Learning Bai
Bai 白族话 is the language spoken by the Bai people 白族 in the Dali area. While Chinese has become the lingua franca, Bai is still actively spoken by many, particularly older people, but it does not have a native written form and comes in many dialects. Here we list the available resources for learning this difficult language.
In Huize, the old capital of copper in Yunnan, many splendid guildhalls survive.
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.
Nuodeng is an ancient Bai salt producing village in Yunlong.
Unspoiled Weishan boast Yunnan's most beautiful county town, an important Taoist mountain and areas of strong Muslim and Yi tradition.
Liao Yiwu: God is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China
Liao Yiwu, one of China's most prominent dissidents, was driven out of China, but not before he used a period of internal exile to research Christian groups, mainly in Yunnan. In this book he tells the stories of the Christians of Dali and of Wuding county.
Reconstructed Qing Wenmiao, in a nice park setting.
Best surviving station on the French-built Vietnam-Kunming railway.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Miluoqimi Fair | 23 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship (Binchuan) | 28 Feb |
| Receiving the Village Protector | 28 Feb |
| Receiving the Village Protector | 28 Feb |
| Benzhu Festival | 28 Feb |
| Benzhu Festival | 28 Feb |
| Benzhu Festival | 28 Feb |
| Benzhu Festival | 28 Feb |
| Welcoming the Benzhu | 01 Mar |
| Dragon King | 01 Mar |
| Benzhu Festival | 01 Mar |
| Yang Village Songfest | 01 Mar |
Markets this Sunday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Jiuzhou | 旧州 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Sanying | 三营 |
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Yunlong | 云龙县 |
| Yinqiao | 银桥 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Binchuan | 宾川县 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Beitou | 北头 |
| Liantie | 炼铁 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Lawu | 拉乌 |
| Changxin | 长新 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Jianchuan | 剑川县 |
| Pingpo | 平坡 |
| Eryuan | 洱源县 |
| Niujie | 牛街彝族乡 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Minjian | 民建乡 |
| 青苗 | |
| Junhuacun | 均华村 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Pingbian | 屏边苗族自治县 |
| Diema | 垤玛 |
| Niujiaozhai | 牛角寨 |
| Mengzi | 蒙自县 |
| Liangdi | 浪堤 |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Chake | 岔科 |
| Jiayin | 甲寅 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Azhahe | 阿扎河 |
| Sankeshu | 三棵树 |
| Baohua | 宝华 |
| Dixibei | 地西北 |
| Yongning | 永宁乡 |
| Luoen | 洛恩 |
| Laomeng | 老勐 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Badaoshao | 八道哨乡 |
| Guangnan | 广南县 |
| Pingyuan | 平远 |
| Zhesang | 者桑乡 |
| Heizhiguo | 黑支果乡 |
| Boai | 剥隘镇 |
| Dongma | 董马乡 |
| Babao | 八宝镇 |
| Xinzhai | 新寨乡 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |