Watersplashing in Yongping
Ask for the Watersplashing Festival, or Poshuijie 泼水节, and everyone will tell you to go to Jinghong, capital of Yunnan's Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Region: the 'biggest and best' Dai celebrations to mark their New Year are taking place there. And big it is. Thousands of Han Chinese and foreign tourist flock to Jinghong every year. Jinghong's Poshuijie certainly is big -- and very commercial. If big crowds and big events are your thing, go to Jinghong.
Remnants of colour still show on the stone carvings at Shibaoshan, revealing that the Buddhist images were once brightly painted.
Liao Yiwu: God is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China
Liao Yiwu, one of China's most prominent dissidents, was driven out of China, but not before he used a period of internal exile to research Christian groups, mainly in Yunnan. In this book he tells the stories of the Christians of Dali and of Wuding county.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
One of the biggest Bai festivals.
A spectacularly narrow canyon high above the Jinsha River.
Brenda McLean: George Forrest, Plant Hunter
George Forrest, perhaps the most successful plant collector of his time, left little written about his numerous journeys to Yunnan, so this well-illustrated book fills in much needed detail about his life.
Bai rattlestick dance in the Dali region.
The Danxia, or red sandstore, cliffs around Liming are a hikers' and climbers' paradise that is just now being discovered.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Start of Spring | 04 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 05 Feb |
| Temaoke | 06 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 10 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 16 Feb |
| Lunar New Year's Eve | 16 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 16 Feb |
| Daba Spring Festival Evening Party | 16 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 17 Feb |
| Dalaogeng | 17 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 17 Feb |
| New Year Ritual | 17 Feb |
Markets this Thursday
| Kunming | 昆明 |
|---|---|
| Jiulong | 九龙乡 |
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Nanxin | 南新 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Yangcen | 羊岑 |
| Wanqiao | 湾桥 |
| Maidi | 脉地 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Gudi | 古底 |
| Fengyi | 凤仪 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Yongjian | 永连 |
| Wase | 挖色 |
| Daying | 大营 |
| Taiyi | 太邑彝族乡 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Qiaohou | 乔后 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Zhongjiang | 中江 |
| Qiaodian | 乔甸镇 |
| 太和社区 | |
| 蛇街 | |
| Shidongcun | 石洞村 |
| 妙姑村 | |
| Jindunjiecun | 金墩街村 |
| Luming | 鹿鸣乡 |
| 鲁庄 | |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Judian | 巨甸镇 |
| Xishuangbanna | 西双版纳 |
|---|---|
| Xiding | 西定哈尼族乡 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Manglong | 芒龙 |
| Lincang | 临沧 |
|---|---|
| Guoda | 郭大彝族白族乡 |
| Luodang | 洛党 |
| Cangyuan | 沧源佤族自治县 |
| Yalian | 亚练乡 |
| Quannei | 圈内 |
| Shuangjiang | 双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县 |
| Junsai | 军赛乡 |
| Zhenkang | 镇康县 |
| Yuxi | 玉溪 |
|---|---|
| Mosha | 漠沙镇 |
| Xingmeng | 兴蒙 |
| Hexi | 河西 |
| Fuliangpeng | 富良棚 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Fuyan | 富岩 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Weideng | 维登 |
| 岩瓦 |