Guandu Old Town
With the Bird and Flower Market and the Muslim Quarter fallen, little remains of 'Lao Kunming', the characterful old town of former times. Now it is all high-rises, wide avenues, chain-shops. Everywhere? No, a small part of Kunming is holding out...
A Lahu minority Christian service in a hill village near Menglian.
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.
Reconstructed Qing Wenmiao, in a nice park setting.
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.
Bai wedding customs.
With its well-preserved architecture and tranquil atmosphere, Weishan's capital is Yunnan's most beautiful county town.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Dharmic Assembly | 11 Nov |
| Leonid Meteor Shower | 17 Nov |
| Dai New Year | 18 Nov |
| New Moon Ritual | 20 Nov |
| Anniversary of Dali Bai Autonomous Region Foundation | 22 Nov |
| Yiyi Festival | 22 Nov |
| Slight Snow | 22 Nov |
| Mother Earth Worship | 27 Nov |
| Meige Festival | 27 Nov |
| Yi New Year | 29 Nov |
| Street Banquet | 30 Nov |
| Hani New Year | 01 Dec |
Markets this Tuesday
| Kunming | 昆明 |
|---|---|
| Jijie | 鸡街乡 |
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Fuheng | 富恒 |
| Liandong | 炼洞 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Fengyu | 风羽 |
| Guanping | 关平 |
| Baofeng | 宝丰乡 |
| Madeng | 马镫 |
| Binju | 宾居 |
| Shuijing | 水井 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Zuòyì | 作邑 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Zhongjiang | 中江 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| 三鹤 | |
| 三胜 | |
| Houshancun | 后山村 |
| Caifeng | 财丰 |
| Hedian | 禾甸镇 |
| Miaojie | 庙街镇 |
| Jindunjiecun | 金墩街村 |
| Hongyan | 红岩镇 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Shengcun | 生村 |
| Caoba | 草坝镇 |
| Wantang | 湾塘乡 |
| Mingjiu | 鸣鹫镇 |
| Shalatuo | 沙拉托 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Dayangjie | 大羊街 |
| Niujie | 牛街镇 |
| Tongchang | 铜厂 |
| Zhemi | 者米拉祜族乡 |
| Panzihua | 攀枝花 |
| Nujiang | 怒江 |
|---|---|
| Gudeng | 古登 |
| Bingzhongluo | 丙中洛 |
| Lishadi | 利沙底乡 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Kangpu | 康普 |