http://www.gokunming.com/ http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2719/snapshot_grand_canyon_of_the_east Grand Canyon. Meanwhile, it is so far away and difficult to get to that it gives visitors a rare glimpse into what much of Yunnan must have looked like before helter-skelter modern development transformed so much of the province.

The Nujiang (怒江), known as the Salween River after it flows out of Yunnan and into Myanmar, forms the westernmost of the protected Three Parallel Rivers, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Before it passes into the south of Yunnan and eventually Myanmar (Burma), the "Angry" river flows through Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture.

Liuku (六库), the prefecture's seat, has the only road allowing motorized traffic when entering from Yunnan and differs from any other place in the gorge due to its dry, hot climate and level of development. Following the river north from here is a slow journey back in time, farther and farther away from modern civilization.

Last year GoKunming cycled from Nujiang's northernmost town of Bingzhongluo (丙中洛), over Fugong (副攻) and back down to Liuku. This year, inspired by Jim Goodman's recent book, Grand Canyon of the East, we returned to the Nujiang Valley and took a series of photographs around Lishadi (利沙底乡), about an hour north of Fugong.



Despite Yunnan suffering from a major drought for the last three years, the Northern extend of the Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Area is quite often shrouded in clouds and fog. The road following the river eventually leads up to the remote valley of the Dulong people (独龙族), one of the wettest places in Asia.



A local Lisu woman (傈僳族) crosses the river to visit the weekly market in nearby Lishadi.



Before more modern suspension bridges were constructed, the primary means of crossing the river was by rope bridge (溜索). Recent efforts to replace the rope bridges, now made out of steel cables, have left only a few throughout the gorge – mainly for the sake of tourism.



This particular rope bridge is also open for tourists. For around 50 yuan, paid to local people managing the crossing, the occasional tourist can experience a rather authentic way to fly down what in many places are called 'ziplines'.



The distances covered are often long and typically start higher up the slope of the mountain so as to build up proper momentum in order to reach the other side. The required difference in altitude between start and finish limits the number of places suitable for setting up rope bridges, leaving many villages far from any connecting infrastructure.



Although many new suspension bridges have been built over the last few years, others have been lacking upkeep and have fallen into disrepair.



Many houses in more remote villages are still made of wood and bamboo, but hollow bricks produced with simple machinery are more common in newer homes.



The bricks are dried in open air before being transported to nearby small construction sites.



Building materials are often carried down the rice terraces by hand due to the lack of machinery, roads or proper paths down the slope.



A house under construction is surrounded by the common sight of terraced rice paddies.



Most of the work in the fields is done by hand. Women often carry heavy loads in bamboo baskets. Small concrete canals between the fields transport excess water down to the river.



Rice cultivation is very labor-intensive work. Here a Lisu woman strains under a loaded basket of young rice plants.



Many Lisu women still wear their traditional costumes, but as infrastructure improves, mass-produced clothing is increasingly finding its way deep into the valley and its villages.



A viewing platform stands at one of the Nujiang's many bends a few kilometers south of Lishadi, offering breathtaking views. In the distance on the right, a large hole can be seen in one of the peaks.



In foggy weather the peak's hole resembles a bright moon and is known locally as the Stone Moon (石月亮). The almost fifty-meter-wide hole is part of a peak in the Gaoligong Mountains (高黎贡山) marking the western side of the canyon and creating a natural border with Myanmar.



Located at the south end of the gorge, Liuku has a sub-tropical mountain climate. Yunnan banana trees (芭蕉树) and their large purple flowers are common throughout the canyon.



Be prepared to eat with bare hands and drink lots of bamboo wine when being treated to a meal by the Lisu. Local specialties include roasted suckling pig and pickled bamboo shoots.

Grand Canyon of the East (2011, Yunnan People's Publishing House) is available in Kunming at Mandarin Bookstore.

A selection of these photographs was submitted to the international photography project ADAY, for which photographers worldwide contributed work shot exclusively on May 15.]]> Fri, 25 May 2012 16:55:00 +0800 http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2719/snapshot_grand_canyon_of_the_east http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2683/book_review_yunnan_china_south_of_the_clouds
Guidebook publishers such as Lonely Planet and Rough Guide have produced southwest China travel guidebooks that lump Yunnan together with Guangxi, Guizhou and Sichuan. The Yunnan chapters of these book usually only manage to scratch the surface.

Yunnan - China South of the Clouds by Jim Goodman is the most in-depth English-language guidebook about Yunnan that we've found. It is an updated version of Goodman's The Exploration of Yunnan, first published in 2001 by Yunnan People's Publishing House. The newest edition, now published by Odyssey Books, has added maps and an index – the most glaring omissions in the original book.

The target audience of Yunnan – China South of the Clouds is travelers who are concerned with getting a deep understanding of Yunnan. The book is different from traditional guidebooks in that it doesn't focus on venue listings or how to get around. It is an ideal resource for deciding where to go and what to seek out, but cannot help travelers decide much in the way of where to stay and eat. For travelers who cannot speak Chinese, it is probably most effective when used in tandem with a more conventional guidebook.

Goodman excels at providing the reader with a geographical, historical, ethnic and cultural context for virtually anywhere one might travel in Yunnan. His informative prose offers a comprehensive explanation of Yunnan and its diverse destinations and cultures, and allows readers to explore cities and the countryside on their own.

Over the course of 624 pages, 211 photos and 29 maps, Goodman threads together the story of Yunnan, linking events, places and people in a way that clarifies the region's historical narrative in a cohesive and easy-to-understand way.



Goodman divides his book into five main sections: Province of Wonders, Historical Exploration, Contemporary Exploration, Beaten Tracks and The Unfamiliar.

The section "Province of Wonders" explores Yunnan's multifaceted history, people, culture, geography and cuisine. In addition to a good prehistoric overview of the province, Goodman offers interesting glimpses of ancient Yunnan, including the kingdom of Dian and its mysterious successor, Nanzhao:

[quote]Chinese observers were naturally curious about Nanzhao's military aspects. The kingdom had a high reputation for its swords and in periods of peace this was one of the most sought-after trade items. From somewhere in the wilderness of Nanzhao came an herb that the troops used to poison the tips of their spears and arrows. They wore armour of elephant or rhinoceros hide. Some warriors tattooed their bodies with magic prescriptions against wounds. Discipline was strict. Bravery was rewarded, cowardice severely punished. Its exact ethnic composition is still not clear and maybe never will be, but this is all the world knows so far about the army of Nanzhao, the country Tang China never tamed and Song China never dared take.[/quote]

Goodman covers the major historical events that have made Yunnan what it is today, including the conquest of the region by Kublai Khan and his subsequent relocation of the capital from Dali to Kunming in the 13th Century, Du Wenxiu's Muslim rebellion, French and British colonial ambitions, the warlord era of the early 20th Century and life under Communist rule.

In this introduction to the region, it is obvious that Yunnan's main appeal to Goodman is the mindboggling variety of peoples and cultures throughout the province, which manifests itself in clothing, food, festivals, language and beliefs:

[quote]What makes Yunnan potentially so much richer a travel experience is the ethnic aspect. Nowhere else offers such a diversity of lifestyles, such a range of ecological responses, such a wealth and depth of culture. Here is the chance to experience several cross-cultural encounters in a single journey, which will etch themselves more sharply in the traveller's memory than the most spectacular scenery. They may even change the way a traveller thinks and lives... for the better.[/quote]

"Historical Exploration" examines the arrival of outsiders into Yunnan, beginning with the earliest mentions of the area in Chinese historical records. Goodman then turns his attention to expeditions from the West. European visitors in the 19th Century and early 20th Century braved the unknown in Yunnan for a variety of reasons, be they colonial, scientific or evangelical.

Goodman notes the impact of these waiguoren on the region as well as the world's slowly growing awareness of the province. He gives special attention to Frank Kingdon-Ward, Dr Joseph Rock and Peter Goullart. Those three men penned some of the most vivid and enduring foreign accounts of the people and places they encountered, which at the time were almost completely unknown beyond China.



"Contemporary Exploration" may be the shortest section of this book, but it is a unique and occasionally entertaining look at the reopening of Yunnan to domestic and foreign travelers. Goodman, of course, was one of the first Westerners to take advantage of this reopening.

Many critics of tourism in Yunnan depict an industry that exploits local minorities for the entertainment of travelers, especially foreigners. However, Goodman makes a strong case for the province's opening up to the outside world happening at the right time:

[quote]It just so happened that, historically speaking, Yunnan opened its doors to tourism and exposed its minorities to non-Chinese outsiders at the moment when the minorities had recovered from the assaults on tradition waged by the Cultural Revolution and other past political campaigns. Economically better off than ever before, with their ethnic pride restored and an attitude towards their own traditions that ranges from respectful to revivalist, Yunnan's minorities were quite ready for the Tourist Era.[/quote]

Given how developed tourism is in Yunnan, it may be surprising to some that 1985 was the first year under the People's Republic that foreigners were allowed to experience China's most diverse province. Goodman's depiction of the early days of travel in Yunnan for foreigners seems a far cry from the situation today:
[quote]Foreigners could roam all over Kunming and, of course, the Stone Forest, but not Lunan town. They could explore Jinghong, but not far beyond, Dali but no other Bai county (not even nearby Eryuan) and Lijiang and Tiger Leaping Gorge, but not Baishuitai just across the Jinshajiang. Outside Kunming, foreigners couldn't even eat where they wished. At Lijiang, for example, all guests were billeted in the No. 1 Guest House and required to dine in the hotel restaurant. Local residents were informed of the restrictions, too, so that anyone who tried to order food in an old town restaurant was politely and apologetically refused service.[/quote]

In "Beaten Tracks" Goodman offers excellent introductions to Kunming, Xishuangbanna and Dali, as well as northwestern and western Yunnan. "The Unfamiliar" fills in the blanks elsewhere, exploring the Nujiang Canyon, Honghe and Zhaotong.

These two sections of Goodman's book total just under 300 pages, nearly half of the book. Goodman covers every corner of Yunnan and gives every ethnic group and subgroup its moment in the spotlight, highlighting their creation myths, religions, languages, architecture, costumes, cuisines, festivals and traditions.



The first half of Yunnan – China South of the Clouds may read like a history book, but the second half justifies the book's classification as a guidebook. By peering through Goodman's lens into different parts of Yunnan, travelers can make educated and informed decisions about which terrain and cultures they wish to explore.

Travelers simply looking to take in as many sights as possible while in Yunnan may not have much of a need for this book. Those interested in a deeper interaction with the province's endless geographical and cultural diversity should find it invaluable in unlocking the infinite discoveries that await them in our favorite corner of China.

Yunnan - China South of the Clouds by Jim Goodman is available in Kunming at Mandarin Books for 210 yuan or online at Amazon.]]> Wed, 23 May 2012 14:10:00 +0800 http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2683/book_review_yunnan_china_south_of_the_clouds http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2715/kunming_schedules_water_outages
City officials have scheduled water outages to conserve water and to give maintenance crews time to repair leaking pipes, Yunnan Net is reporting. Residents and businesses in affected areas can expect water to be turned off completely from 8am until 6pm.

Water rationing began on a much smaller scale in February when water pressure around the city was reduced for 20 hours each day to limit consumption.

Kunming has been gripped by a drought for three years and municipal water supplies such as rivers, lakes and reservoirs have been progressively shrinking.

Yunlong reservoir (云龙水库), located 100 kilometers north of Kunming in Luquan Yi and Miao Autonomous County (禄劝彝族苗族自治县), provides the city with 70 percent of its drinking and irrigation water. Although it has the capacity to hold almost 450 million cubic meters of water, the reservoir is currently running dry.

Overall, Yunnan's rivers and watersheds are 31 percent lower than average and 673 reservoirs in the province have no water, according to recently released government data. Shortages have affected an estimated nine million people in the province this year.

A provincial government report, that refers to Kunming's water situation as "grim", has issued water conservation protocols to businesses throughout the city. Failure to comply with the new guidelines can result in fines ranging from 30-30,000 yuan.

A water rationing schedule listing dates and affected areas in Kunming is also included (in Chinese) in the Yunnan Net report.

Image: The Telegraph]]> Tue, 22 May 2012 12:05:00 +0800 http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2715/kunming_schedules_water_outages http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2711/interview_howard_dyck Howard Dyck has been directing classical music and choral works for 40 years. His career has taken him to countless performances around the world, including a visit to Kunming in 1999.

This spring, Dyck returned to the Spring City and is currently instructing choral classes at Yunnan Arts University (formerly Yunnan Art Institute) at both the Chenggong and downtown campuses.

Before becoming a conductor, Dyck studied Choral, Orchestral and Opera Conducting at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold in Germany. He also worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for 32 years, hosting the radio programs Choral Concert and Saturday Afternoon at the Opera.

In addition to conducting and working on air, Dyck co-founded Consort Caritatis in 1994. The concert ensemble has raised more than US$250,000 through performances and CD sales and donated the proceeds to several international humanitarian causes.

Dyck will conduct the Kunming Nie Er Symphony Orchestra May 25, at 8pm at the Kunming Theater. The concert will begin with the world premier performance of East Meets West by Chinese-Canadian composer Chan Ka Nin. The debut will be followed by Rachmaninoff's First Piano Concerto with concert pianist Sun Jingya (孙静雅) and will end with Dvorak's New World Symphony.

GoKunming recently sat down with Dyck to discuss his career, his time in China and his upcoming concert:

GK: When did you begin conducting?

Dyck: Conducting was something I did simultaneously with my radio work. I began in 1972 with the Grand Philharmonic Choir in Waterloo, Canada and continued until I retired in 2010. While I was directing the choir I worked closely with the local professional orchestra as well.

GK: How did you first come to Kunming?

Dyck: A friend of mine in Canada organized an International Festival of the Arts in Sophia, Bulgaria in 1994 and asked me to conduct the choir and orchestra. I agreed and became involved in the festival myself. In 1999 the festival came to Kunming and I came along with it.

GK: What pieces did you conduct during that performance?

Dyck: Well, I was asked for a list of potential pieces and came up with a pretty extensive one. At the end I somewhat jokingly added Handel's Messiah, which I am very familiar with but didn't think had a chance of being selected.

To my surprise the organizers here in Kunming jumped on it. They didn't have a local choir to perform the choral arrangements so we arranged to bring 30 professional singers and soloists from Consort Caritatis over for the performance in Kunming.

The Kunming orchestra wasn't particularly good at that time and was divided into two groups, one for theatrical and one for symphonic performances. The two were combined sometime after 1999 and renamed the Nie Er Symphony Orchestra. Whatever their skill level, they pulled off the performance of the Messiah. They had passion and did a fine job.

After the concert several members of the orchestra came to me and said they were so moved by the music they had trouble playing because they were crying. I later learned that our concert was only the second performance of the Messiah ever in China.

GK: What do you remember most about Kunming in 1999?

Dyck: I remember hearing about a village of Miao people who lived outside of Kunming and had been taught extensive choral sections of the Messiah in the nineteenth century by English missionaries.

Several people from that village actually came to our dress rehearsal and I invited them on stage to join us in singing the Hallelujah Chorus. Not only did they know it, they could sing in four part harmony. I was stunned.

The next day CCTV took me, Consort Caritatis and the Miao singers to a studio where we recorded a rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus accompanied by a piano accordion! CCTV made a mini-documentary about it that was aired nationwide in China.

GK: That's amazing.

Dyck: It was. And just a few weeks ago, my wife Maggie and I got to travel to the Miao village and see them perform the same selections at a church service, again with an accordion. It was wonderful. They even asked me to conduct.

GK: So what brought you back to Kunming after nearly 15 years?

Dyck: The music department at Yunnan Arts University had been asking me to come back and work with them since 1999. Unfortunately I simply had no time with my radio and conducting commitments.

I'm now retired and when they contacted me again I agreed to come. I visited last year to work out the details with the music department and members of the staff would walk up to me humming bits of the Messiah. They remembered!



GK: You have been working with choirs here in Kunming, how is that going?

Dyck: I have been working in Chenggong with a choir class of mostly freshman and sophomores. We've been rehearsing Mozart's Requiem and the university orchestra is working at Beethoven's Symphony Number 1. We probably won't be up to performance standard by the end of June, but I think the learning experience is proving to be most worthwhile for the students.

I've also been holding twice weekly rehearsals with a choir on the old campus of Yunnan Arts University, working on Verdi's La Traviata. Originally I thought I was just to be a coach and rehearsal conductor, but now I've been invited to conduct two performances, each featuring a different lead soloist. The soloists are both excellent and we couldn't choose between them so instead the faculty agreed we should have two performances.

GK: When are those shows?

Dyck: Plans are for June 22 and 23 at Yunnan Arts University. They are both scheduled for 8pm and will be free of charge.

GK: Have you been able to see any performances during your time in Kunming?

Dyck: I heard the Nie Er Symphony perform viola concertos by Bartók and Walton with two viola soloists from Beijing. The performance was at the Kunming Theater and it was phenomenal. Not only was the orchestra very good, but the viola players were some of the best I've ever heard.

GK: The concert on May 25 will feature a solo pianist, have you worked with her before?

Dyck: We haven't even met yet. I'd love to meet her and see how she plays before we rehearse together with the orchestra. How a soloist performs affects the way the orchestra plays. In cases like this, I usually defer to the soloist and make adjustments with the symphony. Rachmaninoff is fiendishly challenging for any pianist and takes enormous strength and talent to perform. I have been told Miss Sun is more than up to the task.

GK: Have you found that working with Chinese singers and musicians is different from working with people in the West?

Dyck: My impression is that Chinese orchestras know the Russian repertoire very well. Composers like Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff come to mind. They also know Beethoven but there doesn't seem to be much exposure to Mozart. Of course, they know Chinese composers that Westerners have heard very little about.

As far as working with the singers and musicians in Kunming is concerned, I've found that the language barrier isn't all that bad. Conducting is the art of the gesture and sometimes you don't need to speak. It has been a very good discipline for me and the musicians.

Tickets for the May 25 concert are available at the Kunming Theater box office and Paul's Shop. Seating options vary in price from 30 to 90 yuan.

Top image: wikipedia
Bottom image: Maggie Dyck]]> Thu, 17 May 2012 12:20:00 +0800 http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2711/interview_howard_dyck http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2708/ngos_provide_free_eye_surgery_in_myanmar cross-border murder and a suspended dam project have strained Myanmar's relations with China. While ties between the two neighbors may be showing some wear, cooperation on a non-governmental level continues to move forward.

One example of this collaboration is a medical mission organized last week by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from both countries.

China Friendship Peace and Development Foundation (CFFPD) and Myanmar Brightness Foundation brought six ophthalmologists and technicians from Yunnan First People's Hospital to Yangon's Myodaw Medical Center. During its visit, the team performed 364 free eye surgeries.

The two NGOs are working to establish a joint vision center in Yangon with the capacity to perform 1,000 cataract surgeries per year. All services offered by the clinic are planned to be free.

An initial investment of three million yuan (US$475,000) by the CFFPD will go towards training Burmese ophthalmologists and updating existing medical facilities in Yangon. The first group of doctors from Myanmar to receive training through this program will visit Kunming in July.

This is the second consecutive year a team of Chinese eye doctors has travelled to Yangon. Last year a total of 248 patients received free eye operations from visiting doctors. Vision correction surgeries are needed but often unaffordable in Myanmar and eye doctors outside of major cities are rare.

Myanmar has one of the highest rates of blindness in the world. More than eight percent of rural residents suffer from cataracts, glaucoma and other afflictions, according to Eyefoundation.org statistics.

Image: filmofilia.com]]> Tue, 15 May 2012 15:50:00 +0800 http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2708/ngos_provide_free_eye_surgery_in_myanmar http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2707/suspected_mekong_murder_mastermind_extradited_to_china
Long associated with organized crime in Southeast Asia, Naw Kham (aka Jai Norkham) was arrested along with six associates in Laos' Bokeo province in late April. He was handed over to Chinese authorities May 10 before being flown to Beijing on a chartered plane, People's Daily is reporting.

Naw Kham is thought to have planned the October 2011 killings of Chinese sailors on the Mekong River. His gang has also been linked to a separate series of extortion, murder and drug cases in the Golden Triangle dating back to 1996.

After facing questioning in Beijing, Naw Kham will be transferred to Yunnan, presumably to stand trial. No specific charges have yet been announced.

Associates of Naw Kham allegedly hijacked two Chinese shipping vessels October 5, 2011, murdered the crewmembers and threw their bodies overboard.

Thai river patrols captured the ships after a 30 minute gun battle with the pirates and discovered 920,000 methamphetamine pills worth 20 million yuan (US$3.22 million). Thai authorities believe the hijackers were using the boats to smuggle drugs further south into Thailand.

Naw Kham was implicated by the Thai army shortly after the killings. The militaries of China, Thailand, Laos and Burma began joint naval patrols of the Mekong in response to the murders.

A spokesman for the Chinese government credited enhanced cooperation between the four countries for Naw Kham's capture.

Image: CNTV]]> Mon, 14 May 2012 14:25:00 +0800 http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2707/suspected_mekong_murder_mastermind_extradited_to_china http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2706/video_puzhehei_music_festival photo snapshot of the Puzhehei Warm Spring Music Festival. Kunming based video production company TY Film just published a 5:00 feature video showcasing the Karst mountains and wetlands of Puzhehei (普者黑), followed by a beautifully shot overview of the music festival.

youku

GoKunming is looking forward to the next major event Buddha Feet (佛脚) will spearhead. The event organizer has told GoKunming to expect more music festivals following later this year.

Image: TY Film]]> Fri, 11 May 2012 10:45:00 +0800 http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2706/video_puzhehei_music_festival http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2700/cba_star_stephon_marbury_visits_xishuangbanna Menghai, Xishaungbanna got a rare treat on May 7, when they were visited by a star player from the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).

Stephon Marbury, known as 马布里 in China, spent the day meeting children at a local primary school. He played basketball, signed autographs and donated shoes and sportswear to the school, Titan 24 reported.

The two-time National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star also conducted informal basketball drills and played one-on-one with students before watching a game between local teams.

The visit was part of a charity trip organized by China Social Welfare Foundation which works to help underprivileged and impoverished children in China.

The foundation is using basketball's immense popularity in China as a way to raise awareness and money for its educational initiatives. In July the foundation will host a mainland basketball tour by current NBA players. Sixteen NBA stars, including China's adopted son Jeremy Lin, will participate in the charity events.

Marbury has been playing basketball in China since 2009 following a 13-year career in the NBA. He currently plays for the Beijing Ducks, and led the team to their first CBA championship earlier this year.

His fame in China grew enormously as his Beijing team played their way into the finals while he wrote several guest columns for the People's Daily.

High-profile visits to Yunnan by professional basketball players have been rare since the Yunnan Honghe Bulls were kicked out of the CBA in 2009 for financial improprieties.

Image: yninfo.com]]> Wed, 09 May 2012 12:00:00 +0800 http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2700/cba_star_stephon_marbury_visits_xishuangbanna http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2699/jinning_county_disappearances_possibly_linked_to_slave_labor Jinning county residents have been shaken as several local adolescents and adults have inexplicably vanished.

Global Times is reporting that six people between the ages of 12 and 22 have disappeared since January 2011, with the most recent case occurring on April 25th. The missing persons are all young men from the town of Jincheng (晋城), which is 30 kilometers south of Kunming.

Police could not find any reason that the missing boys and men would have run away from home and could not uncover any evidence of foul play. However, in April a man who had disappeared from Jincheng returned to his parent's home after escaping forced labor at a brick factory.

Lei Yusheng was dragged into a car on April 7 by two men armed with a sword. He was taken to a factory and forced to make bricks with other captives for ten hours a day until he escaped on April 25. Media reports have yet to mention if Lei has identified his captors or the location of their brickyard.

Lei's story has led townspeople and police in Jincheng to believe the other victims could have been forced into similar circumstances. The Kunming Public Security Bureau dispatched officers to Jinning county on May 3 to assist in the investigation.

Illegal brick factories and their links to forced labor were also in the news in 2010, when 24 people were freed from a 'black' brickyard in Shilin county, Yunnan.

In an unrelated kidnapping case also from Jinning county, a boy was held for ransom for ten days. Five men where demanding two million yuan (US$318,000) for the boy's safe release before they were arrested by local police on May 4. The boy has since been reunited with his family.

Photo: Xinmin.cn]]> Tue, 08 May 2012 12:50:00 +0800 http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2699/jinning_county_disappearances_possibly_linked_to_slave_labor http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2698/getting_away_vang_vieng Vang Vieng, Laos was a tranquil and less frequented destination for travelers in Southeast Asia. As more tourists became aware of its lagoons, caves and Karst mountains, Vang Vieng quickly transformed into a rolling frat party centered around tubing down the Nam Song River.

It is now a place where 'magic' pizzas are on all the menus and backpackers walk down the dust filled streets covered in body paint. The music in the bars starts at 11:00am and doesn't stop until the wee hours of the morning.

We decided to forego the party scene and spend a day exploring Vang Vieng's natural beauty and do some caving. To get there we took a four hour bus from Vientiane. Buses to Vang Vieng from Luang Prabang cost 100,000 kip (80 yuan).



The Vang Vieng Organic Mulberry Farm, where we stayed, is four kilometers from the city center. Baby goats wandered through the mulberry fields while we checked into our room. Not surprisingly, the farm's restaurant has delicious goat cheese as well as mulberry pancakes and shakes.


The farm is a quiet haven that feels like a throwback to a different time. Many guests volunteer to help out on the farm or teach in a nearby village called Phoudindaeng.

Ironically, mulberry farm owner Thanongsi Sorangkoun started the now famous inner tube trips as a way for volunteers at his farm to relax. It proved to be so popular that local bars followed suit and tubing became one of the biggest reasons Vang Vieng evolved from sleepy town to party city.



We woke before sunrise the next morning and rented a hot air balloon at Green Discovery in Vang Vieng for 557,000 kip (440 yuan). For an hour we drifted silently over the town and out into the countryside, passing over the thatched roof houses that line the Nam Song River.

Safely back on the ground, we rented motorbikes for 40,000 kip (32 yuan) and headed out to explore a 33 kilometer forest trail that led to numerous caverns and lagoons. Distance on the trail is marked on roadside telephone poles and at pole number 24 we stopped to hike up to Tham Khan Cave.

The trail to the cave passed under cliffs, through the forest and finally led up to a craggy nest of rocks that was utterly deserted.



We put on our head lamps and ventured into the darkness. A narrow passageway barely wide enough for one person was the first obstacle. From there we ducked under jutting rocks and at one point got on our bellies to wiggle through a long tunnel. We emerged from the cave grinning and sweaty 20 minutes later.

Continuing down the road we next stopped at the Blue Lagoon, which along with a nearby cave, is the most famous landmark on the trail. Along the way locals stopped to tell us not to be fooled by signs advertising other "blue lagoons" where the water in question was often more of a mud hole than an actual place to swim.

The lagoon is hidden behind a small village where weavers displayed their crafts on the side of the road. The water was aquamarine and streaks of sunlight danced on its surface.

Tied to a tree growing over the water was a rope swing from which tourists and locals took turns diving into the deep water.



Tham Phu Kham Cave is a few hundred meters away from the lagoon and it's a steep climb to get there. Inside the cave there is a huge open chamber with a golden Buddha reclining on a platform.

Behind the Buddha, the real caving experience begins. There are guides and headlamps available for a small fee but we had brought our own lamps and decided to wander the cave ourselves. There were no marked paths, signs or handrails and exploring the cave was simultaneously disorienting and exhilarating.



By the time we left Tham Phu Kham it was nearly dark and our motorbikes were due back at the shop. Somewhat grudgingly we drove back into town. We had only scheduled a day in Vang Vieng, but now that we were there we could not imagine leaving.

Getting there:
There are no direct flights to Vang Vieng but Lao Airlines and China Eastern both have daily flights from Kunming to Vientiane. From Vientiane one can book a bus or car, both of which cost 50,000 kip (40 yuan) per person. Vang Vieng is a four hour drive north from Vientiane and the road is extremely pitted and bumpy.

Vang Vieng is a 6-8 hour bus ride from Luang Prabang and tickets cost 100,000 kip (80 yuan). There are currently no direct flights linking Luang Prabang to Kunming. However, there is a bus that takes around 28 hours and leaves from Kunming's South Bus Station.

There are also daily direct flights between Jinghong and Luang Prabang.]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 14:30:00 +0800 http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2698/getting_away_vang_vieng