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.
The watermills in Fengqing's Gumo village operate just like a thousand years ago.
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.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Dali's dragon boat races were held on the day of the Torch Festival.
An unspoilt Tibetan area along the Zhibaluo River.
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.
Temple fair in the Fengyu basin.
A history trading post on the upper reaches of the Yangzi.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Yangmei Festival | 01 May |
| Luban Festival | 18 May |
| Buckwheat Festival | 18 May |
| Fengyu Rice Transplant | 21 May |
| Grain Full | 21 May |
| Hotpant Festival | 22 May |
| Prince Festival | 24 May |
| Prince Festival | 24 May |
| Tiaogong Festival | 24 May |
| Dancing Cow | 24 May |
| Cattle King | 24 May |
| Dongpo Fair | 24 May |
Markets this Tuesday
| Kunming | 昆明 |
|---|---|
| Tuanjie | 团结 |
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Fuheng | 富恒 |
| Zhongsuo | 中所 |
| Fengyu | 风羽 |
| Liandong | 炼洞 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Guanping | 关平 |
| Baofeng | 宝丰乡 |
| Madeng | 马镫 |
| Binju | 宾居 |
| Shuijing | 水井 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| 龙洞村 | |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| 果城村 | |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Shigu | 石鼓镇 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Xiaopingtian | 小平田 |
| Tengchong | 腾冲县 |
| Wama | 瓦马彝族白族乡 |
| Nujiang | 怒江 |
|---|---|
| Gudeng | 古登 |
| Bingzhongluo | 丙中洛 |
| Lishadi | 利沙底乡 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Jiahe | 嘉禾乡 |
| Meizi | 梅子镇 |
| Fubang | 富邦乡 |
| Yongping | 永平镇 |
| Mujia | 木戛乡 |
| Ankang | 安康佤族乡 |
| Meng'a | 孟啊 |
| Wendong | 文东佤族乡 |
| Wenggake | 翁嘎科镇 |