古镇: Death-knell for Yunnan's Historic Towns
In China even the 'old towns' are new. Under the 古镇, or ancient town, moniker old towns are razed and their population driven out to make space for sanitized versions of Chinese history that drive the tourist dollar.
In Huize, the old capital of copper in Yunnan, many splendid guildhalls survive.
C. Patterson Giersch: Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier
Yunnan was not always China: indeed not so long ago large parts of Yunnan were only nominally part of the empire. To make Yunnan, outside the main Han cities, a Chinese province required significant effort. Here Giersch's study on Yunnan's hinterland makes an interesting if academic read.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Locally important temple.
Fog swirling on a cold winter morning over endless rice-terraces, the red of the
early morning sun reflected in the flooded paddies: this is the classic view of the
Hani Rice Terraces of Yuanyang, now of UNESCO World Heritage status.
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 well-preserved Bai merchant town with perhaps the best examples of Bai traditional architecture.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Miluoqimi Fair | 23 Feb |
| Emperor Day | 27 Feb |
| Receiving the Village Protector | 27 Feb |
| Receiving the Village Protector | 27 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship (Binchuan) | 28 Feb |
| Receiving the Village Protector | 28 Feb |
| Receiving the Village Protector | 28 Feb |
| Benzhu Festival | 28 Feb |
| Benzhu Festival | 28 Feb |
| Benzhu Festival | 28 Feb |
| Benzhu Festival | 28 Feb |
| Welcoming the Benzhu | 01 Mar |
Markets this Saturday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Zhoucheng | 州城 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Paiying | 排营 |
| Lijiao | 力角 |
| Shijing | 师井 |
| Diannan | 甸南 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Jiangwei | 江尾镇 |
| Zuòyì | 作邑 |
| Zhongjiang | 中江 |
| 三胜 | |
| Houshancun | 后山村 |
| 桥街 | |
| Caifeng | 财丰 |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| 果城村 | |
| Miaojie | 庙街镇 |
| Changyi | 长邑村 |
| Jindunjiecun | 金墩街村 |
| 三鹤 | |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinansuo | 新安所镇 |
| Daheishan | 大黑山乡 |
| Sancun | 三村 |
| Leyu | 乐育 |
| Shalatuo | 沙拉托 |
| Xinxian | 新现乡 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Niujie | 牛街镇 |
| Panzihua | 攀枝花 |
| Tongchang | 铜厂 |
| Zhemi | 者米拉祜族乡 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Xiaopingtian | 小平田 |
| Wama | 瓦马彝族白族乡 |
| Tengchong | 腾冲县 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Lancang | 澜沧县 |
| Fubang | 富邦乡 |
| Qushui | 曲水乡 |
| Yongping | 永平镇 |
| Mujia | 木戛乡 |
| Meng'a | 孟啊 |
| Ankang | 安康佤族乡 |
| Wendong | 文东佤族乡 |