The Bai in Early Chinese Minority Film
After Liberation in 1949 Chinese cinema became a propaganda medium for the New China. The 1950 saw cinemas spreading to all towns, showing movies meant to increase the socialist spirit and fostering national unit. China's ethnic minorities often featured in these films before the Cultural Revolution. Only after its end played ethnic minority themes a role again. Here we look at films from before 2000 that feature the Bai minority.
The 1846 murals at Luose Temple 罗色庙 on the southern side of Yilong Lake 异龙湖 near Shiping 石屏 depict an Yi battle against the Ming army. (Photographed through a crack in the door)
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.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Raw pork skin, together with raw pork meat and sometimes even raw pork liver are traditional delicacies in Dali.
Jim Goodman: Living in Shangrila: Tibetans and Mosuo in Northwest Yunnan
Abstract: When Diqing Prefecture, opened its doors to foreign visitors in 1992, tourist agencies and government officials promoted Zhongdian County as the Shangrila of James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon. In 2001 the city officially changed its name to Shangrila. On a high plateau of over 3200 meters, surrounded by snow covered mountain peaks, inhabited mainly by relatively prosperous, friendly and contented Tibetans, with beautiful monasteries, lakes, forests and summer flowers, the county’s scenery and lifestyle certainly bore a strong resemblance to that in the novel. Living in Shangrila describes the life and environment of the Tibetan people throughout Diqing Prefecture. It also examines their neighbors the Mosuo, a branch of the Naxi nationality, who adopted Tibetan Buddhism as their religion, but are still mainly a matrilineal society, unique to Yunnan, living around Lugu Lake, the most picturesque body of water in the province. The book includes over 200 photographs.
Bai wedding customs.
Yunnan's only Shui-Township with stunning karst scenery.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Walnut Festival | 01 Sep |
| Across The Bridge Noodle Festival | 24 Sep |
| Fishpond Fair | 25 Sep |
| Fruit Festival | 26 Sep |
| Dacang Tuzhu Temple Fair | 26 Sep |
| Benzhu Festival | 26 Sep |
| Confucius Sacrifice | 28 Sep |
| Confucius Festival | 28 Sep |
| Baitan Temple Fair | 28 Sep |
| National Day | 01 Oct |
| Fenghuan Mountain Music Festival | 01 Oct |
| Baobo Festival | 02 Oct |
Markets this Sunday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Jiuzhou | 旧州 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Sanying | 三营 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Yunlong | 云龙县 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Beitou | 北头 |
| Liantie | 炼铁 |
| Binchuan | 宾川县 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Lawu | 拉乌 |
| Jianchuan | 剑川县 |
| Changxin | 长新 |
| Pingpo | 平坡 |
| Eryuan | 洱源县 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Minjian | 民建乡 |
| Beiya | 北衙 |
| 青苗 | |
| Niujie | 牛街彝族乡 |
| 寅街村 | |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| 西庄 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Pingbian | 屏边苗族自治县 |
| Diema | 垤玛 |
| Mengzi | 蒙自县 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Sancun | 三村 |
| Yafangzi | Yafangzi |
| Sankeshu | 三棵树 |
| Longwu | 龙武镇 |
| Liangdi | 浪堤 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Chake | 岔科 |
| Jiayin | 甲寅 |
| Azhahe | 阿扎河 |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Dixibei | 地西北 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Baohua | 宝华 |
| Luoen | 洛恩 |
| Yongning | 永宁乡 |
| Laomeng | 老勐 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Badaoshao | 八道哨乡 |
| Guangnan | 广南县 |
| Pingyuan | 平远 |
| Zhesang | 者桑乡 |
| Heizhiguo | 黑支果乡 |
| Dongma | 董马乡 |
| Babao | 八宝镇 |
| Xinzhai | 新寨乡 |
| Boai | 剥隘镇 |
| Qujing | 曲靖市 |
|---|---|
| Daba | 大坝 |
| Fenghuang | 凤凰 |
| 干海子 | |
| Jiache | 驾车乡 |
| Laochang | 老厂乡 |
| Sandao | 三道 |
| Wuxing | 五星乡 |
| Xinjie | 新街回族乡 |
| Yangmeishan | 杨梅山 |