In Chinese western-style teas are known as 红茶 (hongcha) or "red tea", though in English the same category of teas are known as "black tea". Indeed, this type is grown right here in Yunnan and should not be any worse than the Sri Lankan or Nilgiri teas. In fact, those are almost certainly blended between multiple estates, whereas Chinese tea producers may not take that approach. Anyway check out en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_tea#Varieties for some ideas of what to ask for more specifically than 'hongcha'. Probably Xiefei can weigh in here, he knows a lot about tea and used to work in the industry.
At last check you can get a cargo boat from Guanlei (southwest of Menglun), you don't have to backtrack all the way to Jinghong for the tourist boat. It's never been something a lot of people do, but it was possible. Great trip, too. If you get a boat middayish, it's an overnight trip, very memorable. Excellent jungle, occasional villages, lots of butterflies, lovely scenery.
I can believe that. Apparently it's common here to feed them hormones and fertilizer to make them grow faster and/or bud/flower. Searching online it seems the American growers are in to this as well. Chemicals: for when nature's not good enough!
I brought quite a few orchids (apparently two different species) back from Wenshan last week. After repotting/grafting them on to logs yesterday, I'm wondering if anyone else here keeps them successfully and may be interested to trade species or info. It looks like you can buy cheap ones on Taobao for as little as 8元 but they are not endemic to Yunnan. I remember years ago I saw a little store with orchid-growing books in the old Bird and Flower Market, actually bought one but it's in storage on another continent and I'm sure the shop is long gone.
Laos officials at other Laos borders will usually be quite relaxed or, if necessary, take money to overlook problems if you know how to present cash without incriminating them. Therefore, I would not worry about Laos... if you get unlucky you can still solve the problem. However, I would worry about China. You are best to get a new passport ASAP.
You can stay on either side of the border, but not in-between.
Báiyá City (白崖城; lit. 'White Cliff (Walled) City') is in Bólòngchuān (勃弄川; lit. 'Flourishing Lane River-Plain'), which was loyal (to China) during the Tianbao era (ie. 742-756), and possesses cities and east-facing lands, and has five prefectures and cities in total.
It is built against the mountain to provide walled defence, with a height of 10 zhang (ie. 33m). All four sides channel water around the city, which only has gates opening to the north and south.
In the southern corner lies the old city, which is two li (ie. 700m) in circumference.
In the northeast corner lies the new city, which was newly built by Géluófèng (閣羅鳳) in the 7th year of the Dali reign (ie. ~778-779).
It is four li (ie. ~1.2km) in circumference.
Outside of the northern gate lies Cízhúcóng (慈竹叢; lit. 'Merciful Bamboo Thicket'), each as thick as a man's lower leg, and 100 chǐ (ie. ~33m) in height.
Inside is the official reception building of Géluófèng (閣羅鳳), with decorated corridors and crooked halls. Behind the main hall lies a courtyard verdant with orange trees and a view over the northern wall.
Inside of the old city is a pond of over 300 paces' circumference, inside of which is a multi-storied building inside of which is said to be a stockpile of armour and weapons.
The river plain stretches more than 20 li (ie. ~6.5km) east to west, and more than 100 li (ie. ~33km) north to south.
Beneath the Qīngpíngguān (清平官; lit. 'Site of just and peaceful governance'), the government divides the land in to fields, all of which are cultivated.
The numerous kin of Nánzhào (南詔) also reside near the city.
20 li to the south lies Mánzichéng (蠻子城; lit. 'the city of the Barbarian (or possibly Barbarian prince)'), which is the former residence of the many younger brothers and extensive family of Géluófèng (閣羅鳳).
Directly southward is Kāinán City (開南城), which is 11 days' journey.
I am surprised that the article does not include the back-story for this market. I will give my own account from memory.
Until about 2007 or so, there was a very large covered market next to the railway tracks at the bottom of Hongshan Dong Lu in the corner of what is now the Banzhucuiyuan development, stretching back to approximately the modern location of McDonalds. It was also in what appeared to be a (roughly) converted factory.
When that market was closed down to make way for the Banzhucuiyuan development (stretching all the way across to Jianshe Lu), the vendors emerged along both sides of the Hongshan Dong Lu hill, and over the last few years the market grew up to its significant size.
At about the same time that the old market by the railway was shuttered (~2007ish, give or take a couple of years) a similarly locally significant market in Sujiatang (beneath the north-eastern end of Hongshan) was also shuttered. That market was (almost) on the corner of Jianshe Lu and Xuefu Lu.
With no real markets available, locals are being force to travel longer distances for their fruits and vegetables. This is compounded by the fact that Hongshan is ringed by one way streets - Dianmian Dadao and Xuefu Lu - and is probably a significant burden on older people who cannot easily carry large amounts of food.
The market at the top of Xuefu Lu has probably been one beneficiary, and was itself renovated and greatly improved last year (2016).
As a result of this market's removal, I would not be surprised to see the Hongshan Nan Lu market renovated this year as it's not really up to standards as far as cleanliness and drainage go.
There is some speculation that the removal of the Hongshan Dong Lu market is to prepare the road to be a larger thoroughfare from Xuefu Lu which is alleged to be under the process of being converted to a two way street (as well as having a metro line installed beneath it). Who knows how many years until this is all complete?
I recently acquired an aerial panorama of the area taken to document the airfield in the 1940s. If you are interested you can PM me to arrange a viewing.
From an ancient perspective, this was the road connecting India to Yunnan, interesting for a few reasons. For example, one modern theory from a respected academic is that the very name China derives not from the Qin Dynasty as often suggested, but from the description of the Yelang Kingdom in their own language as reached by Indian traders and travelers in antiquity. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinas for more information on that theory. Secondly, the Nanzhao Kingdom (Yunnan's very own regional empire) is known to have maintained contact with South and Southeast Asian powers along this route, including trade and the probable transmission of Buddhist religious philosophy. Finally, multiple East Asian Buddhist pilgrims to India are known to have traversed this route, important in the history of Mahayana Buddhism and the development and maintenance of Sanskrit literacy in ancient China.
@Alien: The important thing about Heshun, which the article failed to mention, is that it was the site of the first private museum in Yunnan... amusing food for thought given your comment of the town-to-museum transformation.
I visited many years ago, before the last decade of modern development, and it was indeed a very pleasant town preserving significant courtyard architecture.
Even from my incomplete survey then, there are certainly quite a few such towns around Tengchong, not only Heshun. At least one to the southeast.
@Peter99: Heshun is a village southwest of the city of Tengchong (formerly known as Tengyuan), and is quite distinct from it. I don't think there was a huge amount of casual travel southwest to Burma during most of history as the jungles were malarial, so I would be interested to hear what your source on Tibetan vistitations may be. AFAIK from visiting, even the Heshun natives would traditionally go make their money in Burma (through jade, gems, opium, etc.) then return to Heshun in old age - not come and go during their lives, presumably largely for this reason.
@nailer is being unfairly dismissed: they are certainly fallible. At one point they were well managed and the only game in town, and their outdoor bar had an interesting social vibe. Recently, none of these is the case (was given a bad bill to the tune of ~300% - no managers present and a subsequent complaint resulted in a less than ideal outcome, many more places are now open, and the outdoor bar is closed). Unless you are specifically seeking faux-Americana (often far better examples elsewhere) or two degrees removed faux-Mexicana, there's little reason to go there. How come French Cafe can serve a great sandwich for 24元 but Sals requires 50元 for a pretend-exoticized nibble? Certainly the business will continue, but the hey-dey is clearly gone. Romaniticizing the past aint gonna help. E-waste recycling by shipping (non carbon neutral) junk across the country? Puh-lease. Garbage processing people here recycle anyway! I applaud the ethical stance of one of the managers, but the place has frankly lost its mojo.
Called the number provided on a Friday at 2:15PM while a 10% discount was advertised "on Friday and Saturday" (listed in GoKunming specials).
A Chinese person answered the 'English' phone number in Mandarin then explained in broken English that you need to order 3 hours in advance. (Subtext: As their business is so slow)
Grumble. False advertising. Waste of time. Seems 100% Chinese run. Probably bad pizza.
The listing here is wrong! Teresa's are not defunct, they are just back to being one store instead of two stores on Wenlinjie now! They are still in business, still answer on this phone number, and are still delivering! Points for consistency, it's been years! As of right now, it's 68元 for the more toppings vegetarian at the largest size. They will do thin or thick crust. Yes, it's not to everyone's taste, but I always used to find adding dried chilli powder and some extra salt brought it up to tasty. Might go for a dash of Sichuan pepper oil to spice it up this time around. (You know you've been in China too long when...)
Honestly, I wish them the best of luck, but I do think the staff are poorly managed and the owners have the wrong attitude and a clear lack of experience in service-oriented business. While the pizza is OK, everything else I have tried (including overnight stay) can be had cheaper and better elsewhere, and the pizza at Roccos is better in my opinion. The service has always fluctuated between acceptable to don't care.
Since they don't have their situation resolved yet, and it has been a few years, I have made the decision not to go there anymore or send anyone else. It's just not worth the hassle, given the crappy location (masked as private or lost). Better pizza with more quiet and privacy on Roccos' terraces.
Remains of lost 1100 year-old city discovered in Yunnan
Posted byMy translation of the portion of the Manshu regarding Baiya over here: en.wikisource.org/wiki/Translation:Manshu/Chapter_5
Báiyá City (白崖城; lit. 'White Cliff (Walled) City') is in Bólòngchuān (勃弄川; lit. 'Flourishing Lane River-Plain'), which was loyal (to China) during the Tianbao era (ie. 742-756), and possesses cities and east-facing lands, and has five prefectures and cities in total.
It is built against the mountain to provide walled defence, with a height of 10 zhang (ie. 33m). All four sides channel water around the city, which only has gates opening to the north and south.
In the southern corner lies the old city, which is two li (ie. 700m) in circumference.
In the northeast corner lies the new city, which was newly built by Géluófèng (閣羅鳳) in the 7th year of the Dali reign (ie. ~778-779).
It is four li (ie. ~1.2km) in circumference.
Outside of the northern gate lies Cízhúcóng (慈竹叢; lit. 'Merciful Bamboo Thicket'), each as thick as a man's lower leg, and 100 chǐ (ie. ~33m) in height.
Inside is the official reception building of Géluófèng (閣羅鳳), with decorated corridors and crooked halls. Behind the main hall lies a courtyard verdant with orange trees and a view over the northern wall.
Inside of the old city is a pond of over 300 paces' circumference, inside of which is a multi-storied building inside of which is said to be a stockpile of armour and weapons.
The river plain stretches more than 20 li (ie. ~6.5km) east to west, and more than 100 li (ie. ~33km) north to south.
Beneath the Qīngpíngguān (清平官; lit. 'Site of just and peaceful governance'), the government divides the land in to fields, all of which are cultivated.
The numerous kin of Nánzhào (南詔) also reside near the city.
20 li to the south lies Mánzichéng (蠻子城; lit. 'the city of the Barbarian (or possibly Barbarian prince)'), which is the former residence of the many younger brothers and extensive family of Géluófèng (閣羅鳳).
Directly southward is Kāinán City (開南城), which is 11 days' journey.
Hongshan outdoor street market closes permanently
Posted byI am surprised that the article does not include the back-story for this market. I will give my own account from memory.
Until about 2007 or so, there was a very large covered market next to the railway tracks at the bottom of Hongshan Dong Lu in the corner of what is now the Banzhucuiyuan development, stretching back to approximately the modern location of McDonalds. It was also in what appeared to be a (roughly) converted factory.
When that market was closed down to make way for the Banzhucuiyuan development (stretching all the way across to Jianshe Lu), the vendors emerged along both sides of the Hongshan Dong Lu hill, and over the last few years the market grew up to its significant size.
At about the same time that the old market by the railway was shuttered (~2007ish, give or take a couple of years) a similarly locally significant market in Sujiatang (beneath the north-eastern end of Hongshan) was also shuttered. That market was (almost) on the corner of Jianshe Lu and Xuefu Lu.
With no real markets available, locals are being force to travel longer distances for their fruits and vegetables. This is compounded by the fact that Hongshan is ringed by one way streets - Dianmian Dadao and Xuefu Lu - and is probably a significant burden on older people who cannot easily carry large amounts of food.
The market at the top of Xuefu Lu has probably been one beneficiary, and was itself renovated and greatly improved last year (2016).
As a result of this market's removal, I would not be surprised to see the Hongshan Nan Lu market renovated this year as it's not really up to standards as far as cleanliness and drainage go.
There is some speculation that the removal of the Hongshan Dong Lu market is to prepare the road to be a larger thoroughfare from Xuefu Lu which is alleged to be under the process of being converted to a two way street (as well as having a metro line installed beneath it). Who knows how many years until this is all complete?
Getting Away: Ancient and little-explored Yunnanyi
Posted byLovely article. There is some text about Yunnanyi in the Manshu I am translating, at en.wikisource.org/wiki/Translation:Manshu/Chapter_6
I recently acquired an aerial panorama of the area taken to document the airfield in the 1940s. If you are interested you can PM me to arrange a viewing.
Heshun: Old school charm in western Yunnan
Posted byFrom an ancient perspective, this was the road connecting India to Yunnan, interesting for a few reasons. For example, one modern theory from a respected academic is that the very name China derives not from the Qin Dynasty as often suggested, but from the description of the Yelang Kingdom in their own language as reached by Indian traders and travelers in antiquity. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinas for more information on that theory. Secondly, the Nanzhao Kingdom (Yunnan's very own regional empire) is known to have maintained contact with South and Southeast Asian powers along this route, including trade and the probable transmission of Buddhist religious philosophy. Finally, multiple East Asian Buddhist pilgrims to India are known to have traversed this route, important in the history of Mahayana Buddhism and the development and maintenance of Sanskrit literacy in ancient China.
@Alien: The important thing about Heshun, which the article failed to mention, is that it was the site of the first private museum in Yunnan... amusing food for thought given your comment of the town-to-museum transformation.
I visited many years ago, before the last decade of modern development, and it was indeed a very pleasant town preserving significant courtyard architecture.
Even from my incomplete survey then, there are certainly quite a few such towns around Tengchong, not only Heshun. At least one to the southeast.
@Peter99: Heshun is a village southwest of the city of Tengchong (formerly known as Tengyuan), and is quite distinct from it. I don't think there was a huge amount of casual travel southwest to Burma during most of history as the jungles were malarial, so I would be interested to hear what your source on Tibetan vistitations may be. AFAIK from visiting, even the Heshun natives would traditionally go make their money in Burma (through jade, gems, opium, etc.) then return to Heshun in old age - not come and go during their lives, presumably largely for this reason.
Celebrating a Miao Christmas in Yunnan
Posted byLet's see an Islamic equivalent for next year!