Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


Xu Xiake 徐霞客 in Dali

Xu Xiake (1586 - 1641) was China's first travel blogger. During the third lunar month in 1639 he travelled through Dali and recorded his experiences in his diary, posthumously published as 徐霞客游记. Is it still possible to retrace Xu's steps on the Dali plain?




Early 20th century murals at Mangzhong Temple near Menglian


Jim Goodman: Children of the Jade Dragon: the Naxi of Lijiang and their mountain neighbours the Yi

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In the first half of the 1990s Lijiang had barely made its appearance on the Chinese tourism stage, even less so the then remote mountains of Ningland and Lugu Lake. Jim Goodman's account of the Naxi and the Yi draws back to a time where not everything was staged for mass tourism: an account of a lost world.


A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.

Brenda McLean: George Forrest, Plant Hunter

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George Forrest, perhaps the most successful plant collector of his time, left little written about his numerous journeys to Yunnan, so this well-illustrated book fills in much needed detail about his life.


A specific theatre performance style in Dali.



Unspoiled Weishan boast Yunnan's most beautiful county town, an important Taoist mountain and areas of strong Muslim and Yi tradition.

Markets this Sunday

Kunming 昆明
Zhuanlong 转龙镇
Xundian 寻甸回族彝族自治县
Tuanjie 团结
Kedu 柯渡镇

Dali 大理
Jiuzhou 旧州
Sanying 三营
Wanqiao 湾桥
Xintun 辛屯
Yunlong 云龙县
Songgui 松桂
Binchuan 宾川县
Beitou 北头
Liantie 炼铁
Lawu 拉乌
Shuanglang 双廊镇
Changxin 长新
Jianchuan 剑川县
Huangping 黄平镇
Eryuan 洱源县
Pingpo 平坡
Xiazhuang 下庄镇
Minjian 民建乡
Shalong 沙龙镇
青苗
龙洞村
Longjie 龙街
Niujie 牛街彝族乡

Lijiang 丽江
Shigu 石鼓镇
Hongyan 红岩

Xishuangbanna 西双版纳
Menghun 勐混
Mengman 勐满拉祜族哈尼族布朗族镇

Honghe 红河
Pingbian 屏边苗族自治县
Niujiaozhai 牛角寨
Mengla 勐拉
Diema 垤玛
Mengzi 蒙自县
Jiayin 甲寅
Azhahe 阿扎河
Liangdi 浪堤
Chake 岔科
Baohua 宝华
Yongning 永宁乡
Luoen 洛恩
Laomeng 老勐
Maandi 马鞍底

Wenshan 文山
Guangnan 广南县
Shadou 沙斗
Pingyuan 平远
Nijiao 腻脚彝族乡
Zhesang 者桑乡
Jijie 鸡街乡
Donggan 董干镇
Babao 八宝镇
Tienpeng 田蓬镇
Jiumo 旧莫乡

Chuxiong 楚雄
Xiaoju 小苴
Nanhua 南华县
Dayao 大姚县
Shizhong 适中乡
Bailu 白路
Yaoan 姚安县
Guanglu 光路镇

Baoshan 保山市
Xinzhai 新寨
Hehua 荷花傣族佤族乡

Lincang 临沧
Fengqing 凤庆县
Lushi 鲁史
Mengding 孟定
Nanmei 南美拉祜族乡
Banhong 班洪乡

Qujing 曲靖市
Daibu 待补镇
Fenghuang 凤凰
干海子
Laochang 老厂乡
Sandao 三道
Wuxing 五星乡
Xinjie 新街回族乡
Yangmeishan 杨梅山

Zhaotong 昭通
Shikan 石坎
Jiucheng 旧城
Weixin 威信
Changan 长安
Menggu 蒙姑镇

Yuxi 玉溪
Chahe 岔河
Dalongtan 大龙潭

Nujiang 怒江
Liuku 六库
Tongdian 通甸

Puer 普洱
Nanling 南岭乡
Lancang 澜沧拉祜族自治县
Nuofu 糯福
Dashan 大山乡
Jiahe 嘉禾乡
Mengma 孟马镇