Black Well, White Gold
Heijing is a small town in the northern Chuxiong mountains. Salt once made Heijing one of Yunnan's richest towns. Now its architectural splendours are being rediscovered.
Early 20th century murals at Mangzhong Temple near Menglian
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.
Suona melodies in the Pingchuan area of Binchuan.
A history trading post on the upper reaches of the Yangzi.
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.
Dali's biggest religious festival at the end of the fourth lunar month.
Best surviving station on the French-built Vietnam-Kunming railway.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Good Friday | 03 Apr |
| Receiving Jingu | 03 Apr |
| Receiving Jingu | 04 Apr |
| Cold Food Feast | 04 Apr |
| Benzhu Festival | 05 Apr |
| Flower Picking Festival | 05 Apr |
| Easter | 05 Apr |
| Wrestling Competition | 05 Apr |
| Tomb Sweeping Day | 05 Apr |
| Fumin Cherry Picking | 05 Apr |
| Pingchuan Guanyin Birthday | 06 Apr |
| Dengchuan Guanyin Worship | 06 Apr |
Markets this Saturday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Zhoucheng | 州城 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Paiying | 排营 |
| Lijiao | 力角 |
| Shijing | 师井 |
| Diannan | 甸南 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Shuanglang | 双廊镇 |
| Jiangwei | 江尾镇 |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| 龙洞村 | |
| 西庄 | |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| 桥街 | |
| 寅街村 | |
| Changyi | 长邑村 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Jiuhe | 九河 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Xiaopingtian | 小平田 |
| Tengchong | 腾冲县 |
| Wama | 瓦马彝族白族乡 |
| Qujing | 曲靖市 |
|---|---|
| Daibu | 待补镇 |
| Fenghuang | 凤凰 |
| 干海子 | |
| Jiache | 驾车乡 |
| Laochang | 老厂乡 |
| Wuxing | 五星乡 |
| Xinjie | 新街回族乡 |
| Yangmeishan | 杨梅山 |