Early Maps of Yunnan
The history of maps in Yunnan began more than a thousand years ago. But it was the Jesuits who revolutionised mapping in China, producing the first accurate maps of the provinces, including remote Yunnan.
The watermills in Fengqing's Gumo village operate just like a thousand years ago.
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.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Remote temple on mountain top, site of religious gathering at the end of the New Year period.
Largest Miao village in the Kunming area with a large Christian community and a nationally-acclaimed church-choir.
Jim Goodman: Living in Shangrila: Tibetans and Mosuo in Northwest Yunnan
Abstract: When Diqing Prefecture, opened its doors to foreign visitors in 1992, tourist agencies and government officials promoted Zhongdian County as the Shangrila of James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon. In 2001 the city officially changed its name to Shangrila. On a high plateau of over 3200 meters, surrounded by snow covered mountain peaks, inhabited mainly by relatively prosperous, friendly and contented Tibetans, with beautiful monasteries, lakes, forests and summer flowers, the county’s scenery and lifestyle certainly bore a strong resemblance to that in the novel. Living in Shangrila describes the life and environment of the Tibetan people throughout Diqing Prefecture. It also examines their neighbors the Mosuo, a branch of the Naxi nationality, who adopted Tibetan Buddhism as their religion, but are still mainly a matrilineal society, unique to Yunnan, living around Lugu Lake, the most picturesque body of water in the province. The book includes over 200 photographs.
Dali has its own Torch Festival related customs.
A history trading post on the upper reaches of the Yangzi.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Slight Heat | 07 Jul |
| Mango Festival | 11 Jul |
| Zheng He Cultural Tourism Festival | 11 Jul |
| Zhoucheng Patron Saint Birthday | 12 Jul |
| South Gate Festival | 12 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 12 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 12 Jul |
| Danu Festival | 13 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 14 Jul |
| Southern Dipper Ritual | 14 Jul |
| Lizhi Festival | 16 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 18 Jul |
Markets this Monday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Biaocun | 表村 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Jizushan | 鸡足山 |
| Tuanjie | 团结 |
| Misha | 弥沙 |
| Baishi | 白石 |
| Shaping | 沙平村 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Zuòyì | 作邑 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| 果城村 | |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| Junhuacun | 均华村 |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| Miaowei | 苗尾傈僳族乡 |
| 龙洞村 | |
| Taiping | 太平乡 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Shigu | 石鼓镇 |
| Lincang | 临沧 |
|---|---|
| Menglai | 勐来乡 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Donghui | 东回镇 |
| Baozang | 宝藏乡 |
| Fubang | 富邦乡 |
| Xuelin | 雪林佤族乡 |
| Menglian | 孟连傣族拉祜族佤族自治县 |
| Mengsuo | 勐梭镇 |
| Mujia | 木戛乡 |
| Ankang | 安康佤族乡 |
| Wendong | 文东佤族乡 |
| 恩永 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Zili | 梓里 |
| Shangjiang | 上江 |
| Kaifaqu | 开发区 |