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.
Hand-made giant sparklers, called "Fire Flowers" 火花, are part of the firework displays for temple fairs in Menglian county.
C. Patterson Giersch: Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier
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.
A historic Han village in Midu county.
Hometown of many Bai merchants, Xizhou boast some impressive architecture.
Jim Goodman: Living in Shangrila: Tibetans and Mosuo in Northwest Yunnan
Abstract: When Diqing Prefecture, opened its doors to foreign visitors in 1992, tourist agencies and government officials promoted Zhongdian County as the Shangrila of James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon. In 2001 the city officially changed its name to Shangrila. On a high plateau of over 3200 meters, surrounded by snow covered mountain peaks, inhabited mainly by relatively prosperous, friendly and contented Tibetans, with beautiful monasteries, lakes, forests and summer flowers, the county’s scenery and lifestyle certainly bore a strong resemblance to that in the novel. Living in Shangrila describes the life and environment of the Tibetan people throughout Diqing Prefecture. It also examines their neighbors the Mosuo, a branch of the Naxi nationality, who adopted Tibetan Buddhism as their religion, but are still mainly a matrilineal society, unique to Yunnan, living around Lugu Lake, the most picturesque body of water in the province. The book includes over 200 photographs.
An isolated Bai town with rich culture.
Once an important salt-mining town, now the second largest town along the Heihui River north of Yangbi.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Northern Dipper Ritual | 10 Oct |
| Gongguoqiao September Trade Fair | 12 Oct |
| Flower Lantern | 15 Oct |
| Lajing Salt Road Culture Festival | 15 Oct |
| Holy Crane Festival | 17 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship (Eryuan Area) | 17 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship | 18 Oct |
| Achimugua | 18 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship (Fengyu Area) | 18 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship (Fengyi Area) | 18 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship (Eryuan Area) | 19 Oct |
| Street Festival | 19 Oct |
Markets this Saturday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Zhoucheng | 州城 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Haidong | 海东 |
| Shuixie | 水泄 |
| Lijiao | 力角 |
| Paiying | 排营 |
| Shijing | 师井 |
| Diannan | 甸南 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Jiangwei | 江尾镇 |
| Gonglang | 公郎镇 |
| 桥街 | |
| 前所 | |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| 西庄 | |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Changyi | 长邑村 |
| 云南驿村 | |
| 寅街村 | |
| Beiya | 北衙 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinansuo | 新安所镇 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Daheishan | 大黑山乡 |
| Leyu | 乐育 |
| Lvchun | 绿春县 |
| Majie | 马街 |
| Yafangzi | Yafangzi |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Xinxian | 新现乡 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Nanke | 南科 |
| Jinping | 金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县 |
| Mengqiao | 勐桥乡 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |