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 temple in Mangdao 芒岛, built in 1899, is one of few surviving examples of Dai Buddhist temples having survived the Cultural Revolution by being converted into grain storage.
Judith Shapiro: Mao's War Against Nature: Politics and the Environment in Revolutionary China
Even if Chinese civilization has developed more against than with nature, the Mao years were a particular exercise in environmental destruction. In one case-study Shapiro tells the story of the draining of the northern part of Dianchi Lake, one of the first steps turning Kunming's lake into the fetid cess-pool it is today.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Benzhu is the native believe system of the Bai peole.
The Danxia, or red sandstore, cliffs around Liming are a hikers' and climbers' paradise that is just now being discovered.
Jim Goodman: The Terrace Builders: The Hani and their Neighbors in Yunnan's Ailao Mountains
Abstract: The rice terraces of the Ailao Mountains in southern Yunnan province, China, are some of the oldest terraced farms in Asia. First mentioned in Tang Dynasty records, these farms, 80% of which are irrigated, with water running through them all year round, have been in continuous use for over a thousand years. In 2013 UNESCO declared the heartland of this area a World Heritage Site. The Terrace Builders is a detailed account of how these farms are made and used, the cities and mountains of Honghe Prefecture and the far north of Vietnam, as well as the various ethnic minorities who live there. The book pays special attention to the Hani people, the largest ethnic group in the area, and includes summaries of the culture and clothing of their neighbors the Yi, Miao, Yao, Zhuang and Dai. The book includes 300 photos of the land and its people.
A fake festival that has become part of Dali's intangible cultural heritage.
Yunnan's only Shui-Township with stunning karst scenery.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Wild Mushroom Trade Fair | 20 Jul |
| Ongkor Festival | 23 Jul |
| Great Heat | 23 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship (Eryuan Area) | 25 Jul |
| Bai Yi New Year | 25 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 26 Jul |
| Qingyuan Cave Festival | 26 Jul |
| Nuodeng Dragon King Temple Fair | 26 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 27 Jul |
| Full Moon Ritual | 28 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 28 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 28 Jul |
Markets this Friday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Hecun | 萂村 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Xiangtu | 象图乡 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Jiancao | 捡槽 |
| Wanqiao | 湾桥 |
| Gunipen | 沽泥盆 |
| Waxi | 瓦溪 |
| Pingchuan | 平川 |
| Wuxing | 五星 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Yangbi | 漾濞彝族自治县 |
| Baidangping | 白荡坪 |
| Shaxi | 沙溪 |
| Yousuo | 右所镇 |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| 汤涧 | |
| 龙洞村 | |
| Xishan | 西山乡 |
| Hongyan | 红岩镇 |
| Hedian | 禾甸镇 |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| 大栗树 | |
| Jijie | 鸡街乡 |
| Wachang | 瓦厂乡 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Shengcun | 生村 |
| Xinhua | 新华乡 |
| Lengdun | 冷墩 |
| Lengquan | 冷泉镇 |
| Dongshan | 东山镇 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Shitouzhai | 石头寨 |
| Mengping | 勐坪 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Lida | 里达镇 |
| Zhujie | 朱街镇 |
| Shuanglongying | 双龙营乡 |
| Mugan | 木杆 |
| Zhulin | 珠琳镇 |
| Qujing | 曲靖市 |
|---|---|
| Fenghuang | 凤凰 |
| 干海子 | |
| Laochang | 老厂乡 |
| Wuxing | 五星乡 |
| Xinjie | 新街回族乡 |
| Yangmeishan | 杨梅山 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Jiangcheng | 江城哈尼族彝族自治县 |
| Mangxin | 芒信镇 |
| Qiannuo | 千糯 |
| Meizi | 梅子镇 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Zhonglu | 中路 |