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 day of honours for village elders eighty years and over.
马健雄 (Ma Jianxiong): The Lahu Minority in Southwest China: A Response to Ethnic Marginalization on the Frontier
The Lahu, with a population of around 470,000, inhabit the mountainous country in Yunnan Province bordering on Burma, Laos and northern Thailand. Buddhists, with a long history of resistance to the Chinese Han majority, the Lahu are currently facing a serious collapse of their traditional social system, with the highest suicide rate in the world, large scale human trafficking of their women, alcoholism and poverty. This book, based on extensive original research including long-term anthropological research among the Lahu, provides an overview of the traditional way of life of the Lahu, their social system, culture and beliefs, and discusses the ways in which these are changing. It shows how the Lahu are especially vulnerable because of their lack of political representatives and a state educated elite which can engage with, and be part of, the government administrative system. The Lahu are one of many relatively small ethnic minorities in China – overall the book provides an example of how the Chinese government approaches these relatively small ethnic minorities.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Traditional dress in the Erhai region.
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.
Biggest festival in the Dali region, once Bai New Year.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Benzhu Worship (Fengyu) | 19 Mar |
| Madeng Trade Fair | 19 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship (Fengyi Area) | 22 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship (Shaxi Area) | 23 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship | 24 Mar |
| Boluo Temple Fair | 24 Mar |
| Chicken Worship | 25 Mar |
| Horse Cherry Blossom | 26 Mar |
| Sanduo Festival | 26 Mar |
| Cattle Festival | 26 Mar |
| Houshan Ancestor Worship | 26 Mar |
| Migu Festival | 26 Mar |
Markets this Monday
| Kunming | 昆明 |
|---|---|
| Kedu | 柯渡镇 |
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Biaocun | 表村 |
| Jizushan | 鸡足山 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Yinqiao | 银桥 |
| Misha | 弥沙 |
| Tuanjie | 团结 |
| Baishi | 白石 |
| Shuanglang | 双廊镇 |
| Shaping | 沙平村 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Caifeng | 财丰 |
| 寅街村 | |
| Miaojie | 庙街镇 |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| Taiping | 太平乡 |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| Qinghaiying | 青海营 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| 龙洞村 | |
| Miaowei | 苗尾傈僳族乡 |
| Houshancun | 后山村 |
| 三胜 | |
| 西庄 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Mengla | 勐拉 |
| Laozhai | 老寨苗族乡 |
| Chemalong | 车玛龙 |
| Puxiong | 普雄 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Niujie | 牛街镇 |
| Baihe | 白河乡 |
| Maandi | 马鞍底 |