Learning Bai
Bai 白族话 is the language spoken by the Bai people 白族 in the Dali area. While Chinese has become the lingua franca, Bai is still actively spoken by many, particularly older people, but it does not have a native written form and comes in many dialects. Here we list the available resources for learning this difficult language.
Hand-made giant sparklers, called "Fire Flowers" 火花, are part of the firework displays for temple fairs in Menglian county.
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.
Scenic karst mountain and lake area with local Yi culture.
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.
Raw pork skin, together with raw pork meat and sometimes even raw pork liver are traditional delicacies in Dali.
This old caravan town on the Jinsha River is Yunnan's gateway to Tibet.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Northern Dipper Ritual | 10 Oct |
| Gongguoqiao September Trade Fair | 12 Oct |
| Flower Lantern | 15 Oct |
| Lajing Salt Road Culture Festival | 15 Oct |
| Holy Crane Festival | 17 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship (Eryuan Area) | 17 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship | 18 Oct |
| Achimugua | 18 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship (Fengyu Area) | 18 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship (Fengyi Area) | 18 Oct |
| Benzhu Worship (Eryuan Area) | 19 Oct |
| Street Festival | 19 Oct |
Markets this Saturday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Zhoucheng | 州城 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Haidong | 海东 |
| Shuixie | 水泄 |
| Lijiao | 力角 |
| Paiying | 排营 |
| Shijing | 师井 |
| Diannan | 甸南 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Jiangwei | 江尾镇 |
| Gonglang | 公郎镇 |
| 桥街 | |
| 前所 | |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| 西庄 | |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Changyi | 长邑村 |
| 云南驿村 | |
| 寅街村 | |
| Beiya | 北衙 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinansuo | 新安所镇 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Daheishan | 大黑山乡 |
| Leyu | 乐育 |
| Lvchun | 绿春县 |
| Majie | 马街 |
| Yafangzi | Yafangzi |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Xinxian | 新现乡 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Nanke | 南科 |
| Jinping | 金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县 |
| Mengqiao | 勐桥乡 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |