Into the Land of the Black Lisu
The Nujiang Canyon, on Yunnan's western frontier, was until the 1930s a blank area on the map that not even Chinese troops dared to enter. In 1905 two British explorers made the first foray into this land of the Black Lisu.
The watermills in Fengqing's Gumo village operate just like a thousand years ago.
Jim Goodman: Children of the Jade Dragon: the Naxi of Lijiang and their mountain neighbours the Yi
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.
Small Benzhu shrine, used for rituals on the third day of Raosanling.
Hometown of many Bai merchants, Xizhou boast some impressive architecture.
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.
Baofeng's Benzhu festival is classed as Dali-level intangible cultural heritage.
This old caravan town on the Jinsha River is Yunnan's gateway to Tibet.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Slight Heat | 07 Jul |
| Mango Festival | 11 Jul |
| Zheng He Cultural Tourism Festival | 11 Jul |
| Zhoucheng Patron Saint Birthday | 12 Jul |
| South Gate Festival | 12 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 12 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 12 Jul |
| Danu Festival | 13 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 14 Jul |
| Southern Dipper Ritual | 14 Jul |
| Lizhi Festival | 16 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 18 Jul |
Markets this Wednesday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Shunbi | 順濞 |
| Shaba | 沙坝 |
| Qinghua | 清华 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Zhongying | 种英 |
| Zhongjiang | 中江 |
| Shanglan | 上兰 |
| Zhouguanying | 周官营 |
| Hedian | 禾甸镇 |
| 三鹤 | |
| Gongguoqiao | 功果桥镇 |
| 三胜 | |
| Shangcang | 上沧 |
| 顺荡 | |
| 龙街 | |
| Hongyan | 红岩镇 |
| Caifeng | 财丰 |
| Jindunjiecun | 金墩街村 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Miaojie | 庙街镇 |
| Houshancun | 后山村 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Zhicun | 芷村镇 |
| Shengcun | 生村 |
| Nafa | 那发 |
| Jiache | 架车 |
| Baiyun | 白云乡 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Zhongzhai | 中寨 |
| Yongning | 永宁乡 |
| Niujie | 牛街镇 |
| Tutai | 土台 |
| Hongtian | 红田 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Xiaopingtian | 小平田 |
| Tengchong | 腾冲县 |
| Wama | 瓦马彝族白族乡 |
| Qujing | 曲靖市 |
|---|---|
| Wopo | 窝坡 |
| 干海子 | |
| Kuangshan | 矿山镇 |
| Laochang | 老厂乡 |
| Sandao | 三道 |
| Wuxing | 五星乡 |
| Xinjie | 新街回族乡 |
| Yangmeishan | 杨梅山 |
| Yulu | 雨碌乡 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Jiangcheng | 江城哈尼族彝族自治县 |
| Qushui | 曲水乡 |
| Yongping | 永平镇 |
| Meng'a | 孟啊 |
| Mengxian | 勐先镇 |