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 temple in Mangdao 芒岛, built in 1899, is one of few surviving examples of Dai Buddhist temples having survived the Cultural Revolution by being converted into grain storage.
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 number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
A Lahu Church
This old caravan town on the Jinsha River is Yunnan's gateway to Tibet.
Jim Goodman: Living in Shangrila: Tibetans and Mosuo in Northwest Yunnan
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.
Dali's dragon boat races were held on the day of the Torch Festival.
A spectacularly narrow canyon high above the Jinsha River.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Litang Horse Racing | 01 Aug |
| Red Rice Festival | 06 Aug |
| Yi Torch Festival | 06 Aug |
| Taliu Pancake Festival | 06 Aug |
| Lahu Torch Festival | 06 Aug |
| Torch Festival | 06 Aug |
| Tuanjie Torch Festival | 06 Aug |
| Benzhu Worship | 06 Aug |
| Mishi Festival | 06 Aug |
| Worship the Tree God | 07 Aug |
| Start of Autumn | 07 Aug |
| Zhoucheng Torch Festival | 07 Aug |
Markets this Friday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Xiangtu | 象图乡 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Hecun | 萂村 |
| Jiancao | 捡槽 |
| Gunipen | 沽泥盆 |
| Waxi | 瓦溪 |
| Pingchuan | 平川 |
| Qinghua | 清华 |
| Wuxing | 五星 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Yangbi | 漾濞彝族自治县 |
| Baidangping | 白荡坪 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Shaxi | 沙溪 |
| Yousuo | 右所镇 |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| Xishan | 西山乡 |
| 大栗树 | |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Qinghaiying | 青海营 |
| Beiya | 北衙 |
| Jijie | 鸡街乡 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Wachang | 瓦厂乡 |
| 果城村 | |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| 汤涧 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Shunzhou | 顺州 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinhua | 新华乡 |
| Nafa | 那发 |
| Lengdun | 冷墩 |
| Lengquan | 冷泉镇 |
| Dongshan | 东山镇 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Shitouzhai | 石头寨 |
| Jiache | 架车 |
| Zhongzhai | 中寨 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Xiaopingtian | 小平田 |
| Tengchong | 腾冲县 |
| Wama | 瓦马彝族白族乡 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |