Blogs from Yuxi, Yunnan, China, Asia

A slow heart beat distant away in Eshan area they celebrate Kaixinjie during Lunar new year. I made it to Tadian this year for the festival. In tradition...local traders and merchants wouldn't start their business before the dragons and parade roaming through the street in town trailing with blasting fire cracker. Well...in this commercial economic, some shops even service through new year. Nowaday Kaixinjia became a symbol for new economy for tourism(if it really work!), as they had created a God of Drum, and present a ceremony to worship it. because the drum dance is one of the activity they can do best and very proud of, so...it is very reasonable and logical for the Chinese to came up with the idea of a God of Drum as their ancestor, otherwise...how could they be that good ... read more

Eshan is one of the less known county in Yuxi region where live mostly Yi people, and they have a tradition to celebrate the first market after Chinese Newyear. Kaixinjie is popular in Dalongtan, Fuliangpeng and Tadian. People would not start business until the date of Kaixinjie in the old day, also there would be many activities like,dragon dance, lion dance, lantern show etc. I came to Fuliangpeng this year for Kaixinjie, a very busy market, after those standard reception and official lunch, the celebration began with a chanting by an Yi shaman, asking for a best year for business. There are about 10 dragons came participated this year, together with loaded of pretty Yi girls making dance, it was quite a preformance. Then they all marching out to the market, made the already congested street ... read more

The foreign Christmas party and Teachers going away.... read more

Here's an entry from the cultural side of the ledger: Chinese Disco Chinese Discos (the ones I've been to in Yunnan, at least) are not like discos in the west. Dancefloor? Don't make me laugh. There's room to dance, but with enough room for 3 people at a time, max. Mostly, it's tables full of beer bottles with drinking games going on, and oh yes, lots of cigarette smoking. And every hour or so there's a performance with karaoke style singing with dancers backing the singers. At the Babi club, their singers aren't half bad. And I've got to admit, it's a fun 10 or 15 minutes, sometimes. On Monday the 20th, after Chinese class, my friend called with a half question, half announcement. Do I want to DJ at the Babi Club Friday and Saturday ... read more

My school manager got married... read more