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.
Hand-made giant sparklers, called "Fire Flowers" 火花, are part of the firework displays for temple fairs in Menglian county.
C. Patterson Giersch: Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier
Yunnan was not always China: indeed not so long ago large parts of Yunnan were only nominally part of the empire. To make Yunnan, outside the main Han cities, a Chinese province required significant effort. Here Giersch's study on Yunnan's hinterland makes an interesting if academic read.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Yi embroidery.
Liao Yiwu: God is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China
Liao Yiwu, one of China's most prominent dissidents, was driven out of China, but not before he used a period of internal exile to research Christian groups, mainly in Yunnan. In this book he tells the stories of the Christians of Dali and of Wuding county.
Local Dali opera form.
The Danxia, or red sandstore, cliffs around Liming are a hikers' and climbers' paradise that is just now being discovered.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Dharmic Assembly | 31 Oct |
| Sea of Blood Temple Fair | 07 Nov |
| Start of Winter | 07 Nov |
| New Moon Ritual | 09 Nov |
| Single's Day | 11 Nov |
| Yi New Year | 12 Nov |
| Hani New Year | 14 Nov |
| Mother Earth Worship | 16 Nov |
| Meige Festival | 16 Nov |
| Leonid Meteor Shower | 17 Nov |
| Dai New Year | 18 Nov |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 21 Nov |
Markets this Saturday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Zhoucheng | 州城 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Lijiao | 力角 |
| Paiying | 排营 |
| Shijing | 师井 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Diannan | 甸南 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Jiangwei | 江尾镇 |
| Zuòyì | 作邑 |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| 果城村 | |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Beiya | 北衙 |
| Changyi | 长邑村 |
| 桥街 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinansuo | 新安所镇 |
| Daheishan | 大黑山乡 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Leyu | 乐育 |
| Yafangzi | Yafangzi |
| Shalatuo | 沙拉托 |
| Xinxian | 新现乡 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Tongchang | 铜厂 |
| Zhemi | 者米拉祜族乡 |
| Panzihua | 攀枝花 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Manglong | 芒龙 |
| Lincang | 临沧 |
|---|---|
| Cangyuan | 沧源佤族自治县 |
| Wumulong | 乌木龙乡 |
| Quannei | 圈内 |
| Shuangjiang | 双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县 |
| Junsai | 军赛乡 |
| Zhenkang | 镇康县 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |