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.
Judith Shapiro: Mao's War Against Nature: Politics and the Environment in Revolutionary China
Even if Chinese civilization has developed more against than with nature, the Mao years were a particular exercise in environmental destruction. In one case-study Shapiro tells the story of the draining of the northern part of Dianchi Lake, one of the first steps turning Kunming's lake into the fetid cess-pool it is today.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Ritual dance at the court of the local Menglian ruler
With its well-preserved architecture and tranquil atmosphere, Weishan's capital is Yunnan's most beautiful county town.
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.
Ancient Daoist temple music performed in Dali.
The Danxia, or red sandstore, cliffs around Liming are a hikers' and climbers' paradise that is just now being discovered.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Yangmei Festival | 01 May |
| Donghuangdadi Birthday | 14 May |
| Yi Costume Festival | 14 May |
| Master Earth | 14 May |
| Mouding March Fair | 14 May |
| Baimakou Village Festival | 14 May |
| Beggars' Convention | 14 May |
| Benzhu Worship | 15 May |
| Rice Transplanting | 15 May |
| Damo Temple Fair | 17 May |
| New Moon Ritual | 17 May |
| Luban Festival | 18 May |
Markets this Friday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Hecun | 萂村 |
| Xiangtu | 象图乡 |
| Jiancao | 捡槽 |
| Waxi | 瓦溪 |
| Gunipen | 沽泥盆 |
| Fengyi | 凤仪 |
| Wuxing | 五星 |
| Qinghua | 清华 |
| Pingchuan | 平川 |
| Wase | 挖色 |
| Yongjian | 永连 |
| Baidangping | 白荡坪 |
| Yangbi | 漾濞彝族自治县 |
| Shaxi | 沙溪 |
| Zuòyì | 作邑 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Yousuo | 右所镇 |
| Zhongjiang | 中江 |
| 汤涧 | |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| 蛇街 | |
| Xishan | 西山乡 |
| 大栗树 | |
| Jijie | 鸡街乡 |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Shidongcun | 石洞村 |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| Luming | 鹿鸣乡 |
| Wachang | 瓦厂乡 |
| 果城村 | |
| 妙姑村 | |
| Jindunjiecun | 金墩街村 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Judian | 巨甸镇 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinhua | 新华乡 |
| Nafa | 那发 |
| Lengquan | 冷泉镇 |
| Lengdun | 冷墩 |
| Dongshan | 东山镇 |
| Shitouzhai | 石头寨 |
| Jiache | 架车 |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Zhongzhai | 中寨 |
| Yuxi | 玉溪 |
|---|---|
| Xingmeng | 兴蒙 |
| Fuliangpeng | 富良棚 |
| Hexi | 河西 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Weideng | 维登 |
| 岩瓦 |