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.
Remnants of colour still show on the stone carvings at Shibaoshan, revealing that the Buddhist images were once brightly painted.
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 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.
This old caravan town on the Jinsha River is Yunnan's gateway to Tibet.
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.
Special form of ham making in Nanjian.
Yunnan's only Shui-Township with stunning karst scenery.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Temaoke | 06 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 10 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 16 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 16 Feb |
| Lunar New Year's Eve | 16 Feb |
| Daba Spring Festival Evening Party | 16 Feb |
| Spring Festival | 17 Feb |
| New Year Ritual | 17 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 17 Feb |
| Dalaogeng | 17 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 17 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 17 Feb |
Markets this Saturday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Zhoucheng | 州城 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Paiying | 排营 |
| Shuixie | 水泄 |
| Haidong | 海东 |
| Lijiao | 力角 |
| Shijing | 师井 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Yinqiao | 银桥 |
| Diannan | 甸南 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Jiangwei | 江尾镇 |
| Gonglang | 公郎镇 |
| 云南驿村 | |
| Qinghaiying | 青海营 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| 前所 | |
| 桥街 | |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| 西庄 | |
| 寅街村 | |
| Beiya | 北衙 |
| Changyi | 长邑村 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinansuo | 新安所镇 |
| Daheishan | 大黑山乡 |
| Leyu | 乐育 |
| Lvchun | 绿春县 |
| Majie | 马街 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Xinxian | 新现乡 |
| Nanke | 南科 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Jinping | 金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县 |
| Mengqiao | 勐桥乡 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Pingzhai | 平寨乡 |
| Pingba | 坪坝镇 |
| Matang | 马塘镇 |
| Banlun | 板仑乡 |
| Muyang | 木央镇 |
| Banggu | 蚌谷乡 |
| Nanping (Majie) | 南屏镇 (马街） |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |