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...
Early 20th century murals at Mangzhong Temple near Menglian
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.
Local Dali opera form.
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 well-preserved Bai merchant town with perhaps the best examples of Bai traditional architecture.
Best surviving station on the French-built Vietnam-Kunming railway.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Sangkan Festival | 09 Apr |
| Wooden Drum Festival | 10 Apr |
| Benzhu Worship | 11 Apr |
| Holy Fish Festival | 11 Apr |
| Waterflower Festival | 12 Apr |
| Benzhu Worship | 12 Apr |
| Water Splashing Festival | 12 Apr |
| Watersplashing Festival | 13 Apr |
| Watersplashing Festival | 13 Apr |
| Watersplashing Festival | 13 Apr |
| Shankang Tea Ancestor Festival | 14 Apr |
| Water Splashing Festival | 15 Apr |
Markets this Sunday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Jiuzhou | 旧州 |
| Sanying | 三营 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Yunlong | 云龙县 |
| Beitou | 北头 |
| Liantie | 炼铁 |
| Binchuan | 宾川县 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Lawu | 拉乌 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Changxin | 长新 |
| Jianchuan | 剑川县 |
| Zhongjiang | 中江 |
| Eryuan | 洱源县 |
| Pingpo | 平坡 |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| 青苗 | |
| 西庄 | |
| Qinghaiying | 青海营 |
| Niujie | 牛街彝族乡 |
| 寅街村 | |
| Jindunjiecun | 金墩街村 |
| Beiya | 北衙 |
| Minjian | 民建乡 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Pingbian | 屏边苗族自治县 |
| Diema | 垤玛 |
| Mengzi | 蒙自县 |
| Jiayin | 甲寅 |
| Azhahe | 阿扎河 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Liangdi | 浪堤 |
| Sankeshu | 三棵树 |
| Chake | 岔科 |
| Dixibei | 地西北 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Baohua | 宝华 |
| Luoen | 洛恩 |
| Yongning | 永宁乡 |
| Laomeng | 老勐 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Guangnan | 广南县 |
| Badaoshao | 八道哨乡 |
| Banlun | 板仑乡 |
| Pingyuan | 平远 |
| Heizhiguo | 黑支果乡 |
| Zhesang | 者桑乡 |
| Boai | 剥隘镇 |
| Dongma | 董马乡 |
| Babao | 八宝镇 |
| Xinzhai | 新寨乡 |