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.
Hand-made giant sparklers, called "Fire Flowers" 火花, are part of the firework displays for temple fairs in Menglian county.
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.
Donglianhua is a Muslim caravan town with plenty of historic architecture.
Yunnan's only Shui-Township with stunning karst scenery.
Brenda McLean: George Forrest, Plant Hunter
George Forrest, perhaps the most successful plant collector of his time, left little written about his numerous journeys to Yunnan, so this well-illustrated book fills in much needed detail about his life.
A specific theatre performance style in Dali.
This old caravan town on the Jinsha River is Yunnan's gateway to Tibet.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Dharmic Assembly | 31 Oct |
| Benzhu Festival | 05 Nov |
| Start of Winter | 07 Nov |
| Sea of Blood Temple Fair | 07 Nov |
| New Moon Ritual | 09 Nov |
| Single's Day | 11 Nov |
| Yi New Year | 12 Nov |
| Hani New Year | 14 Nov |
| Mother Earth Worship | 16 Nov |
| Meige Festival | 16 Nov |
| Leonid Meteor Shower | 17 Nov |
| Dai New Year | 18 Nov |
Markets this Friday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Xiangtu | 象图乡 |
| Hecun | 萂村 |
| Jiancao | 捡槽 |
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Waxi | 瓦溪 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Gunipen | 沽泥盆 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Pingchuan | 平川 |
| Wuxing | 五星 |
| Yinqiao | 银桥 |
| Yangbi | 漾濞彝族自治县 |
| Baidangping | 白荡坪 |
| Shuanglang | 双廊镇 |
| Shaxi | 沙溪 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Yousuo | 右所镇 |
| 汤涧 | |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| 西庄 | |
| 寅街村 | |
| Xishan | 西山乡 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| 大栗树 | |
| Jijie | 鸡街乡 |
| Wachang | 瓦厂乡 |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| Junhuacun | 均华村 |
| 龙洞村 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Shigu | 石鼓镇 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Longpeng | 龙朋镇 |
| Xinhua | 新华乡 |
| Daqiao | 大桥乡 |
| Mengla | 勐拉 |
| Lengdun | 冷墩 |
| Lengquan | 冷泉镇 |
| Dongshan | 东山镇 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Shitouzhai | 石头寨 |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Maandi | 马鞍底 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Shangjiang | 上江 |