Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


古镇: Death-knell for Yunnan's Historic Towns

In China even the 'old towns' are new. Under the 古镇, or ancient town, moniker old towns are razed and their population driven out to make space for sanitized versions of Chinese history that drive the tourist dollar.



A Lahu minority Christian service in a hill village near Menglian.


Liao Yiwu: God is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China

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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.

Jim Goodman: The Terrace Builders: The Hani and their Neighbors in Yunnan's Ailao Mountains

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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.


Suona melodies in the Pingchuan area of Binchuan.



Largest Miao village in the Kunming area with a large Christian community and a nationally-acclaimed church-choir.

Markets this Saturday

Kunming 昆明
Fazhe 法者镇
Wumeng 乌蒙乡
Shilin 石林彝族自治县
Tangdan 汤丹镇
Banqiao 板桥乡

Dali 大理
Zhoucheng 州城
Yongping 永平县
Paiying 排营
Lijiao 力角
Qinghua 清华
Shijing 师井
Diannan 甸南
Jiangwei 江尾镇
Niujie 牛街
Huangping 黄平镇
Zhongjiang 中江
Changyi 长邑村
Puping 普淜镇
桥街
Beiya 北衙
Hedian 禾甸镇
Jindunjiecun 金墩街村
Hongyan 红岩镇
Deju 德苴乡

Lijiang 丽江
Jiuhe 九河
Shunzhou 顺州

Dehong 德宏
Husa 户撒乡
Nangsong 曩宋阿昌族乡

Honghe 红河
Shengcun 生村
Nafa 那发
Xinansuo 新安所镇
Daheishan 大黑山乡
Leyu 乐育
Xinxian 新现乡
Longwu 龙武镇
Jiache 架车
Zhongzhai 中寨

Wenshan 文山
Puyang 普阳
Matang 马塘镇
Pingba 坪坝镇
Shupi 树皮彝族乡
Xichou 西畴县

Chuxiong 楚雄
Shizhong 适中乡
Wanyaoshu 弯腰树
Dahekou 大河口乡

Baoshan 保山市
Manglong 芒龙

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

Qujing 曲靖市
Wopo 窝坡
Baiwu 白雾
Daqiao 大桥乡
Leye 乐业镇
Malu 马路乡
Zhichang 纸厂乡

Zhaotong 昭通
Linfeng 麟风
Shuitian 水田

Yuxi 玉溪
Mosha 漠沙镇
Yani 亚尼
Yuanjiang 元江哈尼族彝族傣族自治县
Nanuo 那诺乡

Nujiang 怒江
Hexi 河西
Puladi 普拉底乡
Aludi 阿路底
Laowo 老窝

Puer 普洱
Jiangcheng 江城哈尼族彝族自治县
Lancang 澜沧县
Fuyan 富岩

Diqing 迪庆
Xiaoweixi 小维西
Kaifaqu 开发区