Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


From Niujiaozhai to Yuanyang

Yuanyang county, south of the Red River in the province's southeast, is famous for its Hani rice-terraces. With its splendid vistas and ethnic mix it is also a great area for hiking. Here we describe a moderate day-hike starting at the market-town of Niujiaozhai, passing through Yi and Hani villages and ending with stunning sunset vistas over the rice-terraces of Longshuba.



In Huize, the old capital of copper in Yunnan, many splendid guildhalls survive.


Ronald G. Knapp: China's Old Dwellings

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Few people know as much about Chinese architecture as Knapp: from palaces to humble homes he explains important building principles; the connection between environment and housing styles and the development of style over time. A section on minority housing styles complements the book.


A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.

C. Patterson Giersch: Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier

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Yunnan was not always China: indeed not so long ago large parts of Yunnan were only nominally part of the empire. To make Yunnan, outside the main Han cities, a Chinese province required significant effort. Here Giersch's study on Yunnan's hinterland makes an interesting if academic read.


Historic village on the old Kunming-Dali road.

Markets this Saturday

Kunming 昆明
Fazhe 法者镇
Shilin 石林彝族自治县
Tuanjie 团结
Tangdan 汤丹镇

Dali 大理
Duomei 朵美
Zhoucheng 州城
Junhua 均化
Yongping 永平县
Paiying 排营
Lijiao 力角
Wanqiao 湾桥
Haidong 海东
Shijing 师井
Diannan 甸南
Liuhe 六合
Heqing 鹤庆县
Jiangwei 江尾镇
Hedian 禾甸镇
Changyi 长邑村
Xiazhuang 下庄镇
Deju 德苴乡
Shalong 沙龙镇
Hongyan 红岩镇
龙洞村
桥街

Lijiang 丽江
Jiuhe 九河

Honghe 红河
Shengcun 生村
Xinansuo 新安所镇
Leyu 乐育
Daheishan 大黑山乡
Xinxian 新现乡
Mengping 勐坪

Wenshan 文山
Matang 马塘镇
Zhujie 朱街镇
Shuanglongying 双龙营乡
Pingba 坪坝镇
Lida 里达镇
Mugan 木杆
Zhulin 珠琳镇

Chuxiong 楚雄
Wanyaoshu 弯腰树
Dahekou 大河口乡
Mixing 弥兴镇

Baoshan 保山市
Hehua 荷花傣族佤族乡
Xinzhai 新寨

Lincang 临沧
Mengding 孟定
Fengqing 凤庆县
Nanmei 南美拉祜族乡
Banhong 班洪乡

Qujing 曲靖市
Baiwu 白雾
Daqiao 大桥乡
Leye 乐业镇
Malu 马路乡
Zhehai 者海镇
Zhichang 纸厂乡

Zhaotong 昭通
Shuanghe 双河

Yuxi 玉溪
Chahe 岔河
Mosha 漠沙镇
Dalongtan 大龙潭

Nujiang 怒江
Hexi 河西
Puladi 普拉底乡
Aludi 阿路底
Laowo 老窝

Puer 普洱
Jiangcheng 江城哈尼族彝族自治县
Nuofu 糯福
Lancang 澜沧县
Dashan 大山乡
Mengma 孟马镇

Diqing 迪庆
Xiaoweixi 小维西
Zhonglu 中路
Kaifaqu 开发区