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Yunnan 18 Oddities

Yunnan is famous for it's Eighteen Oddities (云南十八怪 Yúnnán Shíbā Guài) - peculiar or unusual cultural facts, customs or foodstuffs which set this south-western border province apart from the rest of China. The Oddities are very much a product of Yunnan’s varied physical geography (from Tibetan highland to tropical Xishuangbanna), climate, remoteness from the Chinese heartland, and the influence of the many minority ethnic groups who inhabit the region. They contribute to making Yunnan one of the most alluring travel destinations in China.

 

In the course of the research for this web page we discovered that no two sources agree on exactly which are the official 18 Oddities - it seems that there may actually be more than 30 peculiar things about Yunnan, depending on which promotional material you read!

 

As a charming spot in motherland , Yunnan is so rich in natural resources to be reputed as "Animal Kingdom " , "Plant Kingdom" and "Non-ferrous Metal Kingdom ". Twenty-five kindhearted , hospitable and plain minority nationalities have been offered favourable living conditions by this vast red -soil highland . Its fasinating scenery , delightful climate and culture attract a large number of visitors from home and abroad . At present Yunnan has become a well known tourist city in China .

 

Since ancient times , old generations has combined history and culture with their wisdom , diligence , honesty and bravery on this red -soil lan , no sooner has one fallen than another steps into the breach .

 

Yunnan is situated in high and mountainous border land with a varity of living surroundings and landshapes that gradually formed colourful customs and culture . As strangers know little about these customs , " the Eighteen odds " have been spread far and wide long before . However , the increasing communication and developing economy have made "the Eighteen odds " a past story . We collected and introduce them to you to let them detect and understand Yunnan minority customs , history and civilization so to arouse people to ardently love every and all mountains and waters of Yunnan .

  • Oddity 8 Cars travel in the clouds. 06/23 16:07

    Roads wind up along colossal and precipitous mountains. Fog spreads all over the top of mountains, making one feel like they are placed upon clouds in fairyland. With its steep mountainous terrain, Yunnan is home to many steep winding roads which pass high over the mist-covered mountains, though many of these time-consuming routes are now being replaced by high-speed “expressways” with tunnels, sweeping viaducts and impressively high bridges.

  • Oddity 7 Rainy Here but Sunny There 06/23 15:58

    Yunnan possesses a plateau climate as changeable as a kid’s face, since rain and wind come and go without one knowing. A popular saying goes like this, “Weather varies within a circumference of ten lis (Li is a Chinese unit of half a kilometer) and winter comes once it rains.” Even in the same area, one often sees rain here and sees sunshine in another place.

  • Oddity 6 The same clothes are worn for all four seasons. 06/23 15:47

    The weather in most parts of Yunnan is always like that of spring, so the alternation of seasons is not obvious. This means people dress themselves without distinct seasonal characteristics.

  • Oddity 5 Food called “Ear Piece” or Erkuai. 06/23 15:38

    ”Ear Piece” is the literal translation of erkuai, a local culinary specialty made of processed, cooked, compressed rice. Erkuai can be boiled, stir-fried (see below, centre), or barbequed 

  • Oddity 4 Bamboo used for smoking pipes. 06/23 15:31

    A popular local way to inhale burning tobacco is through a water-filled metre long bamboo tube (yan tong). Why so popular? Because the water purifies the smoke and removes the cancer-inducing elements! Of course – how stupid of us! Golden thread tobacco is burnt in a cup-topped tube at the base of the pipe. The resonant gurgling noise which accompanies an inhalation is all part of the experience, for smoker and observer alike!

  • Oddity 3 Three mosquitoes make up a dish. 06/23 15:27

    Southern Yunnan’s mosquitoes are so large that it is said that just three of these insects is enough to make a meal! This Oddity may also be a reference to the consumption of insects as a delicacy at the banquet table. Grasshoppers, bees, bee larvae, bamboo grubs (see below), pond nymphs, etc. are all eaten with gusto. There are non poisonous mosquitoes with long legs in Yunnan .They look so big at the first glance that outsiders say three mosquitoes make up a dish for fun.

  • Oddity 2 Straw hats are used as pot lids. 06/23 15:22

    The abundance of bamboo and rice straw in Yunnan means a thriving cottage industry manufacturing eco-friendly baskets, shoes, chairs, fans, brooms … and pot lids, most often used on rice steamers (see below).Hardworking and honest countrymen weave every day necessities shoes , fans , hats , baskets , cooker covers and so on with bamboo and paddy stems .

  • Oddity 1 Eggs are sold in bundles 06/23 15:16

    Free-range duck eggs (below left) or hen eggs (below right, tu jidan) from the countryside are tied up in longitudinal bundles with rice straw or thin bamboo strips – this protects them on the journey to market.
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