Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


A Republic Era Map of Dali

A Republic Era map shows the development of the Dali region over the last hundred years.



The annual Bai Raosanling is one of the wildest temple fairs in the province.


C. Patterson Giersch: Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier

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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.


A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.

马健雄 (Ma Jianxiong): The Lahu Minority in Southwest China: A Response to Ethnic Marginalization on the Frontier

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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.


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

Markets this Thursday

Kunming 昆明
Jijie 鸡街乡

Dali 大理
Nanxin 南新
Yangcen 羊岑
Niujie 牛街
Maidi 脉地
Xintun 辛屯
Gudi 古底
Songgui 松桂
Dali 大理
Caicun 才村
Qiaohou 乔后
Daying 大营
Taiyi 太邑彝族乡
Zuòyì 作邑
Huangping 黄平镇
鲁庄
Miaojie 庙街镇
Liuchang 刘厂镇
三胜
Houshancun 后山村
Mizhi 密祉镇
Qiaodian 乔甸镇
Caifeng 财丰
Xinjie 新街镇
太和社区
果城村

Lijiang 丽江
Shigu 石鼓镇
Yongsheng 永胜县
Banqiao 板桥

Xishuangbanna 西双版纳
Xiding 西定哈尼族乡

Honghe 红河
Dianwei 甸尾乡
Shalatuo 沙拉托
Heping 和平乡
Shaochong 哨冲镇
Baixian 白显
Niujie 牛街镇
Panzihua 攀枝花
Tongchang 铜厂
Zhemi 者米拉祜族乡

Wenshan 文山
Babu 八布乡
Tiechang 铁厂镇
Zhuanjiao 篆角乡
Funing 富宁县
Mulun 睦伦乡
Jiumo 旧莫乡

Chuxiong 楚雄
Jiyi 己衣乡
Tanhua 昙花乡
Sanchahe 三岔河乡
Dongpo 东坡傣族乡
Guanglu 光路镇

Baoshan 保山市
Xiaopingtian 小平田
Tengchong 腾冲县
Wama 瓦马彝族白族乡

Lincang 临沧
Mangka 芒卡镇
Fengwei 风尾镇
Boshang 博商
Wumulong 乌木龙乡
Mengjiao 勐角乡

Qujing 曲靖市
Baiwu 白雾
Daqiao 大桥乡
Leye 乐业镇
Malu 马路乡
Yema 野马林场
Yulu 雨碌乡
Zhichang 纸厂乡

Zhaotong 昭通
Shikan 石坎
Jiucheng 旧城
Weixin 威信
Changan 长安

Yuxi 玉溪
Yangjie 羊街乡
Mosha 漠沙镇
Dianzhong 甸中

Nujiang 怒江
Jiakedi 架科底乡
Pihe 匹河怒族乡
Dimaluo

Puer 普洱
Yongping 永平镇
Meng'a 孟啊

Diqing 迪庆
Jiagetu 价格土
岩瓦