The Red Soil of Dongchuan
The Wumeng Mountains' bright red soil, the buckwheat's yellow and Yunnan's dramatic skies make the region around Dongchuan a paradise for photographers.
The watermills in Fengqing's Gumo village operate just like a thousand years ago.
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.
Locally important temple.
The Danxia, or red sandstore, cliffs around Liming are a hikers' and climbers' paradise that is just now being discovered.
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 Bai village rich in cultural heritage.
Largest Miao village in the Kunming area with a large Christian community and a nationally-acclaimed church-choir.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Yangmei Festival | 01 May |
| Circling the Mountain | 24 May |
| Dongpo Fair | 24 May |
| Corban | 27 May |
| Temple Fair | 28 May |
| Walnut Valley Culture Festival | 28 May |
| Manlong Buckwheat Festival | 30 May |
| Full Moon Ritual | 31 May |
| Butterfly Spring Meeting | 31 May |
| Yongping Wenbi Pagoda Ceremony | 31 May |
| Benzhu Worship (Midu) | 31 May |
| Benzhu Worship | 31 May |
Markets this Tuesday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Fuheng | 富恒 |
| Zhongsuo | 中所 |
| Fengyu | 风羽 |
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Liandong | 炼洞 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Shuixie | 水泄 |
| Guanping | 关平 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Baofeng | 宝丰乡 |
| Madeng | 马镫 |
| Binju | 宾居 |
| Shuijing | 水井 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Gonglang | 公郎镇 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Junhuacun | 均华村 |
| 前所 | |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| 云南驿村 | |
| 西庄 | |
| Qinghaiying | 青海营 |
| 寅街村 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Shigu | 石鼓镇 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Wantang | 湾塘乡 |
| Caoba | 草坝镇 |
| Mingjiu | 鸣鹫镇 |
| Lvchun | 绿春县 |
| Majie | 马街 |
| Nanke | 南科 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Dayangjie | 大羊街 |
| Jinping | 金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县 |
| Mengqiao | 勐桥乡 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Manglong | 芒龙 |
| Lincang | 临沧 |
|---|---|
| Cangyuan | 沧源佤族自治县 |
| Quannei | 圈内 |
| Shuangjiang | 双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县 |
| Xinhua | 新华彝族苗族乡 |
| Zhenkang | 镇康县 |
| Junsai | 军赛乡 |
| Nujiang | 怒江 |
|---|---|
| Gudeng | 古登 |
| Bingzhongluo | 丙中洛 |
| Lishadi | 利沙底乡 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Shangjiang | 上江 |