Into the Land of the Black Lisu
The Nujiang Canyon, on Yunnan's western frontier, was until the 1930s a blank area on the map that not even Chinese troops dared to enter. In 1905 two British explorers made the first foray into this land of the Black Lisu.
A Lahu minority Christian service in a hill village near Menglian.
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.
Reconstructed Qing Wenmiao, in a nice park setting.
Jim Goodman: The Akha: Guardians of the Forest
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.
Cantilevered wooden bridge.
Yunnan's only Shui-Township with stunning karst scenery.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Dharmic Assembly | 11 Nov |
| Benzhu Festival | 12 Nov |
| Temple Fair | 12 Nov |
| Benzhu Worship | 12 Nov |
| Open Door Festival | 12 Nov |
| Dongshan Tuzhu Temple Fair | 13 Nov |
| Benzhu Festival | 15 Nov |
| Benzhu Festival | 16 Nov |
| Leonid Meteor Shower | 17 Nov |
| Dai New Year | 18 Nov |
| New Moon Ritual | 20 Nov |
| Slight Snow | 22 Nov |
Markets this Thursday
| Kunming | 昆明 |
|---|---|
| Jiulong | 九龙乡 |
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Nanxin | 南新 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Yangcen | 羊岑 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Maidi | 脉地 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Gudi | 古底 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Taiyi | 太邑彝族乡 |
| Daying | 大营 |
| Qiaohou | 乔后 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| 太和社区 | |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| 三胜 | |
| 鲁庄 | |
| Houshancun | 后山村 |
| Qiaodian | 乔甸镇 |
| Caifeng | 财丰 |
| Miaojie | 庙街镇 |
| Xishuangbanna | 西双版纳 |
|---|---|
| Xiding | 西定哈尼族乡 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Niujiaozhai | 牛角寨 |
| Dianwei | 甸尾乡 |
| Heping | 和平乡 |
| Sankeshu | 三棵树 |
| Dixibei | 地西北 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Baixian | 白显 |
| Niujie | 牛街镇 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Jiagetu | 价格土 |
| 岩瓦 |