun |
| Mango Festival | 15 Jun |
| Kuzhazha | 15 Jun |
Markets this Monday
| Kunming | 昆明 |
|---|---|
| Banqiao | 板桥乡 |
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Biaocun | 表村 |
| Qinghua | 清华 |
| Jizushan | 鸡足山 |
| Caicun | 才村 |
| Dali | 大理 |
| Misha | 弥沙 |
| Tuanjie | 团结 |
| Baishi | 白石 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Shaping | 沙平村 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Zhongjiang | 中江 |
| Miaowei | 苗尾傈僳族乡 |
| Caifeng | 财丰 |
| Miaojie | 庙街镇 |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| Taiping | 太平乡 |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| Jindunjiecun | 金墩街村 |
| 果城村 | |
| 三鹤 | |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Houshancun | 后山村 |
| 三胜 | |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Nafa | 那发 |
| Laozhai | 老寨苗族乡 |
| Chemalong | 车玛龙 |
| Jiache | 架车 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Puxiong | 普雄 |
| Zhongzhai | 中寨 |
| Niujie | 牛街镇 |
| Baihe | 白河乡 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Xiaopingtian | 小平田 |
| Tengchong | 腾冲县 |
| Wama | 瓦马彝族白族乡 |