Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


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 watermills in Fengqing's Gumo village operate just like a thousand years ago.


Jim Goodman: Children of the Jade Dragon: the Naxi of Lijiang and their mountain neighbours the Yi

Cover Image
In the first half of the 1990s Lijiang had barely made its appearance on the Chinese tourism stage, even less so the then remote mountains of Ningland and Lugu Lake. Jim Goodman's account of the Naxi and the Yi draws back to a time where not everything was staged for mass tourism: an account of a lost world.


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

Jim Goodman: The Akha: Guardians of the Forest

Cover Image
The Akha, in China known as the Aini branch of the Hani people, migrated from China southwards into Laos, Burma and Thailand. In this richly illustrated book J Goodman, aka 'Akha Jim', explains their life and culture.


Extremely beautiful Wenchang Temple, created in part by national level Intangible Cultural Heritage transmitter Li Yunyi.



Once an important salt-mining town, now the second largest town along the Heihui River north of Yangbi.

Markets this Monday

Kunming 昆明
Jijie 鸡街乡

Dali 大理
Haidong 海东
Biaocun 表村
Jizushan 鸡足山
Tuanjie 团结
Misha 弥沙
Baishi 白石
Huangping 黄平镇
Shaping 沙平村
Zhongjiang 中江
Jindunjiecun 金墩街村
Taiping 太平乡
Hongyan 红岩镇
Beiya 北衙
Hedian 禾甸镇
Miaowei 苗尾傈僳族乡

Lijiang 丽江
Shunzhou 顺州

Honghe 红河
Shengcun 生村
Laozhai 老寨苗族乡
Shalatuo 沙拉托
Chemalong 车玛龙
Longwu 龙武镇
Puxiong 普雄
Tongchang 铜厂
Baihe 白河乡
Panzihua 攀枝花
Zhemi 者米拉祜族乡

Wenshan 文山
Tiechang 铁厂镇
Babu 八布乡
Zhuanjiao 篆角乡
Mulun 睦伦乡

Chuxiong 楚雄
Shizhong 适中乡
Chadian 插甸乡
Qianchang 前场镇

Baoshan 保山市
Hehua 荷花傣族佤族乡
Xinzhai 新寨

Lincang 临沧
Luodang 洛党
Mengding 孟定
Wumulong 乌木龙乡
Nanmei 南美拉祜族乡
Banhong 班洪乡

Qujing 曲靖市
Dahai 大海乡
Huohong 火红乡
Nagu 娜姑镇
Yema 野马林场
迤车

Zhaotong 昭通
Linfeng 麟风
Shuitian 水田

Yuxi 玉溪
Yani 亚尼
Yuanjiang 元江哈尼族彝族傣族自治县
Nanuo 那诺乡

Nujiang 怒江
Pengdang 捧当
Maji 马吉乡

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

Diqing 迪庆
Zili 梓里
Kaifaqu 开发区