Xu Xiake 徐霞客 in Dali
Xu Xiake (1586 - 1641) was China's first travel blogger. During the third lunar month in 1639 he travelled through Dali and recorded his experiences in his diary, posthumously published as 徐霞客游记. Is it still possible to retrace Xu's steps on the Dali plain?
The firing of self-made rockets is one of the fun parts of the Dai Watersplashing Festival 泼水节.
John Israel: Lianda: A Chinese University in War and Revolution
Everyone knows about the Mao's Long March, but a few years later another long march took place: that of Chinese students leaving their cushy campuses on the east coast, trekking all the way to Yunnan where their universities reformed as Lianda, the united university. Kunming, then a total backwater, became a hotbed for new ideas, not just scientific. We liked the section of east coast girls scampering around Mengzi in their latest fashion.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
An ancient Bai folk play form, preserved in Yunlong county.
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.
Location of the historically important 'Cangshan Conference' in 794AD.
Best surviving station on the French-built Vietnam-Kunming railway.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Walnut Festival | 01 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship | 05 Sep |
| Circling the Mountain | 06 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship (Fengyu Area) | 06 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship | 06 Sep |
| White Dew | 07 Sep |
| Shibaoshan Songfest | 08 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 09 Sep |
| Sigunai Temple Fair | 09 Sep |
| Teachers' Day | 10 Sep |
| New Moon Ritual | 11 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship (Fengyu Area) | 11 Sep |
Markets this Sunday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Jiuzhou | 旧州 |
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Sanying | 三营 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Qinghua | 清华 |
| Yunlong | 云龙县 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Binchuan | 宾川县 |
| Beitou | 北头 |
| Liantie | 炼铁 |
| Lawu | 拉乌 |
| Changxin | 长新 |
| Jianchuan | 剑川县 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Pingpo | 平坡 |
| Eryuan | 洱源县 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Junhuacun | 均华村 |
| Minjian | 民建乡 |
| Hedian | 禾甸镇 |
| Hongyan | 红岩镇 |
| 青苗 | |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Niujie | 牛街彝族乡 |
| Qinghaiying | 青海营 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Shengcun | 生村 |
| Pingbian | 屏边苗族自治县 |
| Diema | 垤玛 |
| Nafa | 那发 |
| Mengzi | 蒙自县 |
| Liangdi | 浪堤 |
| Chake | 岔科 |
| Jiayin | 甲寅 |
| Azhahe | 阿扎河 |
| Jiache | 架车 |
| Baohua | 宝华 |
| Luoen | 洛恩 |
| Yongning | 永宁乡 |
| Zhongzhai | 中寨 |
| Laomeng | 老勐 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Guangnan | 广南县 |
| Puyang | 普阳 |
| Banlun | 板仑乡 |
| Pingyuan | 平远 |
| Zhesang | 者桑乡 |
| Shupi | 树皮彝族乡 |
| Xichou | 西畴县 |
| Babao | 八宝镇 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Xiaopingtian | 小平田 |
| Wama | 瓦马彝族白族乡 |
| Tengchong | 腾冲县 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Shangjiang | 上江 |