Kiss of Life for an Old Caravan Market
Until the middle of last century, Shaxi was a flourishing village on the caravan road to Tibet. The following decades made it a place that history forgot. Now Shaxi is undergoing an award-winning restoration.
The watermills in Fengqing's Gumo village operate just like a thousand years ago.
Fei Hsiao-Tung and Chang Chih-I: Earthbound China: A Study of Rural Economy in Yunnan
Fei is the father of modern sociology in China: western-trained, he came to Yunnan at the end of the 1930s when China's eastern universities relocated west. In "Earthbound China" he applied modern empirical techniques that he had pioneered around Shanghai to the Chinese hinterland. The economical development, and subsequent societal changes, of three un-named, but typical villages in Yunnan is analyzed in great detail in this fascinating study.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
A Lahu Church
With its well-preserved architecture and tranquil atmosphere, Weishan's capital is Yunnan's most beautiful county town.
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 traditional technique making little figures etc from cloth, in Jianchuan county.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Kuzhazha | 15 Jun |
| Benzhu Worship | 15 Jun |
| Kuzhazha | 15 Jun |
| Mango Festival | 15 Jun |
| New Moon Ritual | 15 Jun |
| Flower Festival | 17 Jun |
| Golden Horse Festival | 18 Jun |
| Flower Mountain | 19 Jun |
| Flower Market | 19 Jun |
| Dragon Boat Festival | 19 Jun |
| Gunu Temple Healing Walk | 19 Jun |
| Flower Mountain | 19 Jun |
Markets this Tuesday
| Kunming | 昆明 |
|---|---|
| Jijie | 鸡街乡 |
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Fuheng | 富恒 |
| Zhongsuo | 中所 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Liandong | 炼洞 |
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Fengyu | 风羽 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Guanping | 关平 |
| Caicun | 才村 |
| Baofeng | 宝丰乡 |
| Dali | 大理 |
| Binju | 宾居 |
| Madeng | 马镫 |
| Shuijing | 水井 |
| Zuòyì | 作邑 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| 果城村 | |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Junhuacun | 均华村 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Shigu | 石鼓镇 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Wantang | 湾塘乡 |
| Caoba | 草坝镇 |
| Mingjiu | 鸣鹫镇 |
| Sancun | 三村 |
| Shalatuo | 沙拉托 |
| Dayangjie | 大羊街 |
| Tongchang | 铜厂 |
| Panzihua | 攀枝花 |
| Zhemi | 者米拉祜族乡 |
| Nujiang | 怒江 |
|---|---|
| Gudeng | 古登 |
| Bingzhongluo | 丙中洛 |
| Lishadi | 利沙底乡 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Baozang | 宝藏乡 |
| Donghui | 东回镇 |
| Fubang | 富邦乡 |
| Meizi | 梅子镇 |
| Xuelin | 雪林佤族乡 |
| Menglian | 孟连傣族拉祜族佤族自治县 |
| Mengsuo | 勐梭镇 |
| Mujia | 木戛乡 |
| Ankang | 安康佤族乡 |
| Wendong | 文东佤族乡 |
| Wenggake | 翁嘎科镇 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Shangjiang | 上江 |