On the Statelets between Nanzhao and the Dali Kingdom
After the demise of Nanzhao 南诏, the Buddhist kingdom that integrated the tribes of the Erhai region in the second half of the first millennium, local strongmen proclaimed a succession of short-lived statelets before Duan Siping 段思平 in 937 CE established the Dali Kingdom 大理国.
A Lahu minority Christian service in a hill village near Menglian.
Jim Goodman: Xishuangbanna: The Tropics of Yunnan
For most of its history Xishuangbanna existed as an autonomous state on the remote southern periphery of China, run by the same Dai family since the 12th century. Lying in the tropical zone, on the northern rim of Southeast Asia, with flora and fauna not only unlike the rest of China, but even unique in Yunnan province, it has had close ethnic and cultural relations with its neighbors in Myanmar, Thailand and Laos. The valleys are home to the Dai nationality, while several ethnic minorities inhabit the hills. Xishuangbanna: the Tropics of Yunnan narrates the history and development of the Dai people, their culture, society and religion, from ancient times through the period of incorporation into the Chinese state. It also covers the characteristics of the lifestyle, culture and celebrations of the peoples of the mountains, as well as the economic and political changes of recent times and their effects on both hill and plain.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Rushan is a dried cheese made from cow-milk.
马健雄 (Ma Jianxiong): The Lahu Minority in Southwest China: A Response to Ethnic Marginalization on the Frontier
The Lahu, with a population of around 470,000, inhabit the mountainous country in Yunnan Province bordering on Burma, Laos and northern Thailand. Buddhists, with a long history of resistance to the Chinese Han majority, the Lahu are currently facing a serious collapse of their traditional social system, with the highest suicide rate in the world, large scale human trafficking of their women, alcoholism and poverty. This book, based on extensive original research including long-term anthropological research among the Lahu, provides an overview of the traditional way of life of the Lahu, their social system, culture and beliefs, and discusses the ways in which these are changing. It shows how the Lahu are especially vulnerable because of their lack of political representatives and a state educated elite which can engage with, and be part of, the government administrative system. The Lahu are one of many relatively small ethnic minorities in China – overall the book provides an example of how the Chinese government approaches these relatively small ethnic minorities.
Cantilevered wooden bridge.
An unspoilt Tibetan area along the Zhibaluo River.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Mother Earth | 07 Dec |
| Geminid Meteor Shower | 13 Dec |
| Muli Temple Fair | 14 Dec |
| Tsongkhapa Festival | 14 Dec |
| Alu Festival | 15 Dec |
| New Moon Ritual | 20 Dec |
| Kuoshi | 20 Dec |
| Winter Solstice | 21 Dec |
| Hat Festival | 22 Dec |
| Christmas | 25 Dec |
| Festival of Lights | 26 Dec |
| Kuoshi Lisu New Year | 27 Dec |
Markets this Saturday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Zhoucheng | 州城 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Paiying | 排营 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Lijiao | 力角 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Shijing | 师井 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Diannan | 甸南 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Jiangwei | 江尾镇 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| 三胜 | |
| Houshancun | 后山村 |
| Caifeng | 财丰 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| 西庄 | |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| Miaojie | 庙街镇 |
| Changyi | 长邑村 |
| 寅街村 | |
| 桥街 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinansuo | 新安所镇 |
| Daheishan | 大黑山乡 |
| Leyu | 乐育 |
| Sankeshu | 三棵树 |
| Xinxian | 新现乡 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Dixibei | 地西北 |
| Niujie | 牛街镇 |