Marco Polo in Yunnan?
Did the great Venetian traveller reach Yunnan? Almost certainly not, but still his accounts are the first words Europeans heard about this far-away region.
Early 20th century murals at Mangzhong Temple near Menglian
C. Patterson Giersch: Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier
Yunnan was not always China: indeed not so long ago large parts of Yunnan were only nominally part of the empire. To make Yunnan, outside the main Han cities, a Chinese province required significant effort. Here Giersch's study on Yunnan's hinterland makes an interesting if academic read.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Bai rattlestick dance in the Dali region.
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.
Bai wedding customs.
Best surviving station on the French-built Vietnam-Kunming railway.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Waterflower Festival | 12 Apr |
| Watersplashing Festival | 13 Apr |
| Watersplashing Festival | 13 Apr |
| Watersplashing Festival | 13 Apr |
| Shankang Tea Ancestor Festival | 14 Apr |
| Water Splashing Festival | 15 Apr |
| Mengzhun Watersplashing Festival | 16 Apr |
| Water Splashing Festival | 16 Apr |
| Yongping Watersplashing Festival | 16 Apr |
| Mengdui Daba | 17 Apr |
| Mengdui Bada | 17 Apr |
| Gutianshi Temple Fair | 17 Apr |
Markets this Tuesday
| Kunming | 昆明 |
|---|---|
| Tuanjie | 团结 |
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Zhongsuo | 中所 |
| Fuheng | 富恒 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Fengyu | 风羽 |
| Liandong | 炼洞 |
| Shuixie | 水泄 |
| Guanping | 关平 |
| Baofeng | 宝丰乡 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Binju | 宾居 |
| Madeng | 马镫 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Shuijing | 水井 |
| Gonglang | 公郎镇 |
| 云南驿村 | |
| 前所 | |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Niujiaozhai | 牛角寨 |
| Caoba | 草坝镇 |
| Mingjiu | 鸣鹫镇 |
| Sancun | 三村 |
| Wantang | 湾塘乡 |
| Lvchun | 绿春县 |
| Majie | 马街 |
| Nanke | 南科 |
| Dayangjie | 大羊街 |
| Jinping | 金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县 |
| Mengqiao | 勐桥乡 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Pingzhai | 平寨乡 |
| Jiayi | 稼依镇 |
| Banggu | 蚌谷乡 |
| Muyang | 木央镇 |
| Nanping (Majie) | 南屏镇 (马街） |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Xiaopingtian | 小平田 |
| Tengchong | 腾冲县 |
| Wama | 瓦马彝族白族乡 |
| Qujing | 曲靖市 |
|---|---|
| Fenghuang | 凤凰 |
| 干海子 | |
| Laochang | 老厂乡 |
| Luna | 鲁纳乡 |
| Shangcun | 上村乡 |
| Wuxing | 五星乡 |
| Xinjie | 新街回族乡 |
| Yangmeishan | 杨梅山 |
| Nujiang | 怒江 |
|---|---|
| Gudeng | 古登 |
| Bingzhongluo | 丙中洛 |
| Lishadi | 利沙底乡 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Zhonglu | 中路 |