The Dengchuan Plain 邓川坝子
The Dengchuan Plain 邓川坝子, north of Dali's Erhai Lake 洱海, has with West Lake 西湖 and the Miju River corridor 弥苴河 some beautiful, if hardly known, scenic areas. It's natural scenery, however, is man-made, the result of more than a thousand years of cultivation and water-management projects that have transformed a swamp and marshland into the current cultural environment.
Hand-made giant sparklers, called "Fire Flowers" 火花, are part of the firework displays for temple fairs in Menglian county.
Ronald G. Knapp: China's Old Dwellings
Few people know as much about Chinese architecture as Knapp: from palaces to humble homes he explains important building principles; the connection between environment and housing styles and the development of style over time. A section on minority housing styles complements the book.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Large Benzhu temple above Shangyangxi village.
A history trading post on the upper reaches of the Yangzi.
John Israel: Lianda: A Chinese University in War and Revolution
Everyone knows about the Mao's Long March, but a few years later another long march took place: that of Chinese students leaving their cushy campuses on the east coast, trekking all the way to Yunnan where their universities reformed as Lianda, the united university. Kunming, then a total backwater, became a hotbed for new ideas, not just scientific. We liked the section of east coast girls scampering around Mengzi in their latest fashion.
Temple fair in the Fengyu basin.
Largest Miao village in the Kunming area with a large Christian community and a nationally-acclaimed church-choir.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Descent of Frost | 23 Oct |
| Xinuluo Remembrance Day | 23 Oct |
| Temple Fair | 23 Oct |
| Open Door Festival | 24 Oct |
| Full Moon Ritual | 24 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship | 24 Oct |
| Guanyin Enlightenment | 28 Oct |
| Opening of the Fishing Season | 28 Oct |
| Dharmic Assembly | 31 Oct |
| Pupeng Zhejume Pilgrimage | 31 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship | 31 Oct |
| Temple Fair | 01 Nov |
Markets this Saturday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Zhoucheng | 州城 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Lijiao | 力角 |
| Paiying | 排营 |
| Haidong | 海东 |
| Qinghua | 清华 |
| Shijing | 师井 |
| Diannan | 甸南 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Jiangwei | 江尾镇 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Hongyan | 红岩镇 |
| Qinghaiying | 青海营 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Hedian | 禾甸镇 |
| Changyi | 长邑村 |
| 桥街 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Jiuhe | 九河 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Shengcun | 生村 |
| Nafa | 那发 |
| Xinansuo | 新安所镇 |
| Daheishan | 大黑山乡 |
| Leyu | 乐育 |
| Xinxian | 新现乡 |
| Jiache | 架车 |
| Zhongzhai | 中寨 |
| Baoxiu | 宝秀镇 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Xincheng | 新城乡 |
| Lincang | 临沧 |
|---|---|
| Menglai | 勐来乡 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Jiangcheng | 江城哈尼族彝族自治县 |
| Lancang | 澜沧县 |
| Donghui | 东回镇 |
| Xuelin | 雪林佤族乡 |
| Menglian | 孟连傣族拉祜族佤族自治县 |
| Mengsuo | 勐梭镇 |