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: Living in Shangrila: Tibetans and Mosuo in Northwest Yunnan
Abstract: When Diqing Prefecture, opened its doors to foreign visitors in 1992, tourist agencies and government officials promoted Zhongdian County as the Shangrila of James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon. In 2001 the city officially changed its name to Shangrila. On a high plateau of over 3200 meters, surrounded by snow covered mountain peaks, inhabited mainly by relatively prosperous, friendly and contented Tibetans, with beautiful monasteries, lakes, forests and summer flowers, the county’s scenery and lifestyle certainly bore a strong resemblance to that in the novel. Living in Shangrila describes the life and environment of the Tibetan people throughout Diqing Prefecture. It also examines their neighbors the Mosuo, a branch of the Naxi nationality, who adopted Tibetan Buddhism as their religion, but are still mainly a matrilineal society, unique to Yunnan, living around Lugu Lake, the most picturesque body of water in the province. The book includes over 200 photographs.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Unspoiled Weishan boast Yunnan's most beautiful county town, an important Taoist mountain and areas of strong Muslim and Yi tradition.
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.
An ancient Bai wedding ritual only found in Yunlong county.
Largest Miao village in the Kunming area with a large Christian community and a nationally-acclaimed church-choir.
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 |