Learning Bai
Bai 白族话 is the language spoken by the Bai people 白族 in the Dali area. While Chinese has become the lingua franca, Bai is still actively spoken by many, particularly older people, but it does not have a native written form and comes in many dialects. Here we list the available resources for learning this difficult language.
Market day in Shiping's Guanyin Temple Alley 观音寺巷 appears almost unchanged from twenty 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.
Shaxi is the most complete historic ensemble of a caravan town in Yunnan.
Unspoiled Weishan boast Yunnan's most beautiful county town, an important Taoist mountain and areas of strong Muslim and Yi tradition.
Ronald G. Knapp: China's Old Dwellings
Few people know as much about Chinese architecture as Knapp: from palaces to humble homes he explains important building principles; the connection between environment and housing styles and the development of style over time. A section on minority housing styles complements the book.
Midu Folk song is a national level intangible cultural heritage.
Once an important salt-mining town, now the second largest town along the Heihui River north of Yangbi.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Walnut Festival | 01 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 23 Sep |
| Yellow Dragon Temple Fair | 23 Sep |
| Autumn Equinox | 23 Sep |
| New Rice | 24 Sep |
| Across The Bridge Noodle Festival | 24 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship | 24 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship | 24 Sep |
| General's Cave Festival | 25 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship | 25 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship (Fengyu Area) | 25 Sep |
| Yangle Festival | 25 Sep |
Markets this Thursday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Nanxin | 南新 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Yangcen | 羊岑 |
| Maidi | 脉地 |
| Qinghua | 清华 |
| Gudi | 古底 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Daying | 大营 |
| Taiyi | 太邑彝族乡 |
| Qiaohou | 乔后 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| Qiaodian | 乔甸镇 |
| 鲁庄 | |
| 太和社区 | |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| 果城村 |
| Xishuangbanna | 西双版纳 |
|---|---|
| Xiding | 西定哈尼族乡 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Nafa | 那发 |
| Dianwei | 甸尾乡 |
| Heping | 和平乡 |
| Jiache | 架车 |
| Zhongzhai | 中寨 |
| Baoxiu | 宝秀镇 |
| Baixian | 白显 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Xincheng | 新城乡 |
| Lincang | 临沧 |
|---|---|
| Menglai | 勐来乡 |
| 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 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Zhonglu | 中路 |