Sebrina and Justin

Most of the below listed things about Yunnan were considered weird by the rest of China. Supposedly, there were originally 18 famous peculiarities, but my internet searches have found about 30. Although some of the things are no longer that common, they still shed light on the uniqueness of this province.

1. Eggs sold by the cord. Eggs are traditionally sold by binding them together into a woven straw cord. This packing protects them from breaking and allows them to be easily transported.

2. Rice cakes. They are made of steamed rice that is pounded, roasted, and topped with a special sauce. This convenient and delicious snack is named 饵块 (ěr kuài), which sounds like ‘ear chunk’.

3. Three mosquitoes make a meal. In the forests and grass lands of Yunnan, mosquitoes can grow to be rather large.

4. Stones reach out of the sky. Stone Forest is one of nature’s most incredible works of art. It is a karst formation and one of 28 geoparks recognized by UNESCO.

5. Pot lids resemble straw hats. Traditional pot lids are woven from straw or bamboo strips, just like many other everyday items: shoes, fans, hats and baskets. These lids are believed to make rice taste even more delicious and retain its freshness.

6. Seasonal clothing worn anytime. The mild climate and barely noticeable temperature changes allow people to dress without regard for the season.

7. Grannies are the expert farmers. The abundant fertile land, mountainous terrain and distinct cultural circumstances forced Yunnan women to be more skilled and resourceful. Many times, women were the primary farmers while men engage in other endeavors.

8. Bamboo water pipe. The traditional pipe in Yunnan is about 1 meter long and up to ten centimeter in diameter. It retains the dried tobacco’s fragrance and mellowness, and its water filters out impurities. It also makes a pleasant gurgling sound. People said that during the Japanese resistance (1940s), a military unit from Yunnan carried these bamboo pipes on their backs to frontline. Their enemies mistook them for a new type of weapon and were horrified. The unit hence won the name “Army with Double Guns “.

9. The mini-horse is very strong. Locally born domestic animals are small. However, they carry heavy loads and climb mountains much easier than expected.

10. Grasshoppers go well with alcohol. Grasshoppers make delicious treats. Fry them to golden brown and then chew slowly.

11. Fresh melons and vegetables are available throughout the year. Because the land is fertile and the climate is temperate, fresh vegetables are available year round.

12. Yunnan’s best smokes are not for sale locally. Yunnan is famous for its tobacco and high quality cigarettes. Although you may occasionally see someone smoking them, the best brands can’t be found in local shops.

13. Plants and herbs are sold everywhere. Many invaluable things are found only in the mountains of Yunnan. They can now also be found in local shops.

14. Trains are slower than cars. Almost everywhere else in China, it is more common to travel by train than bus. Here however, it is easier to build roads than train tracks due to the rugged mountain passes. Therefore, more people travel by bus, which is faster and more convenient.

15. Men baby-sit. In Yunnan, a “Model Husband & Outstanding Father” means that a man takes care of his wife and children more than himself. It is therefore common to find fathers baby-sitting or carrying babies in baby-carriers.

16. Fairy caves. In recent years, more and more limestone caves have been discovered. Each seems bigger and more beautiful than the last.

17. Over-the-bridge rice-noodles. This is Yunnan’s most famous dish. A large bowl of boiling-hot chicken broth is served with a plate of raw meats, vegetables, and rice-noodles. At the table, the plate’s contents are placed into the broth to cook before eating. Legend says that the dish was invented by a devoted wife who carried food everyday to her husband who was studying for the imperial exam on a remote island. Since she had to walk a long distance and cross a bridge to get to him, the food was usually cold by the time she arrived. By reheating the broth on the island and then adding other ingredient, the husband was able to enjoy warm meals.

18. Flowers year round. Many parts of Yunnan are thought to have an eternal spring. Even its capital, Kunming, is called “Spring City”. As a result, flowers bloom year round and are becoming one of the main economic industries here.

19. Granny beats the monkey at climbing. The rugged terrain of Yunnan has caused its people to become expert mountain hikers.

20. Toes never hide. Some people from the mountainous areas wear straw shoes with open toes all year round due to the mild climate. Supposedly, it is also much more comfortable for climbing mountains or trekking.

21. Monks with girlfriend. In southern Yunnan, all boys have to be a temporary monk for a year, during that time, their love for their girlfriends may continue.

22. Marriage with baby on the back. Some ethnic groups have traditions like separation after a few days together, and marriage only when a baby is born.

23. Tea leaves sold in piles. People traditionally traded by estimating quantities instead of using precise weights. The Jinpo minority group in Luxi county still sell tea leaves by the pile instead of using scales.

24. Trains lead to a foreign country instead of domestic destinations. At the end of Qing dynasty (1911), there was only one railway in Yunnan. Instead of accessing other parts of China, it only led to Hanoi, Vietnam. People had to go abroad in order to make their way back to other provinces in China. The railway was built by the French from 1903 to 1910 and more than 50,000 people lost their lives during the construction. The railway existed until a few years ago.

25. Different weather on each side of a hill. The complicated plateau geography makes the weather inconsistent and fickle. Often it rains on one slope of a hill while the other is sunny.

26. Pine leaf for firewood. The residents of Yunnan have long used leaves instead of wood as a burning material.

27. Young girls are called granny: A polite way to address unmarried young girls in Xiaguan and Chuxiong is to call them granny. It is said that such an expression denotes a wish of goodwill and good health.

28. Shoes with mud flaps: Local women use an extra embroidered piece on the heel of their shoes. It is a decoration and functions as a mudguard.

29. Girls wear tobacco purses. The Lisu minority females have a habit of smoking and chewing tobacco and hence hang tobacco bags on their waist belts.

30. Women wear keys. The Dai women in southern Yunnan like wearing long skirts with silver belts on which keys are hung. It is a rule that only married women are allowed to hang keys. The keys show that one in capable of running a household.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 31st, 2006 at 12:04 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.