Marco Polo in Yunnan?
Did the great Venetian traveller reach Yunnan? Almost certainly not, but still his accounts are the first words Europeans heard about this far-away region.
The watermills in Fengqing's Gumo village operate just like a thousand years ago.
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.
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.
C. Patterson Giersch: Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier
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.
Tie-Dye is an Bai traditional technique with its centre in Zhoucheng 周城.
With its well-preserved architecture and tranquil atmosphere, Weishan's capital is Yunnan's most beautiful county town.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Yangmei Festival | 01 May |
| Manlong Buckwheat Festival | 30 May |
| Butterfly Festival | 31 May |
| Benzhu Worship (Midu) | 31 May |
| Benzhu Worship | 31 May |
| Butterfly Spring Meeting | 31 May |
| Yongping Wenbi Pagoda Ceremony | 31 May |
| Full Moon Ritual | 31 May |
| Benzhu Worship | 01 Jun |
| Guniangjie | 03 Jun |
| Benzhu Worship | 03 Jun |
| Yanguang Birthday | 05 Jun |
Markets this Saturday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Zhoucheng | 州城 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Paiying | 排营 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Lijiao | 力角 |
| Fengyi | 凤仪 |
| Shijing | 师井 |
| Weishan | 巍山彝族回族自治县 |
| Diannan | 甸南 |
| Wase | 挖色 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Jiangwei | 江尾镇 |
| Dianzhong | 甸中 |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| Changyi | 长邑村 |
| 西庄 | |
| 田口 | |
| Shidongcun | 石洞村 |
| 寅街村 | |
| 北桥 | |
| Luming | 鹿鸣乡 |
| 妙姑村 | |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| 桥街 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Jiuhe | 九河 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinansuo | 新安所镇 |
| Daheishan | 大黑山乡 |
| Leyu | 乐育 |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Sankeshu | 三棵树 |
| Xinxian | 新现乡 |
| Dixibei | 地西北 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Qujing | 曲靖市 |
|---|---|
| Daba | 大坝 |
| 干海子 | |
| Jiache | 驾车乡 |
| Kuangshan | 矿山镇 |
| Laochang | 老厂乡 |
| Wuxing | 五星乡 |
| Xinjie | 新街回族乡 |
| Yangmeishan | 杨梅山 |
| Yulu | 雨碌乡 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Menggu | 蒙姑镇 |
| Yuxi | 玉溪 |
|---|---|
| Mosha | 漠沙镇 |
| Fuliangpeng | 富良棚 |