Marco Polo in Yunnan?
Did the great Venetian traveller reach Yunnan? Almost certainly not, but still his accounts are the first words Europeans heard about this far-away region.
The firing of self-made rockets is one of the fun parts of the Dai Watersplashing Festival 泼水节.
C. Patterson Giersch: Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier
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.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Large golden pagoda in Menglian town
This old caravan town on the Jinsha River is Yunnan's gateway to Tibet.
Liao Yiwu: God is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China
Liao Yiwu, one of China's most prominent dissidents, was driven out of China, but not before he used a period of internal exile to research Christian groups, mainly in Yunnan. In this book he tells the stories of the Christians of Dali and of Wuding county.
Historic Building of the Pacification Commission in Menglian
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Moerduo Temple Fair | 22 Aug |
| Bullfighting | 28 Aug |
| Men's Festival | 29 Aug |
| Benzhu Worship | 29 Aug |
| Benzhu Worship | 30 Aug |
| Walnut Festival | 01 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship | 02 Sep |
| Caishen Birthday | 03 Sep |
| Songgui Temple Fair | 03 Sep |
| Lanterns on the Lake | 03 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship | 03 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship | 04 Sep |
Markets this Sunday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Jiuzhou | 旧州 |
| Sanying | 三营 |
| Wanqiao | 湾桥 |
| Shuixie | 水泄 |
| Weishan | 巍山彝族回族自治县 |
| Fengyi | 凤仪 |
| Yunlong | 云龙县 |
| Wase | 挖色 |
| Binchuan | 宾川县 |
| Beitou | 北头 |
| Liantie | 炼铁 |
| Lawu | 拉乌 |
| Changxin | 长新 |
| Jianchuan | 剑川县 |
| Gonglang | 公郎镇 |
| Dianzhong | 甸中 |
| Pingpo | 平坡 |
| Eryuan | 洱源县 |
| 北桥 | |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| 西庄 | |
| Minjian | 民建乡 |
| 云南驿村 | |
| Shidongcun | 石洞村 |
| Luming | 鹿鸣乡 |
| 青苗 | |
| 寅街村 | |
| Niujie | 牛街彝族乡 |
| 妙姑村 | |
| 前所 | |
| 田口 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Hongyan | 红岩 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Pingbian | 屏边苗族自治县 |
| Diema | 垤玛 |
| Mengzi | 蒙自县 |
| Lvchun | 绿春县 |
| Majie | 马街 |
| Liangdi | 浪堤 |
| Chake | 岔科 |
| Jiayin | 甲寅 |
| Azhahe | 阿扎河 |
| Nanke | 南科 |
| Baohua | 宝华 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Luoen | 洛恩 |
| Jinping | 金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县 |
| Yongning | 永宁乡 |
| Mengqiao | 勐桥乡 |
| Laomeng | 老勐 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Pingzhai | 平寨乡 |
| Guangnan | 广南县 |
| Pingyuan | 平远 |
| Zhesang | 者桑乡 |
| Muyang | 木央镇 |
| Banggu | 蚌谷乡 |
| Babao | 八宝镇 |
| Nanping (Majie) | 南屏镇 (马街） |
| Yuxi | 玉溪 |
|---|---|
| Fuliangpeng | 富良棚 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Lancang | 澜沧拉祜族自治县 |
| Nanling | 南岭乡 |
| Donghui | 东回镇 |
| Menglian | 孟连傣族拉祜族佤族自治县 |
| Minle | 民乐 |
| Xuelin | 雪林佤族乡 |
| Kangping | 康平乡 |
| Dehua | 德化镇 |
| Mengsuo | 勐梭镇 |
| Puyi | 普义乡 |
| Liming | 黎明乡 |
| 把边 |