Kiss of Life for an Old Caravan Market
Until the middle of last century, Shaxi was a flourishing village on the caravan road to Tibet. The following decades made it a place that history forgot. Now Shaxi is undergoing an award-winning restoration.
Hand-made giant sparklers, called "Fire Flowers" 火花, are part of the firework displays for temple fairs in Menglian county.
Fei Hsiao-Tung and Chang Chih-I: Earthbound China: A Study of Rural Economy in Yunnan
Fei is the father of modern sociology in China: western-trained, he came to Yunnan at the end of the 1930s when China's eastern universities relocated west. In "Earthbound China" he applied modern empirical techniques that he had pioneered around Shanghai to the Chinese hinterland. The economical development, and subsequent societal changes, of three un-named, but typical villages in Yunnan is analyzed in great detail in this fascinating study.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Yunnan's best preserved historic town.
Fog swirling on a cold winter morning over endless rice-terraces, the red of the
early morning sun reflected in the flooded paddies: this is the classic view of the
Hani Rice Terraces of Yuanyang, now of UNESCO World Heritage status.
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.
One of the biggest Bai festivals.
Largest Miao village in the Kunming area with a large Christian community and a nationally-acclaimed church-choir.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Cold Dew | 08 Oct |
| Welcoming the Grandmother | 09 Oct |
| Welcoming the Grandmother | 10 Oct |
| Northern Dipper Ritual | 10 Oct |
| Temple Fair | 10 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship | 11 Oct |
| Benzhu Festival | 11 Oct |
| Gongguoqiao September Trade Fair | 12 Oct |
| Lajing Salt Road Culture Festival | 15 Oct |
| Flower Lantern | 15 Oct |
| Holy Crane Festival | 17 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship (Eryuan Area) | 17 Oct |
Markets this Friday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Xiangtu | 象图乡 |
| Hecun | 萂村 |
| Jiancao | 捡槽 |
| Gunipen | 沽泥盆 |
| Waxi | 瓦溪 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Pingchuan | 平川 |
| Wuxing | 五星 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Baidangping | 白荡坪 |
| Yangbi | 漾濞彝族自治县 |
| Shaxi | 沙溪 |
| Zuòyì | 作邑 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Yousuo | 右所镇 |
| Wachang | 瓦厂乡 |
| 寅街村 | |
| 汤涧 | |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| Xishan | 西山乡 |
| 西庄 | |
| 大栗树 | |
| Jijie | 鸡街乡 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Shigu | 石鼓镇 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinhua | 新华乡 |
| Lengdun | 冷墩 |
| Lengquan | 冷泉镇 |
| Dongshan | 东山镇 |
| Shitouzhai | 石头寨 |
| Sankeshu | 三棵树 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Dixibei | 地西北 |
| Baoxiu | 宝秀镇 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Xincheng | 新城乡 |