Guandu Old Town
With the Bird and Flower Market and the Muslim Quarter fallen, little remains of 'Lao Kunming', the characterful old town of former times. Now it is all high-rises, wide avenues, chain-shops. Everywhere? No, a small part of Kunming is holding out...
WeiBaDa 维巴达 is a Dai ritual worshipping traces of Buddha, such as footprints and handprints, in Jinggu county 景谷县.
Jim Goodman: The Terrace Builders: The Hani and their Neighbors in Yunnan's Ailao Mountains
Abstract: The rice terraces of the Ailao Mountains in southern Yunnan province, China, are some of the oldest terraced farms in Asia. First mentioned in Tang Dynasty records, these farms, 80% of which are irrigated, with water running through them all year round, have been in continuous use for over a thousand years. In 2013 UNESCO declared the heartland of this area a World Heritage Site. The Terrace Builders is a detailed account of how these farms are made and used, the cities and mountains of Honghe Prefecture and the far north of Vietnam, as well as the various ethnic minorities who live there. The book pays special attention to the Hani people, the largest ethnic group in the area, and includes summaries of the culture and clothing of their neighbors the Yi, Miao, Yao, Zhuang and Dai. The book includes 300 photos of the land and its people.
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 ancient Bai folk play form, preserved in Yunlong county.
Unspoiled Weishan boast Yunnan's most beautiful county town, an important Taoist mountain and areas of strong Muslim and Yi tradition.
Jim Goodman: Children of the Jade Dragon: the Naxi of Lijiang and their mountain neighbours the Yi
In the first half of the 1990s Lijiang had barely made its appearance on the Chinese tourism stage, even less so the then remote mountains of Ningland and Lugu Lake. Jim Goodman's account of the Naxi and the Yi draws back to a time where not everything was staged for mass tourism: an account of a lost world.
Raw pork skin, together with raw pork meat and sometimes even raw pork liver are traditional delicacies in Dali.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Zheng He Cultural Tourism Festival | 11 Jul |
| Mango Festival | 11 Jul |
| South Gate Festival | 12 Jul |
| Zhoucheng Patron Saint Birthday | 12 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 12 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 12 Jul |
| Danu Festival | 13 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 14 Jul |
| Southern Dipper Ritual | 14 Jul |
| Lizhi Festival | 16 Jul |
| Flowery Face Festival | 18 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 18 Jul |
Markets this Monday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Biaocun | 表村 |
| Shuixie | 水泄 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Jizushan | 鸡足山 |
| Misha | 弥沙 |
| Tuanjie | 团结 |
| Baishi | 白石 |
| Zuòyì | 作邑 |
| Shaping | 沙平村 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Gonglang | 公郎镇 |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| 三胜 | |
| 西庄 | |
| Caifeng | 财丰 |
| 前所 | |
| 寅街村 | |
| 云南驿村 | |
| Miaowei | 苗尾傈僳族乡 |
| Miaojie | 庙街镇 |
| Houshancun | 后山村 |
| Taiping | 太平乡 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Laozhai | 老寨苗族乡 |
| Majie | 马街 |
| Chemalong | 车玛龙 |
| Lvchun | 绿春县 |
| Nanke | 南科 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Puxiong | 普雄 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Jinping | 金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县 |
| Mengqiao | 勐桥乡 |
| Niujie | 牛街镇 |
| Baihe | 白河乡 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Pingzhai | 平寨乡 |
| Banggu | 蚌谷乡 |
| Muyang | 木央镇 |
| Nanping (Majie) | 南屏镇 (马街） |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Xiaopingtian | 小平田 |
| Tengchong | 腾冲县 |
| Wama | 瓦马彝族白族乡 |
| Qujing | 曲靖市 |
|---|---|
| Baiwu | 白雾 |
| Daqiao | 大桥乡 |
| Jiache | 驾车乡 |
| Leye | 乐业镇 |
| Luna | 鲁纳乡 |
| Malu | 马路乡 |
| Shangcun | 上村乡 |
| Yulu | 雨碌乡 |
| Zhichang | 纸厂乡 |