1875: Death of a British Diplomat
After Britain's 1852 annexation of lower Burma lucrative trade with China through its back-door seemed more than a distant possibility. But after a successful first mission up the Irrawaddy and into Yunnan in 1868, the second British mission six years later ended in tragedy.
Remnants of colour still show on the stone carvings at Shibaoshan, revealing that the Buddhist images were once brightly painted.
Jim Goodman: Living in Shangrila: Tibetans and Mosuo in Northwest Yunnan
Abstract: When Diqing Prefecture, opened its doors to foreign visitors in 1992, tourist agencies and government officials promoted Zhongdian County as the Shangrila of James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon. In 2001 the city officially changed its name to Shangrila. On a high plateau of over 3200 meters, surrounded by snow covered mountain peaks, inhabited mainly by relatively prosperous, friendly and contented Tibetans, with beautiful monasteries, lakes, forests and summer flowers, the county’s scenery and lifestyle certainly bore a strong resemblance to that in the novel. Living in Shangrila describes the life and environment of the Tibetan people throughout Diqing Prefecture. It also examines their neighbors the Mosuo, a branch of the Naxi nationality, who adopted Tibetan Buddhism as their religion, but are still mainly a matrilineal society, unique to Yunnan, living around Lugu Lake, the most picturesque body of water in the province. The book includes over 200 photographs.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Dali's dragon boat races were held on the day of the Torch Festival.
The turn of the Yangzi made Chinese civilization possible and was the location of many important battles.
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.
Large golden pagoda in Menglian town
Best surviving station on the French-built Vietnam-Kunming railway.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Benzhu Festival | 27 Jan |
| Long Table Feast | 27 Jan |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 27 Jan |
| Benzhu Worship | 01 Feb |
| Full Moon Ritual | 02 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 02 Feb |
| Start of Spring | 04 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 05 Feb |
| Temaoke | 06 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 10 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 16 Feb |
| Lunar New Year's Eve | 16 Feb |
Markets this Wednesday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Shunbi | 順濞 |
| Shaba | 沙坝 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Shuanglang | 双廊镇 |
| Zhongjiang | 中江 |
| Zhongying | 种英 |
| Shanglan | 上兰 |
| Zhouguanying | 周官营 |
| 龙街 | |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Qinghaiying | 青海营 |
| Jindunjiecun | 金墩街村 |
| 三胜 | |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| Houshancun | 后山村 |
| Shangcang | 上沧 |
| Caifeng | 财丰 |
| Gongguoqiao | 功果桥镇 |
| Miaojie | 庙街镇 |
| 三鹤 | |
| 顺荡 | |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| 龙洞村 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Zhicun | 芷村镇 |
| Mengla | 勐拉 |
| Niujiaozhai | 牛角寨 |
| Baiyun | 白云乡 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Yongning | 永宁乡 |
| Niujie | 牛街镇 |
| Tutai | 土台 |
| Maandi | 马鞍底 |
| Hongtian | 红田 |