Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


Black Well, White Gold

Black Well, White Gold
Heijing is a small town in the northern Chuxiong mountains. Salt once made Heijing one of Yunnan's richest towns. Now its architectural splendours are being rediscovered.



Hand-made giant sparklers, called "Fire Flowers" 火花, are part of the firework displays for temple fairs in Menglian county.


C. Patterson Giersch: Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier

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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.

Jim Goodman: The Akha: Guardians of the Forest

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The Akha, in China known as the Aini branch of the Hani people, migrated from China southwards into Laos, Burma and Thailand. In this richly illustrated book J Goodman, aka 'Akha Jim', explains their life and culture.


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.

Markets this Wednesday

Kunming 昆明
Shilin 石林彝族自治县
Longtou 龙头街

Dali 大理
Shunbi 順濞
Shaba 沙坝
Zuòyì 作邑
Huangping 黄平镇
Zhongying 种英
Zhongjiang 中江
Shanglan 上兰
Zhouguanying 周官营
Dacang 大仓镇
Shalong 沙龙镇
Shundang 顺荡
Hongyan 红岩镇
Miaojie 庙街镇
龙洞村
Shangcang 上沧
三胜
Xiazhuang 下庄镇
龙街
Sanhe 三鹤
Gongguoqiao 功果桥镇
Hedian 禾甸镇
Jindunjiecun 金墩街村
Caifeng 财丰
Houshancun 后山村

Lijiang 丽江
Yongsheng 永胜县
Banqiao 板桥

Dehong 德宏
Husa 户撒乡
Nangsong 曩宋阿昌族乡

Honghe 红河
Zhicun 芷村镇
Shengcun 生村
Baxin 坝心镇
Shuiguachong 水瓜冲
Baiyun 白云乡
Shaochong 哨冲镇
Mengping 勐坪
Yongning 永宁乡
Niujie 牛街镇
Tutai 土台
Hongtian 红田

Wenshan 文山
Lida 里达镇
Shuanglongying 双龙营乡
Zhujie 朱街镇
Mugan 木杆
Zhulin 珠琳镇

Chuxiong 楚雄
Maojie 猫街镇
Yaoan 姚安县

Baoshan 保山市
Manglong 芒龙

Lincang 临沧
Cangyuan 沧源佤族自治县
Quannei 圈内
Shuangjiang 双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县
Zhenkang 镇康县
Junsai 军赛乡

Qujing 曲靖市
Baiwu 白雾
Daqiao 大桥乡
Leye 乐业镇
Malu 马路乡
Sandao 三道
Yulu 雨碌乡
Zhichang 纸厂乡

Zhaotong 昭通
Shuitian 水田
Linfeng 麟风

Yuxi 玉溪
Yangjie 羊街乡
Xingmeng 兴蒙
Dianzhong 甸中
Hexi 河西

Nujiang 怒江
Lazan 腊咱
Lumadeng 鹿马登乡

Puer 普洱
Jiangcheng 江城哈尼族彝族自治县
Qushui 曲水乡
Fuyan 富岩
Mengxian 勐先镇

Diqing 迪庆
Kangpu 康普
Kaifaqu 开发区