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.
Judith Shapiro: Mao's War Against Nature: Politics and the Environment in Revolutionary China
Even if Chinese civilization has developed more against than with nature, the Mao years were a particular exercise in environmental destruction. In one case-study Shapiro tells the story of the draining of the northern part of Dianchi Lake, one of the first steps turning Kunming's lake into the fetid cess-pool it is today.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Liao Yiwu: God is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China
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.
Remote temple on mountain top, site of religious gathering at the end of the New Year period.
The Danxia, or red sandstore, cliffs around Liming are a hikers' and climbers' paradise that is just now being discovered.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Yangmei Festival | 01 May |
| May Day | 01 May |
| Third Month Fair | 01 May |
| Migan Festival | 02 May |
| Zhetu Flower Street | 06 May |
| Lingbao Mountain Fair | 06 May |
| Start of Summer Market | 09 May |
| Sizhuang Pond Fair | 10 May |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 10 May |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 11 May |
| Benzhu Worship | 13 May |
| Master Earth | 14 May |
Markets this Thursday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Nanxin | 南新 |
| Yangcen | 羊岑 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Maidi | 脉地 |
| Gudi | 古底 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Daying | 大营 |
| Taiyi | 太邑彝族乡 |
| Qiaohou | 乔后 |
| 鲁庄 | |
| 果城村 | |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| 太和社区 | |
| 龙洞村 | |
| Beiya | 北衙 |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| Qiaodian | 乔甸镇 |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Shunzhou | 顺州 |
| Xishuangbanna | 西双版纳 |
|---|---|
| Xiding | 西定哈尼族乡 |
| Qujing | 曲靖市 |
|---|---|
| Fenghuang | 凤凰 |
| 干海子 | |
| Laochang | 老厂乡 |
| Wuxing | 五星乡 |
| Xinjie | 新街回族乡 |
| Yangmeishan | 杨梅山 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Donghui | 东回镇 |
| Fubang | 富邦乡 |
| Xuelin | 雪林佤族乡 |
| Menglian | 孟连傣族拉祜族佤族自治县 |
| Mengsuo | 勐梭镇 |
| Mujia | 木戛乡 |
| Ankang | 安康佤族乡 |
| Wendong | 文东佤族乡 |