Raid on Cikou Church
Western missionaries were not always welcome in Yunnan. And when in 1867 they opened a mission in the upper Mekong valley, on the gates of Tibet, they incurred the wrath of Tibet's rulers.
Early 20th century murals at Mangzhong Temple near Menglian
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.
Locally important temple.
Jim Goodman: Living in Shangrila: Tibetans and Mosuo in Northwest Yunnan
Abstract: When Diqing Prefecture, opened its doors to foreign visitors in 1992, tourist agencies and government officials promoted Zhongdian County as the Shangrila of James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon. In 2001 the city officially changed its name to Shangrila. On a high plateau of over 3200 meters, surrounded by snow covered mountain peaks, inhabited mainly by relatively prosperous, friendly and contented Tibetans, with beautiful monasteries, lakes, forests and summer flowers, the county’s scenery and lifestyle certainly bore a strong resemblance to that in the novel. Living in Shangrila describes the life and environment of the Tibetan people throughout Diqing Prefecture. It also examines their neighbors the Mosuo, a branch of the Naxi nationality, who adopted Tibetan Buddhism as their religion, but are still mainly a matrilineal society, unique to Yunnan, living around Lugu Lake, the most picturesque body of water in the province. The book includes over 200 photographs.
Dali has its own Torch Festival related customs.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Gourd Festival | 07 Apr |
| Puxian Birthday | 08 Apr |
| Sangkan Festival | 09 Apr |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Xiangtu) | 10 Apr |
| Wooden Drum Festival | 10 Apr |
| Bainian | 10 Apr |
| Laotai Temple Fair | 10 Apr |
| Benzhu Worship | 10 Apr |
| Holy Fish Festival | 11 Apr |
| Benzhu Worship | 11 Apr |
| Waterflower Festival | 12 Apr |
| Benzhu Worship | 12 Apr |
Markets this Thursday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Nanxin | 南新 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Yangcen | 羊岑 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Maidi | 脉地 |
| Gudi | 古底 |
| Qinghua | 清华 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Taiyi | 太邑彝族乡 |
| Qiaohou | 乔后 |
| Zuòyì | 作邑 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Daying | 大营 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Qiaodian | 乔甸镇 |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| 鲁庄 | |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| 果城村 | |
| 太和社区 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Shigu | 石鼓镇 |
| Xishuangbanna | 西双版纳 |
|---|---|
| Xiding | 西定哈尼族乡 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Xiaopingtian | 小平田 |
| Tengchong | 腾冲县 |
| Wama | 瓦马彝族白族乡 |