1875: Death of a British Diplomat
After Britain's 1852 annexation of lower Burma lucrative trade with China through its back-door seemed more than a distant possibility. But after a successful first mission up the Irrawaddy and into Yunnan in 1868, the second British mission six years later ended in tragedy.
In Huize, the old capital of copper in Yunnan, many splendid guildhalls survive.
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.
Donglianhua is a Muslim caravan town with plenty of historic architecture.
Fei Hsiao-Tung and Chang Chih-I: Earthbound China: A Study of Rural Economy in Yunnan
Fei is the father of modern sociology in China: western-trained, he came to Yunnan at the end of the 1930s when China's eastern universities relocated west. In "Earthbound China" he applied modern empirical techniques that he had pioneered around Shanghai to the Chinese hinterland. The economical development, and subsequent societal changes, of three un-named, but typical villages in Yunnan is analyzed in great detail in this fascinating study.
A traditional Bai folk song form.
An unspoilt Tibetan area along the Zhibaluo River.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Benzhu Worship | 11 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Xiangtu) | 11 Mar |
| Benzhu Festival | 11 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 11 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship | 11 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship | 11 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 11 Mar |
| Tianmoya Temple Fair | 12 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 14 Mar |
| Zhaoxia Mountain Temple Fair | 15 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 16 Mar |
| Men's Festival | 17 Mar |
Markets this Wednesday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Shunbi | 順濞 |
| Shaba | 沙坝 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Caicun | 才村 |
| Dali | 大理 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Shuanglang | 双廊镇 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Zhongying | 种英 |
| Shanglan | 上兰 |
| Zhouguanying | 周官营 |
| 龙洞村 | |
| 西庄 | |
| 寅街村 | |
| Shangcang | 上沧 |
| Gongguoqiao | 功果桥镇 |
| 顺荡 | |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Junhuacun | 均华村 |
| 龙街 | |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Liming | 黎明 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Zhicun | 芷村镇 |
| Mengla | 勐拉 |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Baiyun | 白云乡 |
| Yongning | 永宁乡 |
| Tutai | 土台 |
| Maandi | 马鞍底 |
| Hongtian | 红田 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Kaifaqu | 开发区 |
| 岩瓦 |