Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


On the Statelets between Nanzhao and the Dali Kingdom

After the demise of Nanzhao 南诏, the Buddhist kingdom that integrated the tribes of the Erhai region in the second half of the first millennium, local strongmen proclaimed a succession of short-lived statelets before Duan Siping 段思平 in 937 CE established the Dali Kingdom 大理国.




The watermills in Fengqing's Gumo village operate just like a thousand years ago.


John Israel: Lianda: A Chinese University in War and Revolution

Cover Image
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.

Midu Folk song is a national level intangible cultural heritage.



A history trading post on the upper reaches of the Yangzi.


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

Cover Image
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.


An ancient Bai folk play form, preserved in Yunlong county.



This old caravan town on the Jinsha River is Yunnan's gateway to Tibet.

Markets this Tuesday

Dali 大理
Fuheng 富恒
Zhongsuo 中所
Liandong 炼洞
Yongping 永平县
Fengyu 风羽
Fengyi 凤仪
Guanping 关平
Weishan 巍山彝族回族自治县
Dali 大理
Caicun 才村
Baofeng 宝丰乡
Wase 挖色
Madeng 马镫
Binju 宾居
Shuijing 水井
Dianzhong 甸中
龙洞村
Shidongcun 石洞村
田口
Luming 鹿鸣乡
妙姑村
北桥
Shalong 沙龙镇
Hedian 禾甸镇
Xiazhuang 下庄镇
Hongyan 红岩镇
Deju 德苴乡

Dehong 德宏
Husa 户撒乡
Nangsong 曩宋阿昌族乡

Honghe 红河
Shengcun 生村
Caoba 草坝镇
Mingjiu 鸣鹫镇
Wantang 湾塘乡
Dayangjie 大羊街
Mengping 勐坪

Wenshan 文山
Zhujie 朱街镇
Shuanglongying 双龙营乡
Lida 里达镇
Jiayi 稼依镇
Mugan 木杆
Zhulin 珠琳镇

Chuxiong 楚雄
Gaoqiao 高桥镇
Dalongkou 大龙口乡

Baoshan 保山市
Manglong 芒龙

Lincang 临沧
Cangyuan 沧源佤族自治县
Fengqing 凤庆县
Quannei 圈内
Shuangjiang 双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县
Zhenkang 镇康县
Junsai 军赛乡

Qujing 曲靖市
Baiwu 白雾
Daqiao 大桥乡
Leye 乐业镇
Malu 马路乡
Zhehai 者海镇
Zhichang 纸厂乡

Yuxi 玉溪
Mosha 漠沙镇
Fuliangpeng 富良棚

Nujiang 怒江
Gudeng 古登
Bingzhongluo 丙中洛
Lishadi 利沙底乡
Fugong 福贡

Puer 普洱
Jiangcheng 江城哈尼族彝族自治县
Meizi 梅子镇
Dehua 德化镇
Kangping 康平乡
Fuyan 富岩
Liming 黎明乡
Wenggake 翁嘎科镇
把边