Early Maps of Yunnan
The history of maps in Yunnan began more than a thousand years ago. But it was the Jesuits who revolutionised mapping in China, producing the first accurate maps of the provinces, including remote Yunnan.
The watermills in Fengqing's Gumo village operate just like a thousand years ago.
马健雄 (Ma Jianxiong): The Lahu Minority in Southwest China: A Response to Ethnic Marginalization on the Frontier
The Lahu, with a population of around 470,000, inhabit the mountainous country in Yunnan Province bordering on Burma, Laos and northern Thailand. Buddhists, with a long history of resistance to the Chinese Han majority, the Lahu are currently facing a serious collapse of their traditional social system, with the highest suicide rate in the world, large scale human trafficking of their women, alcoholism and poverty. This book, based on extensive original research including long-term anthropological research among the Lahu, provides an overview of the traditional way of life of the Lahu, their social system, culture and beliefs, and discusses the ways in which these are changing. It shows how the Lahu are especially vulnerable because of their lack of political representatives and a state educated elite which can engage with, and be part of, the government administrative system. The Lahu are one of many relatively small ethnic minorities in China – overall the book provides an example of how the Chinese government approaches these relatively small ethnic minorities.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
A Bai town famous for its typical Bai architecture.
Hometown of many Bai merchants, Xizhou boast some impressive architecture.
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.
Temple to some of the rulers after Nanzhao.
A spectacularly narrow canyon high above the Jinsha River.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Medicine Buddha Birthday | 13 Jun |
| New Moon Ritual | 15 Jun |
| Kuzhazha | 15 Jun |
| Benzhu Worship | 15 Jun |
| Mango Festival | 15 Jun |
| Kuzhazha | 15 Jun |
| Flower Festival | 17 Jun |
| Golden Horse Festival | 18 Jun |
| Flower Mountain | 19 Jun |
| Flower Market | 19 Jun |
| Dragon Boat Festival | 19 Jun |
| Gunu Temple Healing Walk | 19 Jun |
Markets this Saturday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Zhoucheng | 州城 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Shuixie | 水泄 |
| Lijiao | 力角 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Paiying | 排营 |
| Shijing | 师井 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Diannan | 甸南 |
| Yinqiao | 银桥 |
| Jiangwei | 江尾镇 |
| Gonglang | 公郎镇 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Caifeng | 财丰 |
| Miaojie | 庙街镇 |
| Changyi | 长邑村 |
| 云南驿村 | |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Houshancun | 后山村 |
| 三胜 | |
| 桥街 | |
| 前所 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Niujiaozhai | 牛角寨 |
| Xinansuo | 新安所镇 |
| Daheishan | 大黑山乡 |
| Leyu | 乐育 |
| Lvchun | 绿春县 |
| Majie | 马街 |
| Xinxian | 新现乡 |
| Nanke | 南科 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Jinping | 金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县 |
| Niujie | 牛街镇 |
| Mengqiao | 勐桥乡 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Xiaopingtian | 小平田 |
| Tengchong | 腾冲县 |
| Wama | 瓦马彝族白族乡 |