Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


The Dengchuan Plain 邓川坝子

The Dengchuan Plain 邓川坝子

The Dengchuan Plain 邓川坝子, north of Dali's Erhai Lake 洱海, has with West Lake 西湖 and the Miju River corridor 弥苴河 some beautiful, if hardly known, scenic areas. It's natural scenery, however, is man-made, the result of more than a thousand years of cultivation and water-management projects that have transformed a swamp and marshland into the current cultural environment.




The watermills in Fengqing's Gumo village operate just like a thousand years ago.


John Israel: Lianda: A Chinese University in War and Revolution

Cover Image
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.

John Israel: Lianda: A Chinese University in War and Revolution

Cover Image
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.


Fog swirling on a cold winter morning over endless rice-terraces, the red of the early morning sun reflected in the flooded paddies: this is the classic view of the Hani Rice Terraces of Yuanyang, now of UNESCO World Heritage status.

Markets this Saturday

Kunming 昆明
Fazhe 法者镇
Shilin 石林彝族自治县
Tangdan 汤丹镇
Kedu 柯渡镇

Dali 大理
Zhoucheng 州城
Yongping 永平县
Shanyang 衫阳
Paiying 排营
Lijiao 力角
Xintun 辛屯
Songgui 松桂
Shijing 师井
Diannan 甸南
Shuanglang 双廊镇
Caojian 漕间
Jiangwei 江尾镇
Huangping 黄平镇
Longjie 龙街
桥街
龙洞村
Junhuacun 均华村
Deju 德苴乡
Changyi 长邑村
Shalong 沙龙镇
Qinghaiying 青海营
Xiazhuang 下庄镇

Lijiang 丽江
Shigu 石鼓镇
Jiuhe 九河

Dehong 德宏
Husa 户撒乡
Nangsong 曩宋阿昌族乡

Honghe 红河
Mengla 勐拉
Niujiaozhai 牛角寨
Xinansuo 新安所镇
Daheishan 大黑山乡
Leyu 乐育
Xinxian 新现乡
Maandi 马鞍底

Wenshan 文山
Pingba 坪坝镇
Shadou 沙斗
Matang 马塘镇
Banlun 板仑乡
Nijiao 腻脚彝族乡
Jijie 鸡街乡
Donggan 董干镇
Tienpeng 田蓬镇
Jiumo 旧莫乡

Chuxiong 楚雄
Shizhong 适中乡
Wanyaoshu 弯腰树
Dahekou 大河口乡

Baoshan 保山市
Manglong 芒龙

Lincang 临沧
Cangyuan 沧源佤族自治县
Lushi 鲁史
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

Qujing 曲靖市
Daibu 待补镇
Kuangshan 矿山镇
Xitu 西土

Zhaotong 昭通
Shikan 石坎
Jiucheng 旧城
Weixin 威信
Changan 长安

Yuxi 玉溪
Mosha 漠沙镇
Tadian 塔甸
Jiasa 戛洒镇

Nujiang 怒江
Hexi 河西
Puladi 普拉底乡
Laowo 老窝
Aludi 阿路底

Puer 普洱
Lancang 澜沧县
Baozang 宝藏乡
Fuyan 富岩

Diqing 迪庆
Shangjiang 上江
Xiaoweixi 小维西
Kaifaqu 开发区