Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


Xu Xiake 徐霞客 in Dali

Xu Xiake (1586 - 1641) was China's first travel blogger. During the third lunar month in 1639 he travelled through Dali and recorded his experiences in his diary, posthumously published as 徐霞客游记. Is it still possible to retrace Xu's steps on the Dali plain?




A small Yi group in Heqing County with distinctive dress.


Jim Goodman: Living in Shangrila: Tibetans and Mosuo in Northwest Yunnan

Cover Image
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.

Baofeng's Benzhu festival is classed as Dali-level intangible cultural heritage.



The Danxia, or red sandstore, cliffs around Liming are a hikers' and climbers' paradise that is just now being discovered.


Jim Goodman: Xishuangbanna: The Tropics of Yunnan

Cover Image
For most of its history Xishuangbanna existed as an autonomous state on the remote southern periphery of China, run by the same Dai family since the 12th century. Lying in the tropical zone, on the northern rim of Southeast Asia, with flora and fauna not only unlike the rest of China, but even unique in Yunnan province, it has had close ethnic and cultural relations with its neighbors in Myanmar, Thailand and Laos. The valleys are home to the Dai nationality, while several ethnic minorities inhabit the hills. Xishuangbanna: the Tropics of Yunnan narrates the history and development of the Dai people, their culture, society and religion, from ancient times through the period of incorporation into the Chinese state. It also covers the characteristics of the lifestyle, culture and celebrations of the peoples of the mountains, as well as the economic and political changes of recent times and their effects on both hill and plain.


An unspoilt Tibetan area along the Zhibaluo River.

Markets this Sunday

Kunming 昆明
Zhuanlong 转龙镇
Xundian 寻甸回族彝族自治县
Kedu 柯渡镇

Dali 大理
Jiuzhou 旧州
Sanying 三营
Yunlong 云龙县
Binchuan 宾川县
Beitou 北头
Liantie 炼铁
Lawu 拉乌
Jianchuan 剑川县
Shuanglang 双廊镇
Changxin 长新
Huangping 黄平镇
Zhongjiang 中江
Pingpo 平坡
Eryuan 洱源县
Beiya 北衙
Shalong 沙龙镇
青苗
Niujie 牛街彝族乡
Jindunjiecun 金墩街村
Xiazhuang 下庄镇
Minjian 民建乡
龙洞村
Longjie 龙街

Lijiang 丽江
Shunzhou 顺州
Hongyan 红岩

Xishuangbanna 西双版纳
Menghun 勐混
Mengman 勐满拉祜族哈尼族布朗族镇

Dehong 德宏
Kachang 卡场镇
Lianghe 梁河县

Honghe 红河
Pingbian 屏边苗族自治县
Diema 垤玛
Niujiaozhai 牛角寨
Mengla 勐拉
Mengzi 蒙自县
Liangdi 浪堤
Longwu 龙武镇
Wuwan 乌弯
Azhahe 阿扎河
Jiayin 甲寅
Daheigong 大黑公
Chake 岔科
Baohua 宝华
Yongning 永宁乡
Luoen 洛恩
Maandi 马鞍底
Laomeng 老勐

Wenshan 文山
Shadou 沙斗
Guangnan 广南县
Pingyuan 平远
Nijiao 腻脚彝族乡
Zhesang 者桑乡
Jijie 鸡街乡
Donggan 董干镇
Tienpeng 田蓬镇
Babao 八宝镇
Jiumo 旧莫乡

Chuxiong 楚雄
Dayao 大姚县
Nanhua 南华县
Shizhong 适中乡
Bailu 白路
Yaoan 姚安县
Guanglu 光路镇

Baoshan 保山市
Wafang 瓦房彝族白族乡
Mangbang 芒棒

Lincang 临沧
Yongde 永德县
Danjia 单甲乡
Fengqing 凤庆县
Lushi 鲁史
Mengdui 孟堆乡
Fuhe 复合

Qujing 曲靖市
Daibu 待补镇
Fenghuang 凤凰
干海子
Laochang 老厂乡
Sandao 三道
Wuxing 五星乡
Xinjie 新街回族乡

Zhaotong 昭通
Linfeng 麟风
Shuitian 水田
Menggu 蒙姑镇

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
Liuku 六库
Tongdian 通甸

Puer 普洱
Lancang 澜沧拉祜族自治县
Mangxin 芒信镇
Qiannuo 千糯