Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


The Old Salt Roads in Yunnan

The Old Salt Roads in Yunnan

The Tea Horse Road 茶马古道 into Tibet has become a romantic moniker for Yunnan, but economically more important were the old salt roads. 




Some Bai from Heqing county 鹤庆县 at a festival near Liuhe 六合


Jim Goodman: Living in Shangrila: Tibetans and Mosuo in Northwest Yunnan

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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.


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

Midu Folk song is a national level intangible cultural heritage.



The turn of the Yangzi made Chinese civilization possible and was the location of many important battles.


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

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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 town famous for its typical Bai architecture.



The old border crossing to Guizhou.

Markets this Friday

Kunming 昆明
Jinsuo 金所乡

Dali 大理
Xiangtu 象图乡
Hecun 萂村
Jiancao 捡槽
Gunipen 沽泥盆
Waxi 瓦溪
Shuixie 水泄
Fengyi 凤仪
Weishan 巍山彝族回族自治县
Pingchuan 平川
Wuxing 五星
Wase 挖色
Yangbi 漾濞彝族自治县
Baidangping 白荡坪
Zuòyì 作邑
Shaxi 沙溪
Gonglang 公郎镇
Yousuo 右所镇
Dianzhong 甸中
妙姑村
Luming 鹿鸣乡
田口
Wachang 瓦厂乡
北桥
汤涧
Shidongcun 石洞村
Xishan 西山乡
西庄
云南驿村
大栗树
Midian 米甸镇
寅街村
前所
Jijie 鸡街乡

Honghe 红河
Xinhua 新华乡
Lengquan 冷泉镇
Lengdun 冷墩
Dongshan 东山镇
Lvchun 绿春县
Majie 马街
Shitouzhai 石头寨
Nanke 南科
Xinjie 新街
Jinping 金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县
Mengqiao 勐桥乡

Wenshan 文山
Pingzhai 平寨乡
Muyang 木央镇
Banggu 蚌谷乡
Nanping (Majie) 南屏镇 (马街)

Chuxiong 楚雄
Dalongkou 大龙口乡
Qianchang 前场镇
Jiuchang 九厂
Guihua 桂花乡

Baoshan 保山市
Xinzhai 新寨
Hehua 荷花傣族佤族乡

Lincang 临沧
Mengding 孟定
Nanmei 南美拉祜族乡
Xinhua 新华彝族苗族乡
Banhong 班洪乡

Qujing 曲靖市
Baiwu 白雾
Daqiao 大桥乡
Jiache 驾车乡
Leye 乐业镇
Luna 鲁纳乡
Malu 马路乡
Shangcun 上村乡
Yulu 雨碌乡
Zhichang 纸厂乡

Yuxi 玉溪
Fuliangpeng 富良棚

Nujiang 怒江
Chenggan 称杆
Daxingdi 大兴地乡
Zilijia 子里甲乡
Fugong 福贡

Puer 普洱
Nuofu 糯福
Mengma 孟马镇
Minle 民乐
Kangping 康平乡