From Niujiaozhai to Yuanyang
Yuanyang county, south of the Red River in the province's southeast, is famous for its Hani rice-terraces. With its splendid vistas and ethnic mix it is also a great area for hiking. Here we describe a moderate day-hike starting at the market-town of Niujiaozhai, passing through Yi and Hani villages and ending with stunning sunset vistas over the rice-terraces of Longshuba.
The temple in Mangdao 芒岛, built in 1899, is one of few surviving examples of Dai Buddhist temples having survived the Cultural Revolution by being converted into grain storage.
Liao Yiwu: God is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China
Liao Yiwu, one of China's most prominent dissidents, was driven out of China, but not before he used a period of internal exile to research Christian groups, mainly in Yunnan. In this book he tells the stories of the Christians of Dali and of Wuding county.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
An isolated Bai town with rich culture.
An unspoilt Tibetan area along the Zhibaluo River.
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.
Biggest festival in the Dali region, once Bai New Year.
Fog swirling on a cold winter morning over endless rice-terraces, the red of the
early morning sun reflected in the flooded paddies: this is the classic view of the
Hani Rice Terraces of Yuanyang, now of UNESCO World Heritage status.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Bai Yi New Year | 28 Jul |
| Black Dragon Fair | 29 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 31 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 31 Jul |
| Guanyin Practice Day | 01 Aug |
| Guanyin Practice Day | 01 Aug |
| Play on the Lake | 01 Aug |
| Benzhu Worship | 01 Aug |
| Guanyinshan Temple Fair | 01 Aug |
| Paddy Rice Birthday | 01 Aug |
| Dali Guanyin Worship | 01 Aug |
| Litang Horse Racing | 01 Aug |
Markets this Thursday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Nanxin | 南新 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Yangcen | 羊岑 |
| Maidi | 脉地 |
| Gudi | 古底 |
| Fengyi | 凤仪 |
| Weishan | 巍山彝族回族自治县 |
| Wase | 挖色 |
| Qiaohou | 乔后 |
| Daying | 大营 |
| Taiyi | 太邑彝族乡 |
| Dianzhong | 甸中 |
| 鲁庄 | |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| 妙姑村 | |
| 田口 | |
| 太和社区 | |
| 龙洞村 | |
| 北桥 | |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Shidongcun | 石洞村 |
| Qiaodian | 乔甸镇 |
| 果城村 | |
| Luming | 鹿鸣乡 |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| Xishuangbanna | 西双版纳 |
|---|---|
| Xiding | 西定哈尼族乡 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Manglong | 芒龙 |
| Lincang | 临沧 |
|---|---|
| Cangyuan | 沧源佤族自治县 |
| Shuangjiang | 双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县 |
| Quannei | 圈内 |
| Junsai | 军赛乡 |
| Zhenkang | 镇康县 |
| Qujing | 曲靖市 |
|---|---|
| Fenghuang | 凤凰 |
| 干海子 | |
| Laochang | 老厂乡 |
| Wuxing | 五星乡 |
| Xinjie | 新街回族乡 |
| Yangmeishan | 杨梅山 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Menggu | 蒙姑镇 |
| Yuxi | 玉溪 |
|---|---|
| Mosha | 漠沙镇 |
| Fuliangpeng | 富良棚 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Fubang | 富邦乡 |
| Kangping | 康平乡 |
| Dehua | 德化镇 |
| Mujia | 木戛乡 |
| Fuyan | 富岩 |
| Ankang | 安康佤族乡 |
| Wendong | 文东佤族乡 |
| Liming | 黎明乡 |
| 把边 |