Of the 4 articles I contributed to ChinaNU+ in 2023, 3 were about Yun Nan. No wonder my friend and editor-in-chief asked me why that was. I could not dismiss this question with a simple answer because it is completely personal.
My karma with Yun Nan goes back to a trip in August 2001, when I was en route from Singapore to Amsterdam. Most impressive of all was the peaceful and ancient aura embodied by the ancient city of Lijiang Dayan, as well as the delicious wild mushrooms in every dish. I was intrigued by the story of “The Lost Land of Daughters” but could not visit the Lugu Lake area due to summer rains. Instead, we went hiking in the Tiger Leaping Gorge. My memory of that period was literally black and white as I shot a few rolls of film full with my rugged Canon F-1, a model very popular among photojournalists at the time.
My last encounter with Yun Nan was in 2011 when I was working on a hotel project at the foot of Cangshan (Black Mountain) in Dali. I was enchanted by the colorful and constantly changing clouds and tried to incorporate them visually into the design of the hotel and artifacts. Since then, I became a fan of Yun Nan and not only had the urge to explore more, but also to share my stories with others. After all, where is the joy in keeping everything to yourself?
Yun Nan province is home to 25 ethnic minorities, and geographically functions as a border area in China. Dali is my favorite city and the starting point to explore the vibrant minority cultures. In recent years, some of the old towns on the shores of Lake Erha have been greatly developed into tourist hotspots; a real shame. But for me, the convenience of the airport and high-speed train station in Dali makes it a hub to quickly get to other areas that are less developed and less explored. I must admit that authenticity and culture are well preserved in those areas, undisturbed by greedy capital.
Today, Weishan is the center of the autonomous county of the Yi tribe. Its civilization began during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. As a political power, it was the Yi tribe that conquered, unified and then controlled the entire Yun Nan region and became an ally of the Tang Dynasty. With this, the Yi tribe established a grand and cultured kingdom called Nan Zhao Kingdom, and this was before the Dali Kingdom in the Song Dynasty. Both kingdoms were united with the Han Chinese, China’s largest ethnic group. Much exchange took place between these groups including in culture and religion. Only during the Ming Dynasty, when many Han Chinese migrated to Weishan, was the city built in the traditional style with a 2 km long central street that stretched in all directions to form a chessboard. In addition, there are also two pavilions at each end of the central street. The famous Tea & Horse Road in the Qing Dynasty made this area prosperous. Weishan became the trading hub of Yun Nan, with 3 major routes to Xi’an to Beijing, Tibet and Nepal, and south to Myanmar. In my mind the old days revived, when the facades bore heavy wooden signs decorated with names stamped in gold. Through the streets, horses pulled heavy carts past the stores.
A local woman smashed olives on the street to remove the core for preservation.
The traditional hand-printed posters of the old wooden molds contain wishes for health and wealth, fertility and long life.
You can step into any courtyard and look around curiously without being turned away.
On the streets you feel a very different atmosphere from those commercialized tourist cities. The shopkeepers and pedestrians all look very local, relaxed and going about their business. Old-fashioned barber stores are busy with customers, and I can see right in because doors and windows are wide open; Old people play a game of chess on the side of the street and others watch; They sip their tea from a cup that seems like it is always full. I feel total freedom the moment I realize that shopkeepers are not offering their goods in my face. I can genuinely enjoy seeing all the beautiful items that catch my attention.
An old man sits like a sculpture in the warm rays of the sun.
Handmade noodles hang out to dry like wax at a local store.
Near Weishan are two famous ancient villages. East Lotus is a Muslim settlement and Zhuomulan a village built by the Yi tribe. East Lotus is easily accessible from the State Road, the road over which the horse caravan used to travel. Still living here are descendants of the Ma family, the clan that had a strong presence in the leadership of several caravans. Three complexes of the Ma family are perfectly preserved; good examples of the building style of the historic period of the Tea & Horse Road. For example, narrow alleys formed by stamped earthen walls can still be seen in the middle of the village. Unexpectedly, a decorative gateway appears with colorful murals, glazed tiles and stone carvings to indicate another area; courtyards connecting alleys; a turret rising above the thick walls and trees. One can only guess how wealthy these caravan leaders were, and how they earned their unparalleled courage and intelligence.
People play chess on the side of the street, in front of a local teahouse.
In contrast, Zhuomulang is hidden from tourists’ view because it is hidden on a narrow single-track dirt road, winding through mountains that make you wonder where the road actually leads. Only a small section of the path is flat, paved with uneven flat stones. Then follows a fairly steep slope to the mountain village. All the houses look dilapidated and abandoned, and dried corn cobs hang under the roof. The peace is disturbed only occasionally by the barking of a dog in the distance. Smoke billows up from the roofs beneath my feet and a cow stares curiously at me from behind a grille window. An old lady dressed in flowered clothes and aprons passes by, the wrinkles on her face betraying her age, wisdom and stories. On her back she carries a huge bunch of hay. It is clear that her clothing is not for show, but is part of her daily routine. This mysterious village is not a tourist spot because there are no restaurants, no hotels and no road signs. The tribal people stick to their ancient lifestyle. The old ladies I meet walk or work quickly in their courtyards without raising even an eyebrow, their manners deliberate and elegant. It is possible that they are descendants of the Nan Zhao Kingdom, those who escaped the war. Perhaps their ancestors were nobles of high rank, which would explain why the women dress in these bold, distinct styles. I loop around the village and leave without leaving a trace, to show respect for the reclusive village.
Another local woman with an embroidered vest over her colorful clothing walks quickly by.
Back in neat and clean Weishan, I better understand what lies behind the surface of the thick layer of cultural sedimentation. It explains to me why people look so different from the countryside and why a well-known bookstore chain chooses precisely the former university, built more than 500 years ago during the Ming Dynasty, for an event. The continuation of historical and cultural context, the development of inheritance and tradition, fit extremely well with how Weishan looks and feels today.
The combination of old structure and newly inserted spaces is hypnotic and fairy-like. It shows a great appreciation for rebirth and regrouping, and continues to grow with it.
A local Yi tribal woman herds her cows.
