Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


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.



Hidden in the forests above Shangyun 上允 are the ruins of a Buddhist temple fortress founded during the Qing Dynasty by separatist monks from Jizushan who built a significant religious following by the local Lahu and Dai people.


Judith Shapiro: Mao's War Against Nature: Politics and the Environment in Revolutionary China

Cover Image
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.

Largest Miao village in the Kunming area with a large Christian community and a nationally-acclaimed church-choir.


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

Cover Image
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.


The Danxia, or red sandstore, cliffs around Liming are a hikers' and climbers' paradise that is just now being discovered.

Markets this Tuesday

Kunming 昆明
Jiulong 九龙乡

Dali 大理
Fuheng 富恒
Zhongsuo 中所
Liandong 炼洞
Yongping 永平县
Fengyu 风羽
Longjie 龙街
Fengyi 凤仪
Guanping 关平
Wase 挖色
Longjie 龙街
Yongjian 永连
Baofeng 宝丰乡
Yinqiao 银桥
Madeng 马镫
Binju 宾居
Shuijing 水井
Dacang 大仓镇
Huangping 黄平镇
Zhongjiang 中江
西庄
蛇街
Shidongcun 石洞村
Luming 鹿鸣乡
Puping 普淜镇
妙姑村
寅街村
Deju 德苴乡
Midian 米甸镇
Qinghaiying 青海营
Jindunjiecun 金墩街村

Lijiang 丽江
Judian 巨甸镇

Honghe 红河
Mingjiu 鸣鹫镇
Wantang 湾塘乡
Caoba 草坝镇
Sankeshu 三棵树
Dixibei 地西北
Dayangjie 大羊街
Xinjie 新街

Wenshan 文山
Badaoshao 八道哨乡
Jiayi 稼依镇
Banlun 板仑乡
Heizhiguo 黑支果乡
Dongma 董马乡
Boai 剥隘镇
Xinzhai 新寨乡

Chuxiong 楚雄
Gaoqiao 高桥镇
Xiaoju 小苴
Dalongkou 大龙口乡

Baoshan 保山市
Hehua 荷花傣族佤族乡
Xinzhai 新寨

Lincang 临沧
Guoda 郭大彝族白族乡
Mengding 孟定
Yalian 亚练乡
Nanmei 南美拉祜族乡
Banhong 班洪乡

Qujing 曲靖市
Daba 大坝
Dahai 大海乡
Huohong 火红乡
Jiache 驾车乡
Nagu 娜姑镇
Xitu 西土
迤车

Zhaotong 昭通
Shuitian 水田
Linfeng 麟风

Yuxi 玉溪
Mosha 漠沙镇
Xingmeng 兴蒙
Fuliangpeng 富良棚
Hexi 河西

Nujiang 怒江
Gudeng 古登
Bingzhongluo 丙中洛
Lishadi 利沙底乡
Fugong 福贡

Puer 普洱
Nuofu 糯福
Dashan 大山乡
Mengma 孟马镇
Meizi 梅子镇
Wenggake 翁嘎科镇

Diqing 迪庆
Weideng 维登
岩瓦