The Old Salt Roads in Yunnan
The Tea Horse Road 茶马古道 into Tibet has become a romantic moniker for Yunnan, but economically more important were the old salt roads.
The watermills in Fengqing's Gumo village operate just like a thousand years ago.
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.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Large golden pagoda in Menglian town
Brenda McLean: George Forrest, Plant Hunter
George Forrest, perhaps the most successful plant collector of his time, left little written about his numerous journeys to Yunnan, so this well-illustrated book fills in much needed detail about his life.
Village Benzhu Temple.
Best surviving station on the French-built Vietnam-Kunming railway.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Yangmei Festival | 01 May |
| Benzhu Worship | 13 May |
| Mouding March Fair | 14 May |
| Yi Costume Festival | 14 May |
| Master Earth | 14 May |
| Baimakou Village Festival | 14 May |
| Donghuangdadi Birthday | 14 May |
| Beggars' Convention | 14 May |
| Rice Transplanting | 15 May |
| Benzhu Worship | 15 May |
| New Moon Ritual | 17 May |
| Damo Temple Fair | 17 May |
Markets this Wednesday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Shunbi | 順濞 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Shaba | 沙坝 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Zhongying | 种英 |
| Shanglan | 上兰 |
| Zhouguanying | 周官营 |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| 龙洞村 | |
| 龙街 | |
| 三胜 | |
| Shangcang | 上沧 |
| Caifeng | 财丰 |
| Miaojie | 庙街镇 |
| Hedian | 禾甸镇 |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| Hongyan | 红岩镇 |
| Gongguoqiao | 功果桥镇 |
| 顺荡 | |
| Houshancun | 后山村 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Zhicun | 芷村镇 |
| Shengcun | 生村 |
| Sancun | 三村 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Mengping | 勐坪 |
| Baiyun | 白云乡 |
| Yongning | 永宁乡 |
| Niujie | 牛街镇 |
| Tutai | 土台 |
| Hongtian | 红田 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Lida | 里达镇 |
| Zhujie | 朱街镇 |
| Shuanglongying | 双龙营乡 |
| Mugan | 木杆 |
| Zhulin | 珠琳镇 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Jiangcheng | 江城哈尼族彝族自治县 |
| Nuofu | 糯福 |
| Dashan | 大山乡 |
| Mengma | 孟马镇 |
| Mengxian | 勐先镇 |