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.
Dali's biggest religious festival at the end of the fourth lunar month.
Once an important salt-mining town, now the second largest town along the Heihui River north of Yangbi.
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.
Jiama are religious woodcut prints.
Best surviving station on the French-built Vietnam-Kunming railway.
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 |