Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


Guandu Old Town

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...



A Lahu minority Christian service in a hill village near Menglian.


John Israel: Lianda: A Chinese University in War and Revolution

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

Fei Hsiao-Tung and Chang Chih-I: Earthbound China: A Study of Rural Economy in Yunnan

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Fei is the father of modern sociology in China: western-trained, he came to Yunnan at the end of the 1930s when China's eastern universities relocated west. In "Earthbound China" he applied modern empirical techniques that he had pioneered around Shanghai to the Chinese hinterland. The economical development, and subsequent societal changes, of three un-named, but typical villages in Yunnan is analyzed in great detail in this fascinating study.


With its well-preserved architecture and tranquil atmosphere, Weishan's capital is Yunnan's most beautiful county town.

Markets this Tuesday

Kunming 昆明
Jijie 鸡街乡

Dali 大理
Fuheng 富恒
Liandong 炼洞
Yongping 永平县
Fengyu 风羽
Guanping 关平
Baofeng 宝丰乡
Madeng 马镫
Binju 宾居
Shuijing 水井
Huangping 黄平镇
Zuòyì 作邑
Dacang 大仓镇
Zhongjiang 中江
Deju 德苴乡
三鹤
三胜
Houshancun 后山村
Caifeng 财丰
Hedian 禾甸镇
Miaojie 庙街镇
Jindunjiecun 金墩街村
Hongyan 红岩镇

Lijiang 丽江
Yongsheng 永胜县
Banqiao 板桥

Honghe 红河
Shengcun 生村
Caoba 草坝镇
Wantang 湾塘乡
Mingjiu 鸣鹫镇
Shalatuo 沙拉托
Shaochong 哨冲镇
Dayangjie 大羊街
Niujie 牛街镇
Tongchang 铜厂
Zhemi 者米拉祜族乡
Panzihua 攀枝花

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

Chuxiong 楚雄
Gaoqiao 高桥镇
Dalongkou 大龙口乡

Baoshan 保山市
Zhonghe 中和
Bawan 坝湾镇
Mangkuan 芒宽彝族傣族乡

Lincang 临沧
Menglai 勐来乡
Wumulong 乌木龙乡

Qujing 曲靖市
Baiwu 白雾
Daqiao 大桥乡
Leye 乐业镇
Malu 马路乡
Yema 野马林场
Yulu 雨碌乡
Zhichang 纸厂乡

Zhaotong 昭通
Linfeng 麟风
Shuitian 水田

Yuxi 玉溪
Yangjie 羊街乡
Mosha 漠沙镇
Xingmeng 兴蒙
Dianzhong 甸中
Hexi 河西

Nujiang 怒江
Gudeng 古登
Bingzhongluo 丙中洛
Lishadi 利沙底乡

Puer 普洱
Jiangcheng 江城哈尼族彝族自治县
Donghui 东回镇
Qushui 曲水乡
Menglian 孟连傣族拉祜族佤族自治县
Xuelin 雪林佤族乡
Mengsuo 勐梭镇

Diqing 迪庆
Kangpu 康普