Guandu Old Town
With the Bird and Flower Market and the Muslim Quarter fallen, little remains of 'Lao Kunming', the characterful old town of former times. Now it is all high-rises, wide avenues, chain-shops. Everywhere? No, a small part of Kunming is holding out...
In Huize, the old capital of copper in Yunnan, many splendid guildhalls survive.
Judith Shapiro: Mao's War Against Nature: Politics and the Environment in Revolutionary China
Even if Chinese civilization has developed more against than with nature, the Mao years were a particular exercise in environmental destruction. In one case-study Shapiro tells the story of the draining of the northern part of Dianchi Lake, one of the first steps turning Kunming's lake into the fetid cess-pool it is today.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Nuodeng is an ancient Bai salt producing village in Yunlong.
Unspoiled Weishan boast Yunnan's most beautiful county town, an important Taoist mountain and areas of strong Muslim and Yi tradition.
John Israel: Lianda: A Chinese University in War and Revolution
Everyone knows about the Mao's Long March, but a few years later another long march took place: that of Chinese students leaving their cushy campuses on the east coast, trekking all the way to Yunnan where their universities reformed as Lianda, the united university. Kunming, then a total backwater, became a hotbed for new ideas, not just scientific. We liked the section of east coast girls scampering around Mengzi in their latest fashion.
A fake festival that has become part of Dali's intangible cultural heritage.
Hometown of many Bai merchants, Xizhou boast some impressive architecture.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Pear Flower Festival | 17 Mar |
| Men's Festival | 17 Mar |
| Aluowuluo | 19 Mar |
| Women's Sun Festival | 19 Mar |
| New Moon Ritual | 19 Mar |
| Kaixinjie | 19 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship (Fengyu) | 19 Mar |
| Weibaoshan Pilgrimage | 19 Mar |
| Madeng Trade Fair | 19 Mar |
| Seniors' Honours | 20 Mar |
| Tuzhu Festival | 20 Mar |
| Dragon Worship | 20 Mar |
Markets this Friday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Xiangtu | 象图乡 |
| Hecun | 萂村 |
| Jiancao | 捡槽 |
| Gunipen | 沽泥盆 |
| Waxi | 瓦溪 |
| Fengyi | 凤仪 |
| Weishan | 巍山彝族回族自治县 |
| Pingchuan | 平川 |
| Wuxing | 五星 |
| Caicun | 才村 |
| Dali | 大理 |
| Wase | 挖色 |
| Yangbi | 漾濞彝族自治县 |
| Baidangping | 白荡坪 |
| Shaxi | 沙溪 |
| Zuòyì | 作邑 |
| Yousuo | 右所镇 |
| Dianzhong | 甸中 |
| 北桥 | |
| Jijie | 鸡街乡 |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| Wachang | 瓦厂乡 |
| Shidongcun | 石洞村 |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| Luming | 鹿鸣乡 |
| 龙洞村 | |
| 汤涧 | |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| 妙姑村 | |
| 田口 | |
| Xishan | 西山乡 |
| 大栗树 | |
| 果城村 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Xiaopingtian | 小平田 |
| Wama | 瓦马彝族白族乡 |
| Tengchong | 腾冲县 |
| Yuxi | 玉溪 |
|---|---|
| Fuliangpeng | 富良棚 |