Protecting Erhai: The Seven Big Activities
When in April 2017 guesthouses and restaurants around western Yunnan's Erhai Lake were suddenly summarily ordered closed until further notice, big character slogans also began proclaiming: "Protecting Erhai: The Seven Big Activities" 保护洱海七大行动. The slogan suggests that the closure of tourist facilities is just one part of a wider campaign to clean up the Erhai environment.
Traditional Han teople in the market of Daqiao, Huize County
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.
Traditional Bai vernacular architecture with buildings to three sides and a screenwall.
Hometown of many Bai merchants, Xizhou boast some impressive architecture.
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.
Midu Folk song is a national level intangible cultural heritage.
Yunnan's only Shui-Township with stunning karst scenery.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Benzhu Worship | 24 Mar |
| Chicken Worship | 25 Mar |
| Yangbi Sword Ladder Festival | 26 Mar |
| Migu Festival | 26 Mar |
| Sanduo Festival | 26 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 26 Mar |
| Snack Festival | 26 Mar |
| Dragon and Tea Worship | 26 Mar |
| Houshan Ancestor Worship | 26 Mar |
| Cattle Festival | 26 Mar |
| Horse Cherry Blossom | 26 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship | 26 Mar |
Markets this Thursday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Nanxin | 南新 |
| Yangcen | 羊岑 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Haidong | 海东 |
| Maidi | 脉地 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Gudi | 古底 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Daying | 大营 |
| Taiyi | 太邑彝族乡 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Qiaohou | 乔后 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| Qiaodian | 乔甸镇 |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| Hongyan | 红岩镇 |
| 鲁庄 | |
| Junhuacun | 均华村 |
| 龙洞村 | |
| Hedian | 禾甸镇 |
| 太和社区 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Shigu | 石鼓镇 |
| Xishuangbanna | 西双版纳 |
|---|---|
| Xiding | 西定哈尼族乡 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Shuanglongying | 双龙营乡 |
| Lida | 里达镇 |
| Zhujie | 朱街镇 |
| Mugan | 木杆 |
| Zhulin | 珠琳镇 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Jiangcheng | 江城哈尼族彝族自治县 |
| Mangxin | 芒信镇 |
| Baozang | 宝藏乡 |
| Qiannuo | 千糯 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Shangjiang | 上江 |