Overview

YangAna Festival is a traditional festival celebrated by the Yiche (or Yi) ethnic people in Honghe County, which is part of the Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province, China. The Yiche are a subgroup of the larger Yi ethnic minority, which is one of the 56 officially recognized ethnic groups in China.

Features of the YangAna Festival:

• Cultural Significance: The festival is deeply rooted in the Yiche people’s cultural and spiritual life. It often includes rituals and activities that are meant to honor ancestors, pray for a good harvest, and promote community solidarity.

• Traditional Activities: During the festival, various traditional activities take place, including singing, dancing, and the playing of traditional musical instruments. The Yi people are known for their rich musical heritage, and the festival is an opportunity to showcase this aspect of their culture.

• Ethnic Cuisine: Food is an important part of the YangAna Festival, with the preparation and sharing of traditional dishes that are unique to the Yiche community. These communal meals are a way to strengthen social ties and enjoy the fruits of agricultural labor.

• Dress and Adornment: Participants often wear colorful traditional costumes, which are an important part of the Yiche identity. These costumes can include intricate embroidery, silver jewelry, and headdresses that are specific to their ethnic group.

• Timing and Celebration: The YangAna Festival is usually timed according to the lunar calendar and agricultural cycles. It may coincide with other Yi festivals or Chinese traditional festivals, depending on the year.

Travel Tips:

• Respect and Etiquette: If you’re visiting during the YangAna Festival, it’s important to be respectful of local customs and traditions. Observing the festivities without interfering is the best approach.

• Local Guidance: Engaging a local guide who understands the Yiche culture can greatly enhance the experience. They can provide explanations of the rituals and customs, and help with communication.

• Photography: Always ask for permission before taking photographs, especially during intimate or sacred moments of the festival.

• Accommodations: Since Honghe County is not as widely known as other tourist destinations, it’s advisable to arrange accommodations in advance, especially during festival times when there might be more visitors.

• Transportation: Public transportation in Yunnan can be less frequent in rural areas, so plan your travel to Honghe County accordingly. It might be necessary to hire a private car or join a tour to reach more remote villages where the festival is celebrated.

When and Where:

The exact date of the YangAna Festival can vary from year to year and from village to village within Honghe County. It is typically based on the lunar calendar and local customs. To attend the festival, it is best to check with local tourism authorities or cultural organizations for the current year’s schedule and specific location details.

Experiencing the YangAna Festival is a unique opportunity to witness the living traditions of the Yiche people and gain insight into the rich tapestry of ethnic minority cultures in Yunnan.

The news was updated on October 30, 2019.

Over 120 years ago in 1892, Alfred Liétard, a humble missionary from France travelled to the Binchuan county of Dali in today’s northwest Yunnan province. He carried some coffee seeds himself and planted them near a small mountainous village he passed by. Now, after several generations, Yunnan has grown to be the largest coffee producer across China, with totally 1.8 million mu (equal to 120,000 hectares) of coffee gardens and 400,000 tons of annual output. Major producing areas include Pu’er, Baoshan, Dehong, Lincang and Xishuangbanna. Thanks to the boom of coffee industry and its associated agro-tourism and agritainment business, local developments of these areas have been notably accelerated; coffee enterprises with national and international reputations have also emerged. A mature and well-functioning coffee supply chain which incorporates planting, processing, branding as well as sale and marketing has been set up at China’s southwestern gateway.

What’s new about coffee? 

Xinzhai village, sitting at the foot of the renowned Gaoligong Mountain in western Yunnan’s Baoshan city, has long been hailed as the “Home of Chinese Coffee”. Arid and sweltering valleys, accompanied by sufficient sunlight all year round, provide a rather unique environment for the cultivation of Xiaoli (how Coffea Arabica L. is dubbed in China, meaning small grain) coffee- the typical coffee beans being grown in Yunnan. The village currently owns about 13,600 mu (approximately 907 hectares) of coffee farms, with over 2,000 residents involving in coffee-related works.

According to Wang Jiawei, the village secretary of the Party, Xinzhai is experiencing a tremendous industrial transformation and upgrade. The village endeavors to incorporate its coffee products with newly-developed agro-tourism and ethnic tourism, promoting coffee consumption through a series of cultural activities and events. The Baoshan Coffee Tourism and Cultural Festival, for example, has been held by the Municipal Government of Baoshan since 2016. Activities range from coffee-picking and brewing contests to walking and cycling tours across a number of coffee gardens.

During the festival of last year, Zhong Huandi, a former champion of the National Games of China and renowned Yunnan-born athlete of long-distance running, was invited to Baoshan as a guest. She joined thousands of running enthusiasts and coffee lovers, and ran together with them among coffee plantations. The local economy – particularly those hostels and catering businesses in Baoshan – has been greatly invigorated by coffee itself and the so called “coffee economy” in a broader sense.

“I came to know about Xinzhai and Yunnan’s abundant coffee resources many years ago via the Internet. And now I’m more than happy to see such prosperity brought by coffee growing. To me, coffee is something that can create endless business opportunities,” said Liu Hailong, a businessman and investor from Shenzhen who visited Xinzhai in 2018 for the first time.

“I decided to stay here and do something almost immediately,” he continued. In just one year time, several coffee farms and an exhibition center to display the history of Yunnan’s coffee industry have been swiftly built up by his team. Meanwhile, hostels and car campsites themed coffee culture are planned to be constructed. Investments from the outside – notably China’s coastal areas – have brought benefits to local coffee growers as well. Liu said that the average purchasing price for fresh and unroasted coffee beans remains around 10 yuan (approximately 1.4 US dollars), which means farmers can barely earn any money out of growing and collecting coffee. But since they elevate the the price to about 60 yuan (8.5 US dollars) per kilogram, farmers’ income has been largely increased.

Currently, the village has received investments from four domestic coffee companies. “I believe that the integration of coffee growing, processing and related agro-tourism has great potential to bring its development to a new height and create a lot more opportunities for us,” said Wang Jiewei with full confidence, in regard of the future of Xinzhai.

In Search of “fine coffee”

As one cradle of Chinese coffee, the Pu’er city in southwest Yunnan has a long history of growing coffee, compared with other areas of China. In the early 1980s, Nestlé – the Swiss food and beverage conglomerate -started to dispatch groups of coffee experts to Pu’er, instructing local farmers how to grow coffee plants carefully and then collect and process their fruits. It is fair to say that this was where the modern history of Yunnan coffee began. Featuring high productivity and resistance to pests, Catimor – as a cross between Timor and Calturra- has dominated the coffee being cultivated in Yunnan ever since. It also acquires enormous popularity among domestic consumers, even though its taste can hardly be considered perfect. Indeed, the commercial influence of Catimor never seems to be swayed by this. But it is very likely to hinder the quality improvement of Yunnan’s coffee and undermine its international reputation in a long run.

“Most of our elder farmers have never tasted the coffee they grow themselves, and know almost nothing about modern processing. The methods they use are those of decades ago,” said Hua Runmei, the youngest coffee grower in Pu’er who gave up job opportunities in Shanghai and returned home in 2015, after graduating from university. “I hope to elevate the quality of coffee in Pu’er and bring more what I call ‘fine coffee’ to the market.”

Changes began with ways of processing. “The elder generation barely knows any method out of fully washing, in terms processing green and fresh coffee beans,” said Hua. In order to improve coffee’s quality, she had to explain to the farmers how semi-washed, dry and honey processes worked in the first place. She also hosted coffee workshops at her place and taught them how to drink and appreciate different types of coffees. “Only when farmers know what coffee tastes like and how it should be drunk, the quality of our coffee products can be truly raised,” said she. Interestingly, most attendees said they had fell in love with coffee after several times of training; some were even able to taste coffee like connoissuers.

In 2018, Hua Runmei’s fine coffee beans were chosen by Seesaw, a Shanghai-based coffee house chain, and brought to eastern China. “The most obvious features of these beans are their moderate acidity and balanced flavor. We simply can’t wait to introduce them to our customers,” said a staff of Seesaw. So far, Seesaw has ordered over 20 tons of fresh coffee beans from Pu’er, with a purchase price that is three times higher than that of Nestlé and Starbucks – is major competitors. “Yunnan’s fine coffee business has just started off, but we are very optimistic about its future,” Hua concluded.

Hua apparently is not the only one who dedicates herself to promoting coffees of Yunnan on both national and international stages. In the of year of 2016, the Yunnan International Coffee Exchange Center was unveiled in Pu’er city. According to Shu Yang, the general manager, the center aims to raise the proportion of fine coffee by 20 percent in the next five years, and increase its production value from 15,000 to 30,000 yuan per mu (1 mu equals to 0.67 hectare). The global reputation of Yunnan coffee thus is expected to be further enhanced in the near future.

Strengthening the coffee industry chain 

In recent years, a number of local coffee enterprises have gradually come into the sight of consumers, along with the burgeoning coffee industry of Yunnan. Take Hogood, China’s first domestic coffee brand, for example, it invents a method to graft coffee plants with walnut trees. The quality of both coffee beans and walnuts has been significantly improved by this means. Another renowned coffee producer Aini, on the other hand, develops the first “green” coffee that can be planted in Yunnan’s jungles and rain forests. The company believes that coffee could contribute to the protection of agroforestry system and maintenance of biodiversity.

Last October, a coffee price index was jointly published by the China Economic Information Service, Municipal Government of Pu’er as well as Yunnan International Coffee Exchange Center. Samples were collected from the five major coffee growing areas of Yunnan, encompassing Pu’er, Dehong, Baoshan, Lincang and Xishuangbanna. The index can precisely predict the trend of coffee price change in both short and long terms – which is pivotal to the industrial upgrade and healthy development of Yunnan’s coffee business.

Since 2018 when Yunnan initiated a project to promote green food, considerable vitality has been injected into its coffee production. A systematic industrial chain incorporating cultivation, collection, processing and marketing has been established by steps. Now, local governments, coffee-growing households as well as private enterprises are making joint efforts to turn coffee into a leading green food of Yunnan.

Source from http://english.yunnan.cn/html/2019/flavor_1030/18085.html

Location of Taihua Temple

The magenificent and solemn Taihua Temple is located on the mountiainside of Taihua Hill in Kunming Xishan Forest Park. Taihua Hill has Dianchi Lake to its east, Huating Hill, Biji Mountain to its north. It is the highest peak in the Western Hills.

The History of Taihua Temple

Outside the mountain gate, a ginkgo tree, tall and bulky, according to legend it was planted by Ming dynasty emperor Jianwen personally. Emperor Jianwen is the eldest grandson of Ming dynasty’s founding emperor Zhu Yanzhang, after he succeed to the throne he started weakening the vassal states because vassals maintained armies and defy orders from the central government. But he was not capable and experienced as Emperor Kangxi in the later Qing dynasty, King of Yan Zhudi was provoked and has sent his troops to siege and attack Nanjing. City was broke through, “the palace was on fire, and the emperor has not to know the whereabouts.” From then on, Emperor Jianwen’s whereabouts has been a riddle. In fact, Empeoror Jianwen was most likely run out of the palace and became the monk living on the Yunnan-Guizhou region. It was said that Emperor Jinwen was stayed in Taihua Temple as monk for 5 years, though these hearsays were not written in the official history, but heardays may not be entirely groundless. Throughout Taihua Temple, it experienced the vicissitudes of life and is still standing, towering and majestic.

Structure and Architecutres of Taihua Temple

Taihua Temple sits west and face the east. It is in broad scale and rigorous layout. The courtyard and turret shows a multi-ethnic tradition bucket structure. In the temple, pavilions, galleries, pools merge in to a picture, quiet and tranquil. Taking the Mahavira Hall as the center, the two side has verandas connecting with the pavilions. The entire architecture area of the temple is 3562 square meters. The style of the architecture is between Beijing palace garden architecture and Suzhou garden style.

The main architecture is the Heavely King Hall with single eaves jehiel. It is 3-room wide, and 2-room deep, covering an area of 367.5 square meters. The middle of the hall is a wood carving Avalokitesvara Statue with his hands clasped together, standing on a lotus shrine. It is about two meters high.

The highest point of Taihua Temple is the famous Mercy House, built in the Qing Xianfeng years. Later it was ruind, and In 1883, it was renovated, covering 582 square meters. There is now worshipping three bronze Buddhas: Dharmakaya Vairocana, Sambhogakaya Lushena Buddha, and Conduct Sakyamuni Buddha. Each Buddha is 2.8 meters high with charity face and golden body.

Attraction Introduction

Taihua Temple, also known as the Foyan Temple, was founded by the first Yunnan Zen master Xuanjian. The king of Liang state gave temple the name Foyan Temple, but later name after Taihua Mountain. It has went through over seven hundred years wind and rain erosion, years of vicissitudes of life and destroyed by war, and in Ming and Qing dynasties it was expanded and repaired for many times, but the main temple is still keeping the Yuan dynasty architectural style.

Taihua Temple is facing east, and it has a large scale and rigorous layout. Pavilion, gallery and pool inside the temple what is quiet and beautiful. Centered on the Great Buddha’s Hall, there are two verandas aside the hall, connects with two wing pavilions, all building covers an area of 3562 square meters. The construction art is distinctive, its style is between Beijing palace garden construction and artificial garden architecture in Suzhou.

Stepping up, the first thing you encounter in is the middle of stone memorial archway banner with carved characters “峻极云霄 (to high to touch the sky)”, and there is a couplet in the stone column which expressed the earnest concern to the society by the Buddhism.

What to See in Taihua Temple? 

Hall of Heavenly King: Hall of Heavenly King is single hipped-gable roof, it is three rooms wide, two rooms deep, the hall is nearly 20 meters high, covers an area of 367.5 square meters. A wooden carving Buddhism goodness Guanyin is in the middle of the hall with hands folded, look kindly, well-dressed standing on the lotus shrine, it is about two meters high, and it is the remain of Qing dynasty emperor Kangxi period. Both sides of the hall are famille rose four heavenly kings statues with majestic looks, all as high as three meters. Weituo wears golden armor on the back of the hall, which shows the dignity of guardian deity, and it was said that this statue was created by Li Guangxiu in Qing dynasty Guangxu period, whose creation technique focuses on mental state and the inner world, image lifelike and guileless that closer to the characters in real life.

The Great Buddha’s Hall: Across the yard and go into the Great Buddha’s Hall, it is five rooms wide, four rooms deep, the hall is nearly 30 meters high, covers an area of 484 square meters. The Great Buddha’s Hall is supported by 22 columns, the roof consists of purlin, chuandou framing system. Its veranda’s four drum-shaped stone blocks are supported by four huge pillars, carved beams and painted rafters are gorgeous, which was built in the Yuan dynasty (1306).

Dabei Pavilion (Great Mercy Pavilion): The highest place of Taihua Temple is the famous Dabei Pavilion, built in the reign of Xianfeng in Qing dynasty and later it was destroyed by war. In ninth year of Guangxu period (1883) the temple was repaired, covers an area of 582 square meters. Now the pavilion contains three of copper Buddha statues, Dharmakaya Mahavairocana, sambhogakaya Vairocana Buddha and Shakyamuni Buddha and each 2.8 meters high, they were remains in Kangxi period.

Sizhao Room: Taihua Temple has many annexes. Originally in the north of the Great Buddha’s Hall was “Sizhao Room” which was the ancestral temple of Lord of Guizhou Muying in the early Ming dynasty, and in recent years it has rebuilt into cold drinks and tea house. South of the Great Buddha’s Hall is “Yingbi Shed (reflecting green)” which is a pavilion in the south of storied building and stretched into the pond. Square pond is about two mu (a unit of area =0.0667 hectares), divided into two pools with a rockery ornament, and zigzag veranda, mountain, water, building, corridor is surrounded the pond which makes it beautiful.

Wanqing Building: “Wanqing Building” in the east side of the Great Buddha’s Hall, its wall was written “世济其美 (Refers to the offspring inherit the virtue of former generation)” by Qing emperor Kangxi. In here you might feel like place oneself in the mirage. Taihua Temple has many varieties of flowers, the flourishing flowers is blooming like a piece of brocade. The red fire of camellia, graceful white magnolia, magnolia liliiflora, magnolia diva stapf; the plum blossom is full of branches in the New Year, and is full of courtyard. Breeze blowing, the flowers are fragrant and refreshing, just like place oneself fairyland.

Huating Temple: Huating Temple is located at Xishan Mountain Forest Park in Xishan District, Kunming City, Yunnan Province. Different from other temples, it faces east not south. The temple was frist built in 1063, during Song Dynasty, covering an area of 12,000 square meters in rectangle. The temple is axisymmetric and closed courtyard type. Huating Temple is the largest temple in Yunnan province. It was released as one of the kunming municipal cultural relics protection units.

The news was updated on November 12, 2019.

Employees work on the China-Laos railway project in Kunming, Yunnan province, the starting point of the railway line under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Officials from the Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport and other sectors are learning about railway operations from Chinese experts in Lao capital Vientiane to prepare for the opening of China-Laos railway in 2021.

The final railway technology training course is taking place at the Lao Front for National Development’s training center from Friday to Nov 28, with 45 people attending the course, local daily Vientiane Times reported Monday.

The training program teaches Lao officials about railway operations and management and is supported by China’s Ministry of Commerce and implemented by Peking University.

Speaking at the opening of the program, Lao Deputy Head of Office of the Laos-China Cooperation Commission Anongdeth Chanthala said “The railway is currently about 70 percent complete and is scheduled for completion at the end of 2021. It is a large-scale cooperation project and will require more technical personnel to operate and maintain the railway.”

Laos and China are also planning to build a training school for railway technicians and expect to start its design in 2020, he added.

The planned 417-km railway, which connects Vientiane capital with the Chinese border, traverses the provinces of Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Oudomxay and Luang Namtha, passing through 75 tunnels with a combined length of 197.83km.

The railway will be a milestone in the socio-economic and cooperation strategies of the two countries.

The Lao government places great importance on the project, which is part of a planned regional railway linking southern China to Singapore via Laos, Thailand and Malaysia.

Laos is closely examining opportunities under the Belt and Road initiative, which provides clear goals for comprehensive cooperation between countries in the region and promotes greater connectivity in policies, infrastructure, trade and investment, finance, society, and culture, said the report.

Source from http://english.yunnan.cn/html/2019/asean_1112/18160.html

The news was updated on October 30, 2019.

Recently, a rare view was captured by environmental photographers in Ruili, western Yunnan’s Dehong autonomous prefecture of the Dai and Jingpo minorities.

Flocks of red-breasted parakeets(Psittacula alexandri) appeared in the sky, flying low over waters and forests. 

Characterized primarily by their red bills and green plumage, red-breasted parakeets migrate for food and proper habitats regularly. 

The clean air and stretches of corn fields here are believed as the main magnet to attract them to this city right on China’s border with Myanmar.

Source from http://english.yunnan.cn/html/2019/latestnews_1030/18090.html

Kunming Sunshine Golf Club is located at Beicheng District, Kunming city, six kilometers away from Kunming-Qujing expressway. It is adjacent to Expo Park, Jindian Forest Park and wildlife park in the south, Kunming Botanical Garden and Heilongtan Park in the northwest, and there are many new residential projects in Beicheng district. The club is 10km away from the main urban area of Kunming and 20km away from Kunming airport.

Kunming OCT Wind Valley Golf Club features two outstanding golf courses, designed by 18-time Major Champion Jack Nicklaus, and his son, Jack Nicklaus II. This is the first combination of golf courses in China for the famous father and son team. Both courses feature magnificent long views of Yangzong Lake,and are very grand in scale. Many holes are built on hilltops and through valleys of colorful flowers and native landscape. The courses are challenging, with many strategically-placed bunkers and undulating greens. The Wind Valley Clubhouse—Qun Ying Hui, was designed by the USA architecture firm MAI, and features full service locker rooms, restaurants, and amazing private dining rooms.

The news was updated on November 8, 2019. 

A view of the Pudacuo National Park in Diqing Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Southwest China’s Yunnan province, on Nov 7, 2019.

Pudacuo, or Potatso, National Park is located in Yunnan province’s Shangri-La. The region of this park contains more than 20 percent of China’s plant species, about one-third of its mammal and bird species and almost 100 endangered species, though it comprises only 0.7 percent of the country’s land area.

It is notably home to vulnerable black-necked cranes, many rare and beautiful orchids, and Himalayan Yew, a coniferous tree whose extracts are a source of the anticancer drug, paclitaxel.

A view of the Pudacuo National Park in Diqing Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Southwest China’s Yunnan province, on Nov 7, 2019.

Source from http://english.yunnan.cn/html/2019/sights_1108/18147.html

The news was updated on November 6, 2019. 

In late autumn, the sky in Lijiang City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, is colored with a breathtaking blue, against the crystal-clear water of the Lugu Lake, pleasing visitors with this beautiful scroll paint lookalike. 

Launching the project of ruling and protecting the environment of Lugu Lake and other eight major plateau lakes, Lijiang City implemented a series of policies and regulations from 2018. Now, the environment of Lugu Lake wetland is improving gradually having a higher ability to restore the local ecological system. In this year, the water quality of Lugu Lake remained in Class I, becoming the best among the nine plateau lakes among the area.

Starbucks is proud to participate in the China International Import Expo (CIIE) for the second straight year, supporting one of the leading landmark events for Shanghai and China. This year, 260 Starbucks baristas will be presenting Starbucks Reserve Yunnan coffee that’s fully grown and roasted in China, alongside other premium Starbucks Reserve coffee and tea beverages, complemented by appetizing food by Princi. Nineteen Starbucks locations will be set up across the event venue in total.

“Starbucks is honored to contribute again to the success of the Expo. Over the past two decades, Starbucks has not only dedicated itself to bringing people and communities in China together through our coffee, but also to supporting the continued growth and elevation of Chinese coffee,” said Leo Tsoi, chief operating officer and president, Starbucks China Retail. “Today, our partners are proud to convey their pride and passion for top quality Chinese coffee, through sharing the distinctive flavor of premium Starbucks Reserve Yunnan coffee on this prestigious international stage.”

Having brought coffee culture to China, Starbucks aspires to bring top quality Chinese coffee to the world.

Over the past seven years, Starbucks has partnered closely with Yunnan farmers to continuously improve the quality of their coffee through providing agronomy expertise and resources. This year’s CIIE showcases the latest premium Starbucks Reserve Yunnan coffee – Qingkai Farm. It is the first single origin Reserve coffee to be named after a Yunnan coffee farmer, honoring the tireless labor, perseverance and pursuit of excellence by local farmers.

Starbucks will also be providing freshly baked artisanal food by Princi, bringing a taste of Italian baking craft to the event. The food menu features several thoughtfully prepared items, including an oatmeal cranberry cookie featuring the letters ‘CIIE’ specially created to commemorate the event.

The 19 Starbucks locations at the event are designed to highlight the growing emphasis on sustainability. Inspired by the aesthetical characteristics of paper straws, they were constructed using kraft paper and flame-retardant materials, to create a novel and comfortable ‘third place’ where guests may take a moment to refuel and recharge amidst their busy schedules. Starbucks baristas will also be on hand to guide visitors on waste categorization, which will be implemented across all locations.

During the CIIE, Starbucks baristas will be working round-the-clock to deliver an exceptional Starbucks Experience at any time of the day. Said Sky Ji, a partner who is participating in CIIE for the second straight year, “Every partner has been rigorously trained on all facets of service and etiquette, to ensure that we deliver only the highest service standards. We cannot be more proud to represent Shanghai, to be part of such an important milestone event for the city!”

Since entering the Chinese market 20 years ago, Starbucks has grown to operate over 4,100 stores across more than 160 cities in China. Starbucks is growing and innovating faster in China than any part of the world. It also creates more than 10,000 new jobs in China every year.

Shanghai is not only the headquarters and innovation center for Starbucks China, but also the city with the most number of Starbucks stores in the world, and home to the first Starbucks Roastery to be opened outside the United States. China’s favorable operating environment, the tremendous potential of the Chinese coffee market as well as the momentum generated by the CIIE have helped to fuel Starbucks growth in the market. Building on its strong growth momentum, the company has launched an array of innovative store concepts in the past year, such as the Starbucks Reserve® Bakery Café and the Starbucks Reserve Café & Bar Mixato, while continuously elevating and enhancing the digital retail experience in China.

Echoing the CIIE’s theme – “New Era, Shared Future” – Starbucks is committed to being “in China for China,” through partnering with local suppliers to diversify its global coffee supply chain and increase the proportion of specialty coffee purchased from Yunnan. It is currently the largest buyer of exported Arabica coffee from Yunnan, and will continue to showcase the distinctive flavor of top quality coffee grown and roasted in China to CIIE and other international platforms.

Source from https://www.thatsmags.com/guangzhou/post/29898/starbucks-serving-top-quality-yunnan-coffee-at-china-int-l-import-expo-2019

The news was updated on November 5, 2019. 

In southern Yunnan, there is an old town standing right on the ancient caravan route. The town is characterized by its distinctive architectural form which combines stained glasses of France with traditional Chinese-styled courtyards. Known as Yisa, it has been hailed as the “fortress on horseback”. 

Yisa is located in Honghe township, the Honghe prefecture of the Hani and Yi minorities in today’s southern Yunnan province. Its name derives from the Yi language, which can be translated to aridity or lack of water. The town thrived and reached its climax during the period of Qianlong emperor (1736-1795) in the middle of the Qing Dynasty, following the discovery of copper deposits. However, copper ores were quickly mined out in just a few decades, and the town which had already lied on its brink of collapse urgently needed a new chance to recover.

Caravan trade was an opportunity of such to bring Yisa back on is track. Mules and horses being used in copper mines before were massed again, carrying tons of local linens and silks to as far as Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and other southeast Asian countries of present day for exchanges. And these journeys were called “Xia Bazi” by the locals, simply meaning “going abroad”.

In is heyday, there were 11 trade routes linking Yisa with its surrounding areas. Local residents here even left their hometown and emigrated to the southeast Asia where they soon formed some of the first communities of Yunnan people overseas. Indeed, the caravan trade brought Yisa with tremendous wealth and prosperity. In the meantime, Western ideas and cultures were allowed to reach and leave marks on this piece of land. Architecture is apparent the best example.

“Yisa did not produce plank, tile, glass or any other building materials. All of these had to be relied on import, or more specially the merchants and their caravans from the outside,” said Yang Zhaowei, director of a local cultural research institute. “Experienced builders were also lacking, so our ancestors had to hire workers from Tonghai, E’shan, Kunming and a few other neighboring areas.” 

As a result of the British ad French colonial influences in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, Hybridization is the most prominent feature of Yisa’s architectures. Strolling in those narrow lanes, you would find elements from both the East and West juxtaposing in one space: traditional Chinese courtyards with marble arches, curved roofs with stained glass window and so forth. Houses with white crosses being placed on the rooftops may even been seen, though they are neither churches nor hospitals. This is definitely an unexpected cultural hybridization that you might think only existing in the postmodern era.    

At the east end of the town, there stands a grand and exquisite castle of mostly Chinese style. It is obviously the center of Yisa. Featuring colossal stones, labyrinthine paths as well as delicate roof tiles, the castle looks just like a piece of art. However, with stone walls of over 80 centimeters thick, it used to function as a reliable stronghold to protect residents from being looted by local bandits.

In comparison with other economic hubs in ancient Yunnan (like Jianshui and Lijiang), Yisa was a rather small place, with no more than 300 households (or 2,000 people). Yet nearly every family had adventurous and intrepid young men working with caravans – some even joined them at the age of 10 or 11. They journey down to the south was apparently an arduous and perilous one, as it had long been infested with not barely bandits, but deadly tropical diseases, such as malaria, cholera and leprosy. 

Moreover, the life of muleteers – as you can perhaps imagine – has no much difference from that of seafarers who need to voyage for months or even years before they can finally return home.

“Yisa is a secluded town in the Ailao Mountain of Yunnan,” said Yang. “With no arable land,  being part of the caravan trade was an practical and expedient way to get money and live a better life.” 

Today – after centuries – caravans can no longer be found here in Yisa. But the fortress and those exquisite and exotic houses keep telling the exceptional past of this small town.

Source from http://english.yunnan.cn/html/2019/travel_1105/18123.html

Introduction

The Panlong River is in an urban river in Kunming City, Yunnan, China. It flows in the general north-to-south direction through the city’s Panlong, Wuhua and Guandu Districts, and enters the Dian Lake at 24.953732°N 102.686274°E.

The river receives a large quantity of municipal sewage and wastewater from industrial effluent.
The Panlong River of Kunming should not be confused with another, longer, river of the same name (also 盘龙江), which flows through south-eastern Yunnan and Vietnam, and enters the Red River.

Panlong River passes through Kunming City, Yunnan, China. It receives a large quantity of municipal sewage and wastewater from industrial effluent.

The Importance of Panlong River

Panlong River is a wandering river, like a crouching dragon on the land of Kunming. The river starts from Liangwang Mountain in the west flows by Aziying and Lion Mountain, flows together with Lengshui River, turns into Songhua Basin, runs through Kunming from south to north, and finally flows into the Dianchi Lake.

Panlong River is one of the few rivers in Kunming, and it nourishes people at both banks. Panlong River nurtures the alpine pearl in southwest border of China, and it is our mother, the mother of Kunming.

Ralated Attractions

Linyu Bridge (霖雨桥)

Linyu Bridge, the Most Historic Stone Bridge over the Panlong River, the Mother River of Kunming. After over 300 years, Linyu Bridge is as intact as before. It is said that Kunming had a drought, and officials praying for rain encountered a life-saving rain on the stone bridge, so it was named as Linyu Bridge.

Longchuan Bridge (龙川桥)

Longchuan Bridge, the Earliest Bridge over the Panlong, the Mother River of Kunming. Longchuan Bridge is the number one bridge of Panlong River, which was dated back to over 700 years ago. “Gunlong Basin” is in the north of the bridge, and the basin is high and the river is low, so the flood flows like a “rolling dragon”, and the bridge is named as Longchuan Bridge.

Desheng Bridge (得胜桥)

Desheng Bridge, the Most Popular Stone Bridge in the Panlong River, the Mother River of Kunming. Desheng Bridge has a long-lasting history, and it was named as Dade Bridge in the Yuan Dynasty and Yunjin Bridge in the Ming Dynasty. It is said that when Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty conquered Three Feudatories, Zhao Desheng led soldiers and occupied the bridge, so the bridge was renamed as Desheng Bridge. Now Desheng Bridge is the boundary of four urban districts of Kunming City, so it is even more popular than before.

Hongzha Bridge (洪闸桥)

Hongzha Bridge, the Last Guard of the Panlong River, the Mother River of Kunming. Hongzha Bridge is the last bridge over the Panlong River and meanwhile it is an important transportation bridge for local people. Water of the Panlong River flows under the last guard Hongzha Bridge and runs into the Dianchi Lake.

Travel Tips

You can not go fishing and go swimming  there. The river is protected by government to avoid pollution.

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