A Republic Era Map of Dali
A Republic Era map shows the development of the Dali region over the last hundred years.
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.
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.
Sculpture making in the Dali region.
Best surviving station on the French-built Vietnam-Kunming railway.
John Israel: Lianda: A Chinese University in War and Revolution
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.
Dali has its own Torch Festival related customs.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Litang Horse Racing | 01 Aug |
| Gaofeng Torch Festival | 09 Aug |
| Mushroom Festival | 09 Aug |
| Benzhu Worship | 10 Aug |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 10 Aug |
| Perseid Meteor Shower | 12 Aug |
| Wumulong Torch Festival | 12 Aug |
| Baijie Festival | 13 Aug |
| Longkan Ghost Festival | 13 Aug |
| Ghost Month | 13 Aug |
| Yinongwu | 13 Aug |
| Camel Festival | 13 Aug |
Markets this Monday
| Kunming | 昆明 |
|---|---|
| Jiulong | 九龙乡 |
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Biaocun | 表村 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Weishan | 巍山彝族回族自治县 |
| Jizushan | 鸡足山 |
| Fengyi | 凤仪 |
| Wase | 挖色 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Yinqiao | 银桥 |
| Tuanjie | 团结 |
| Misha | 弥沙 |
| Baishi | 白石 |
| Shaping | 沙平村 |
| Dianzhong | 甸中 |
| 妙姑村 | |
| 田口 | |
| 寅街村 | |
| 北桥 | |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| Miaowei | 苗尾傈僳族乡 |
| Taiping | 太平乡 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Shidongcun | 石洞村 |
| Luming | 鹿鸣乡 |
| 西庄 |
| Yuxi | 玉溪 |
|---|---|
| Fuliangpeng | 富良棚 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Donghui | 东回镇 |
| Xuelin | 雪林佤族乡 |
| Menglian | 孟连傣族拉祜族佤族自治县 |
| Kangping | 康平乡 |
| Mengsuo | 勐梭镇 |
| Dehua | 德化镇 |
| Liming | 黎明乡 |
| 恩永 | |
| 把边 |