Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


Guandu Old Town

Guandu Old Town
With the Bird and Flower Market and the Muslim Quarter fallen, little remains of 'Lao Kunming', the characterful old town of former times. Now it is all high-rises, wide avenues, chain-shops. Everywhere? No, a small part of Kunming is holding out...



The watermills in Fengqing's Gumo village operate just like a thousand years ago.


Ronald G. Knapp: China's Old Dwellings

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Few people know as much about Chinese architecture as Knapp: from palaces to humble homes he explains important building principles; the connection between environment and housing styles and the development of style over time. A section on minority housing styles complements the book.


A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.

C. Patterson Giersch: Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier

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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.


Location of the historically important 'Cangshan Conference' in 794AD.



A spectacularly narrow canyon high above the Jinsha River.

Markets this Tuesday

Kunming 昆明
Jijie 鸡街乡

Dali 大理
Zhongsuo 中所
Fuheng 富恒
Liandong 炼洞
Yongping 永平县
Fengyu 风羽
Fengyi 凤仪
Guanping 关平
Yongjian 永连
Wase 挖色
Baofeng 宝丰乡
Madeng 马镫
Binju 宾居
Shuijing 水井
Dacang 大仓镇
Huangping 黄平镇
Zuòyì 作邑
Zhongjiang 中江
Hongyan 红岩镇
妙姑村
Jindunjiecun 金墩街村
Deju 德苴乡
蛇街
Shidongcun 石洞村
Hedian 禾甸镇
Luming 鹿鸣乡

Lijiang 丽江
Judian 巨甸镇

Dehong 德宏
Lianghe 梁河县
Kachang 卡场镇

Honghe 红河
Shengcun 生村
Mingjiu 鸣鹫镇
Caoba 草坝镇
Wantang 湾塘乡
Shalatuo 沙拉托
Wuwan 乌弯
Daheigong 大黑公
Dayangjie 大羊街
Zhemi 者米拉祜族乡
Panzihua 攀枝花
Tongchang 铜厂

Wenshan 文山
Babu 八布乡
Tiechang 铁厂镇
Jiayi 稼依镇
Zhuanjiao 篆角乡
Mulun 睦伦乡

Chuxiong 楚雄
Xiaoju 小苴
Gaoqiao 高桥镇
Dalongkou 大龙口乡

Baoshan 保山市
Wafang 瓦房彝族白族乡
Mangbang 芒棒

Lincang 临沧
Guoda 郭大彝族白族乡
Yongde 永德县
Danjia 单甲乡
Wumulong 乌木龙乡
Fuhe 复合
Mengdui 孟堆乡

Qujing 曲靖市
Baiwu 白雾
Daqiao 大桥乡
Leye 乐业镇
Malu 马路乡
Yema 野马林场
Yulu 雨碌乡
Zhichang 纸厂乡

Zhaotong 昭通
Shuitian 水田
Linfeng 麟风

Yuxi 玉溪
Mosha 漠沙镇
Xingmeng 兴蒙
Hexi 河西
Fuliangpeng 富良棚

Nujiang 怒江
Gudeng 古登
Bingzhongluo 丙中洛
Lishadi 利沙底乡
Fugong 福贡

Puer 普洱
Jiangcheng 江城哈尼族彝族自治县
Mangxin 芒信镇
Qiannuo 千糯
Meizi 梅子镇
Wenggake 翁嘎科镇

Diqing 迪庆
Weideng 维登
岩瓦