Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


1875: Death of a British Diplomat

After Britain's 1852 annexation of lower Burma lucrative trade with China through its back-door seemed more than a distant possibility. But after a successful first mission up the Irrawaddy and into Yunnan in 1868, the second British mission six years later ended in tragedy.



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


Judith Shapiro: Mao's War Against Nature: Politics and the Environment in Revolutionary China

Cover Image
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.


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

Unspoiled Weishan boast Yunnan's most beautiful county town, an important Taoist mountain and areas of strong Muslim and Yi tradition.


Judith Shapiro: Mao's War Against Nature: Politics and the Environment in Revolutionary China

Cover Image
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.


Historic village on the old Kunming-Dali road.

Markets this Tuesday

Kunming 昆明
Tuanjie 团结

Dali 大理
Fuheng 富恒
Zhongsuo 中所
Fengyu 风羽
Liandong 炼洞
Yongping 永平县
Xintun 辛屯
Songgui 松桂
Guanping 关平
Baofeng 宝丰乡
Madeng 马镫
Binju 宾居
Shuijing 水井
Huangping 黄平镇
龙洞村
Deju 德苴乡
Shalong 沙龙镇
Liuchang 刘厂镇
Xinjie 新街镇
Mizhi 密祉镇
果城村
Xiazhuang 下庄镇

Lijiang 丽江
Shigu 石鼓镇

Honghe 红河
Caoba 草坝镇
Wantang 湾塘乡
Mingjiu 鸣鹫镇
Dayangjie 大羊街
Mengping 勐坪

Wenshan 文山
Lida 里达镇
Zhujie 朱街镇
Shuanglongying 双龙营乡
Jiayi 稼依镇
Mugan 木杆
Zhulin 珠琳镇
Funing 富宁县

Chuxiong 楚雄
Xiaoju 小苴
Gaoqiao 高桥镇
Shizhong 适中乡
Dalongkou 大龙口乡

Baoshan 保山市
Xiaopingtian 小平田
Tengchong 腾冲县
Wama 瓦马彝族白族乡

Lincang 临沧
Luodang 洛党
Mangka 芒卡镇
Fengwei 风尾镇
Boshang 博商
Mengjiao 勐角乡

Qujing 曲靖市
Baiwu 白雾
Daqiao 大桥乡
Leye 乐业镇
Malu 马路乡
Zhichang 纸厂乡

Zhaotong 昭通
Shikan 石坎
Jiucheng 旧城
Weixin 威信
Changan 长安

Yuxi 玉溪
Chahe 岔河
Mosha 漠沙镇
Dalongtan 大龙潭

Nujiang 怒江
Gudeng 古登
Bingzhongluo 丙中洛
Lishadi 利沙底乡

Puer 普洱
Jiahe 嘉禾乡
Meizi 梅子镇
Fubang 富邦乡
Yongping 永平镇
Mujia 木戛乡
Ankang 安康佤族乡
Meng'a 孟啊
Wendong 文东佤族乡
Wenggake 翁嘎科镇