Dancing under the Moonlight: the Costume Festival of Zhizuo
As villages go, Zhizuo could hardly be more remote. Some 70km from the county town, first along a winding mountain road, then on a deeply rutted track without public transport: even in the dry season it takes several hours and a bit of stamina to reach. Yet, at least on the first full moon of the year, the effort is worth it, as Zhizuo holds one of Yunnan's most colourful festivals, the Dress Competition Festival or Caizhuangjie 赛装节.
Kids from one of Lancang's 澜沧县 schools dress up in minority clothes for the annual Gourd Festival 葫芦节.
Fei Hsiao-Tung and Chang Chih-I: Earthbound China: A Study of Rural Economy in Yunnan
Fei is the father of modern sociology in China: western-trained, he came to Yunnan at the end of the 1930s when China's eastern universities relocated west. In "Earthbound China" he applied modern empirical techniques that he had pioneered around Shanghai to the Chinese hinterland. The economical development, and subsequent societal changes, of three un-named, but typical villages in Yunnan is analyzed in great detail in this fascinating study.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Historic ancestral hall north of Pingchuan.
Yunnan's only Shui-Township with stunning karst scenery.
Jim Goodman: The Terrace Builders: The Hani and their Neighbors in Yunnan's Ailao Mountains
Abstract: The rice terraces of the Ailao Mountains in southern Yunnan province, China, are some of the oldest terraced farms in Asia. First mentioned in Tang Dynasty records, these farms, 80% of which are irrigated, with water running through them all year round, have been in continuous use for over a thousand years. In 2013 UNESCO declared the heartland of this area a World Heritage Site. The Terrace Builders is a detailed account of how these farms are made and used, the cities and mountains of Honghe Prefecture and the far north of Vietnam, as well as the various ethnic minorities who live there. The book pays special attention to the Hani people, the largest ethnic group in the area, and includes summaries of the culture and clothing of their neighbors the Yi, Miao, Yao, Zhuang and Dai. The book includes 300 photos of the land and its people.
A clan temple on the slopes of a burial hill near Xizhou.
The Danxia, or red sandstore, cliffs around Liming are a hikers' and climbers' paradise that is just now being discovered.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Walnut Festival | 01 Sep |
| Baoguo Temple Fair | 20 Sep |
| White Elephant Fest | 20 Sep |
| Yellow Dragon Temple Fair | 23 Sep |
| Autumn Equinox | 23 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 23 Sep |
| New Rice | 24 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship | 24 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship | 24 Sep |
| Across The Bridge Noodle Festival | 24 Sep |
| General's Cave Festival | 25 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship (Fengyu Area) | 25 Sep |
Markets this Monday
| Kunming | 昆明 |
|---|---|
| Jiulong | 九龙乡 |
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Wanqiao | 湾桥 |
| Biaocun | 表村 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Jizushan | 鸡足山 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Tuanjie | 团结 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Misha | 弥沙 |
| Baishi | 白石 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Shaping | 沙平村 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Junhuacun | 均华村 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Miaowei | 苗尾傈僳族乡 |
| Taiping | 太平乡 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Liming | 黎明 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Longpeng | 龙朋镇 |
| Daqiao | 大桥乡 |
| Niujiaozhai | 牛角寨 |
| Laozhai | 老寨苗族乡 |
| Chemalong | 车玛龙 |
| Sankeshu | 三棵树 |
| Puxiong | 普雄 |
| Dixibei | 地西北 |
| Baihe | 白河乡 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Xiaopingtian | 小平田 |
| Tengchong | 腾冲县 |
| Wama | 瓦马彝族白族乡 |