Dancing under the Moonlight: the Costume Festival of Zhizuo
As villages go, Zhizuo could hardly be more remote. Some 70km from the county town, first along a winding mountain road, then on a deeply rutted track without public transport: even in the dry season it takes several hours and a bit of stamina to reach. Yet, at least on the first full moon of the year, the effort is worth it, as Zhizuo holds one of Yunnan's most colourful festivals, the Dress Competition Festival or Caizhuangjie 赛装节.
Remnants of colour still show on the stone carvings at Shibaoshan, revealing that the Buddhist images were once brightly painted.
Jim Goodman: Children of the Jade Dragon: the Naxi of Lijiang and their mountain neighbours the Yi
In the first half of the 1990s Lijiang had barely made its appearance on the Chinese tourism stage, even less so the then remote mountains of Ningland and Lugu Lake. Jim Goodman's account of the Naxi and the Yi draws back to a time where not everything was staged for mass tourism: an account of a lost world.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Bai architecture style.
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.
Bai rattlestick dance in the Dali region.
Hometown of many Bai merchants, Xizhou boast some impressive architecture.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Temaoke | 06 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 10 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 16 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 16 Feb |
| Lunar New Year's Eve | 16 Feb |
| Daba Spring Festival Evening Party | 16 Feb |
| Spring Festival | 17 Feb |
| New Year Ritual | 17 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 17 Feb |
| Dalaogeng | 17 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 17 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 17 Feb |
Markets this Saturday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Zhoucheng | 州城 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Paiying | 排营 |
| Shuixie | 水泄 |
| Haidong | 海东 |
| Lijiao | 力角 |
| Shijing | 师井 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Yinqiao | 银桥 |
| Diannan | 甸南 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Jiangwei | 江尾镇 |
| Gonglang | 公郎镇 |
| 云南驿村 | |
| Qinghaiying | 青海营 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| 前所 | |
| 桥街 | |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| 西庄 | |
| 寅街村 | |
| Beiya | 北衙 |
| Changyi | 长邑村 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinansuo | 新安所镇 |
| Daheishan | 大黑山乡 |
| Leyu | 乐育 |
| Lvchun | 绿春县 |
| Majie | 马街 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Xinxian | 新现乡 |
| Nanke | 南科 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Jinping | 金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县 |
| Mengqiao | 勐桥乡 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Pingzhai | 平寨乡 |
| Pingba | 坪坝镇 |
| Matang | 马塘镇 |
| Banlun | 板仑乡 |
| Muyang | 木央镇 |
| Banggu | 蚌谷乡 |
| Nanping (Majie) | 南屏镇 (马街） |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |