Learning Bai
Bai 白族话 is the language spoken by the Bai people 白族 in the Dali area. While Chinese has become the lingua franca, Bai is still actively spoken by many, particularly older people, but it does not have a native written form and comes in many dialects. Here we list the available resources for learning this difficult language.
A day of honours for village elders eighty years and over.
Judith Shapiro: Mao's War Against Nature: Politics and the Environment in Revolutionary China
Even if Chinese civilization has developed more against than with nature, the Mao years were a particular exercise in environmental destruction. In one case-study Shapiro tells the story of the draining of the northern part of Dianchi Lake, one of the first steps turning Kunming's lake into the fetid cess-pool it is today.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Remote temple on mountain top, site of religious gathering at the end of the New Year period.
This old caravan town on the Jinsha River is Yunnan's gateway to Tibet.
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.
Dali has its own Torch Festival related customs.
Best surviving station on the French-built Vietnam-Kunming railway.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Benzhu Worship (Fengyu) | 19 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship (Shaxi Area) | 23 Mar |
| Boluo Temple Fair | 24 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship | 24 Mar |
| Chicken Worship | 25 Mar |
| Sanduo Festival | 26 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship | 26 Mar |
| Houshan Ancestor Worship | 26 Mar |
| Migu Festival | 26 Mar |
| Cattle Festival | 26 Mar |
| Horse Cherry Blossom | 26 Mar |
| Snack Festival | 26 Mar |
Markets this Tuesday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Fuheng | 富恒 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Zhongsuo | 中所 |
| Fengyu | 风羽 |
| Liandong | 炼洞 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Guanping | 关平 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Baofeng | 宝丰乡 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Binju | 宾居 |
| Madeng | 马镫 |
| Shuijing | 水井 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| 果城村 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Mingjiu | 鸣鹫镇 |
| Wantang | 湾塘乡 |
| Caoba | 草坝镇 |
| Shalatuo | 沙拉托 |
| Dayangjie | 大羊街 |
| Zhemi | 者米拉祜族乡 |
| Panzihua | 攀枝花 |
| Tongchang | 铜厂 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |
| Nujiang | 怒江 |
|---|---|
| Gudeng | 古登 |
| Bingzhongluo | 丙中洛 |
| Lishadi | 利沙底乡 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Nuofu | 糯福 |
| Dashan | 大山乡 |
| Mengma | 孟马镇 |
| Fubang | 富邦乡 |
| Mujia | 木戛乡 |
| Ankang | 安康佤族乡 |
| Wendong | 文东佤族乡 |
| Wenggake | 翁嘎科镇 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Zhonglu | 中路 |