Xu Xiake 徐霞客 in Dali
Xu Xiake (1586 - 1641) was China's first travel blogger. During the third lunar month in 1639 he travelled through Dali and recorded his experiences in his diary, posthumously published as 徐霞客游记. Is it still possible to retrace Xu's steps on the Dali plain?
The old town of Weishan 巍山 at night.
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.
Yunnan Tours
We can put you in contact with personally vetted, experienced tour guides, speaking Chinese, English, Dutch and German, for southwestern China. They can help you plan a trip matching your personal interests and requirements and accompany you on your trip. We just provide the introduction, we do not charge any commission or fees.
For enquiries email tours@yunnanexplorer.com.
Temple fair in the Fengyu basin.
A spectacularly narrow canyon high above the Jinsha River.
Jim Goodman: Children of the Jade Dragon: the Naxi of Lijiang and their mountain neighbours the Yi
In the first half of the 1990s Lijiang had barely made its appearance on the Chinese tourism stage, even less so the then remote mountains of Ningland and Lugu Lake. Jim Goodman's account of the Naxi and the Yi draws back to a time where not everything was staged for mass tourism: an account of a lost world.
Large Benzhu temple above Shangyangxi village.
This old caravan town on the Jinsha River is Yunnan's gateway to Tibet.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Third Month Fair | 23 Apr |
| Migan Festival | 24 Apr |
| Baitan Temple Fair | 26 Apr |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 27 Apr |
| Lingbao Mountain Fair | 28 Apr |
| Kunming Cultural Tourism Festival | 29 Apr |
| May Day | 01 May |
| Twin Festival | 01 May |
| Yangmei Festival | 01 May |
| Monihei | 01 May |
| Sizhuang Pond Fair | 02 May |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 02 May |
Markets this Friday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Nanxin | 南新 |
| Hecun | 萂村 |
| Gunipen | 沽泥盆 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Jiancao | 捡槽 |
| Wanqiao | 湾桥 |
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Gudi | 古底 |
| Wuxing | 五星 |
| Pingchuan | 平川 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Yangbi | 漾濞彝族自治县 |
| Baidangping | 白荡坪 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Yousuo | 右所镇 |
| Shuanglang | 双廊镇 |
| Shaxi | 沙溪 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Shigu | 石鼓镇 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinhua | 新华乡 |
| Mengla | 勐拉 |
| Lengdun | 冷墩 |
| Lengquan | 冷泉镇 |
| Dongshan | 东山镇 |
| Shitouzhai | 石头寨 |
| Maandi | 马鞍底 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Manglong | 芒龙 |
| Lincang | 临沧 |
|---|---|
| Luodang | 洛党 |
| Cangyuan | 沧源佤族自治县 |
| Lushi | 鲁史 |
| Zhenkang | 镇康县 |
| Junsai | 军赛乡 |
| Quannei | 圈内 |
| Shuangjiang | 双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Shangjiang | 上江 |