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Handicrafts
Handicrafts Woven Out of Bamboo Strips
The Dai people have been tightly bound to bamboo ever since an¬cient times. Therefore, they are very good at weaving handicrafts out of bamboo strips. The Dai people live in a world of bamboo. Most of their houses are built among green bamboo trees. They live in bamboo hous¬es and use self - made bamboo products as their daily facilities, such as beds, walldrobes, tables, stools, mats, baskets, hats, boxes and so on. Among these handicrafts, rice - containers, betel - nut boxes and "baluo" (small baskets) are the most exquisite ones. These are not only essential facilities in their daily life, but also exquisite decora¬tions. "Baluo" are hung on waists and are tokens between lovers. Ev¬ery Dai man is good at making handicrafts out of bamboo strips, just as every Dai woman is good at weaving Dai brocade. The Dai young man will make a "baluo" as elaborately as he can for exchange of a beautiful bag woven by his sweetheart. For this reason, making bamboo handi¬crafts and weaving brocade are regarded as a necessary skill for looking for a sweetheart. A good bamboo handicraft is always painted red in¬side and golden outside, with peacock feather or colorful glazed pat¬terns. They are therefore beautiful and imposing.
Dai Brocade
Dai Brocade is an ancient traditional textile handicraft popular among the Dai people. Every Dai woman is good at weaving it. It is fa¬mous for its exquisite weaving, elegant pattern, bright color, beautiful presentation, durability and strong ethnic styles. Different colors and patterns contain different meanings. For example, red and green sarong shows Dai people' s commemoration of their ancestors, a peacock pat¬tern indicates auspiciousness, and an elephant symbolizes a bumper harvest. Bags made of Dai brocade are the necessities of Dai people as well as tokens between lovers.
Tin Craftworks in Gejiu
Gejiu is a city famous for tin in China. As early as the Ming Dy¬nasty, tin craftworks were already produced there. Tin craftworks are .made of tin of high purity, through the procedures of melting, forging to pieces, cutting, moulding, scraping, assembling, polishing, deco¬rating and carving. As tin is acid - proof, alkali - proof, nonpoi-sonous, tasteless, rust - proof and anticorrosive, containers made of it have the following functions: food in a tin container will not go bad or become stale for a long time; alcoholic drink in a tin vessel is pleasant¬ly cool in summer while it gets warm quickly in winter when it is heat¬ed. For centuries, the craftsmanship of tin craftworks has been devel¬oping and there has been increasing varieties such as drinking vessels, teapots, make - up containers, incense burners, the statues of Buddha and cups. They are exquisite and pleasing but practical and popular. In 1981, adopting merits of relief sculptures and Chinese paintings, craftsmen developed a distinctive new product, a tin painting for indoor decoration, by moulding, welding and decorating. Recently, besides sales in China, export of tin craftworks has been greatly expanded.
Jianshui Violet Pottery
Jianshui Violet Pottery has a long history. According to textual re¬search, there was black pottery in the Song Dynasty, blue flower pot¬tery in the Yan Dynasty, rough pottery in the Ming Dynasty and violet pottery in the Qing Dynasty. Jianshui Violet Pottery has a manufacturing history of at least 900 years. In 1953, at a national folk arts exhi¬bition, Jianshui Violet Pottery ranked as one of the four most famous potteries in China.
Jianshui Violet Pottery, which was first produced in the Qing Dy¬nasty, is made of a filtered violet clay mixed by red, yellow, black, purple and white mud. It must go through the procedures of moulding, drawing, carving, modifying, burning and polishing before it is pro¬cessed into various handicrafts. It is characterized by its refined tex¬ture, pleasing luster, melodious sound, beautiful shapes and simple elegance. There are over a hundred kinds of handicrafts made of Jianshui Violet Pottery such as pots, bottles, basins, tea sets, steam pots and ornaments in studies. Jianshui Violet Pottery has other functions. Tea kept in a Jianshui pottery container will not become stale; tea made in a Jianshui pottery teapot will keep its taste; flowers put in a Jianshui pottery vase will not fade quickly; the roots of flowers planted in a Jianshui pottery flowerpot will not get rotten; food stored in a Jian¬shui pottery container can be kept longer. The famous Yunnan dish "Steampot Chicken is cooked in a steampot made of Jianshui Violet Pottery. The pottery handicrafts have become one of the major exports of the province.
Beverage and Food
Collybia Mushroom
Of all the edible wild fungi in Yunnan, Collybia Mushroom, (jizong in Chinese) is the most precious, because it is rich in protein, iron, calcium, and other ammo acids. It is tender and delicious with a taste of chicken, hence the name. In his famous "Compendium of Materia Medica" , Li Shizheng, a well - known pharmacologist, claimed that" it tastes like chicken and grows in Yunnan". It tastes best while fresh and grows well from June to September. The fresh Jizong goes bad easily. Now the dried, salted and fried Jizong have entered the markets at home and abroad.
Songrong Mushroom (matzitaki)
Songrong mushroom is a kind of precious and edible mushroom, which grows in the mingled forest of pine and broad - leaved trees. Because it is rich in protein, amino acid, various kinds of vitamins and carbohydrates, songrong mushroom works well in treating diabetes as well as cancer, hence the name of "the king of mushrooms". Recently this wild mushroom has been in great demand in the international market. With the favorable conditions in August, September and October, Yunnan, especially the northwest and the central parts of the province, is the very songrong? growing place.
Xuanwei Ham
Xuanwei Ham is reputed as one of the three most famous types of hams in China, the other types being Jinhua Ham from Zhejiang and Rugao Ham from jiangsu. It is named after its producing place?Xuan¬wei of Yunnan Province and is also called Yunnan Han Ham. A local pig called Wumeng Pig is selected as the material, and generally it is pre¬served during the time from me first frost to the spring of the next year. It should experience half a year' s natural fermenting after being pre¬served. It features small bones, thin skins, rich flesh, tender meat, fragrant aroma, and beautiful color. It can be kept for a long time.
The production and sale of Xuanwei Ham has lasted for hundreds of years. In 1909 Pu Zaiting, a folk entrepreneur, started the ham pro¬cessing industry, making tinned ham. The product was sold to foreign countries. In 1915, Xuanwei ham won the gold medal in Panama World Fair and was the first of Yunnan's famous local products enter¬ing the world market. In 1923, in the National Food Exhibition held in Guangzhou, Mr. Sun Yat - sen wrote an inscription for Xuanwei Ham, saying "Yin He Shi De". Ever since then, Xuanwei Ham enjoyed a great popularity around the world, and been sold to Hong Kong, Macao (two regions of China) , and exported to Japan, Southeast Asian coun¬tries and some European countries. Later the factory which produced tins with Xuanwei Ham as the material was named "Dehe Tin Factory after Dr. Sun Yat - sen' s inscription. Now, the packing and produc¬tion skills have been greatly improved with varieties of packing. There is tinned ham and bagged ham with the material carefully chosen and the flavor well - preserved, thus enjoying greater popularity among con¬sumers.
Pu'er Tea
Tea trees are native to Yunnan. After the foundation of the Peple's Republic of China, some "kings of tea trees" more than 30 me¬ters high were discovered in Menghai and Eryuan counties. Yunnan is also one of the oldest tea planting areas in China. According to "An¬nals of Pu＊ er County , the planting and production of tea in Yunnan can date back to as early as the East Han Dynasty, which is 1,700 years from now. Tea in Yunnan varies from Pu'er Tea, Black Tea, Green Tea to Tightly Pressed Tea Lumps. Among them Pu＊er Tea is the most famous. It is renowned for its excellent quality around the world. Cao Xueqin wrote a poem called "Pu'er Tea" and in his famous novel "A Dream of Red Mansions", he mentioned Pu'er Tea, which was referred to as Daughter's Tea. Tolstoy also had descriptions on Pu'er Tea in his world famous novel "War and Peace".
Pu＊ er Tea is produced mainly in the lower reaches of the Lancang River, and Xishuangbanna Prefecture, which all belonged to Pu'er County after the years of the reign of Emperor Yongzheng. Pu' er County was the location of the local government office at that time.
Pu'er Tea can be classified into Maojian (Tea of Buds), Tea of Shoots, and Daughter's Tea. Generally speaking, Pu'er Tea belongs to the green tea family. Now there are loose tea and tightly pressed tea, which are all made from carefully selected tea leaves, which undergo processing procedures such as killing the enzymes, roll-breading, ; drying and pan - firing. The loose tea is strong in leaves, heavy and ' dark brown, while tightly pressed tea is made from loose tea after fermenting and pressing. It includes brick tea, cube tea and pancake tea. As tea is specifically processed, many substances that are good for our ; health, such as phenol and caffeine, are fully oxygenated. It is unique, fragrant with pure and mild aftertaste, and is effective in its medical function. Nowadays, Pu'er Tea sells well both at home and abroad.
Yunnan Tobacco
According to historical records and recent research, China is one of the origins of tobacco. It has more than one thousand years' history of planting and applying tobacco. Soon after the world tobacco industry came into being. Yunnan is the hometown of Chinese tobacco. Soon after the world to bacco industry came into being, Yunnan began to plant American tobacco on a trial in 1914. In 1939, a kind of tobacco called Jinyuan from America was successfully planted in Yunnan. in 1953, at the Inter¬national Tobacco Conference held in Xuchang of Henan Province, Yunnan tobacco was highly applauded for its golden color, fragrant aroma, mild effeet and pure taste. From then on, tobacco has been planted in Yunnan on a large scale. And Yunnan is reputed as "the Hometown of Yunnan Tobac¬co" for its excellent quality. Yunnan tobacco is the raw material for the tobacoo industry in Yunnan. In addition, it has been exported and also applied as ingredients for the tobacco industry within die rest of China.
The tobacco industry in Yunnan developed with that of the world. In 1922, Yu Jinhou, a man from Mojiang County, founded the Asian J|| Tobacco Company in Kunming and set up the first cigarette factory, in Yunnan, producing cigarettes with the brand the Daguan Pavilion and "Chongjiu". After the 1980s, Yunnan tobacco experienced its fast growing period, with Yuxi Cigarette Factory and Kunming Cigarette Factory as the representatives. Yuxi Cigarette Factory has become the best cigarette factory in Asia. In 1988, of the 13 most famous cigarette brands in China, nine are from Yunnan, namely " Hongtashan", "Ashima" , "Gonghe Xinxi"( Happy New Year) and "Yuxi" of Yuxi Cigarette Factory; "Yunyan", " Hongshancha" (Red Camellia), "Chahua"(Camellia) and "Dachongjiu" of Kunming Cigarette Factory, and "Shilin"(the Stone Forest) of Qujing Cigarette Factory. They en¬joy great popularity among consumers and some are exported to Europe, Mid?Eastern Asian countries, Japan and Southeast Asian countries.
For years, Yuxi Cigarette Factory and Kunming Cigarette Factory have been the largest backbone industry as well as the principal income, industry of Yunnan Province. At the same time they play an important role in the national tobacco industry. They have maintained their first in the positions in the aspects of the number of famous brands, total output, sales volume, portion of market, foreign exchange earning, tariff and facilities and technology. In 1995, the amount of flue - cured tobacco 'made up 1/3 of the national total, cigarette production was up to 1/5 of the total and tariff made up 1/2 of the total national tobacco industry. Therefore, Yunnan is entitled the Kingdom, of Tobacco.
Medicinal Herbs
Yunnan Baiyao
Yunnan Baiyao, which is scientifically made from rare medicinal herbs native to Yunnan, is an efficacious ding for stopping bleeding, activating blood circulation, reducing swelling, discharging pus and treating earpuncles. It has a special curative effect on bleeding, injuries from falls, fractures, contusions and stains, swelling and scores, internal organ bleeding and some women＊s diseases. Yunnan Baiyao also restrains cancer.
Chinese Angelica
Yunnan is a major producer of Chinese Angelica, hence people also call it Yunnan Angelica. It is also said that it has cloud-like veins, hence the name. It works well in treating such ailments as ah normal menstruation, asthemnia and stopping pain. It is also effective in improving the blood circulation and eliminating the blood stasis. High - quality Yunnan Angelica is popular in quite a few foreign countries. It grows at an elevation of over 2,300 meters in Lijiang, Weixi, Jianchuan and Heqing counties.
Chongcao
Chongcao (Chinese caterpillar fungus) , which is a combination of worm and fungus, is also called "dongchong xiacao" (a worm in winter and grass in summer, literally) . In winter, the larva of a particular species of moth dies in soil, with fungus filaments growing in its body. This is dongchong. In the early summer of next year, a kind of purplish red grass sprouts from the head of the larva. This is xiacao. Chongcao mainly grows in the northwestern part of Yunnan.
It has a curative effect on ailments such as spitting blood or hav¬ing blood in the sputum because of tuberculosis deficiency of both lungs and kidney, cough, difficulty in breathing, night sweat, impotence and pains in the back and legs. It also has a tonic effect for weakness after illness or because of age.
Chongcao is an endemic herb in China and grows mainly on grass lands on high snow mountains in the northwestern part (Diqing and Nu-iijiang Prefectures) of Yunnan.
Tianma
Two thousand years ago, Tianma was used in medical treatment. It works well in treating headaches, dizzy spells, twitching of hands or feet, convulsions and rheumatism. It also has an effect on hypertension and neurasthenia. Yunnan is one of China＊s major tianma producers, and especially Zhaotong Prefecture in the northeastern part of Yunnan boasts of the highest - yield and the best - quality Tiamna.
Sanqi (pseudo-ginseng)
Sanqi (pseudo - ginseng) which is so named because it has a three - stalked stem, each with seven leaves. It is also called Tianqi or Jinbuhuan (not to be exchanged even for gold, literally in "Compendi¬um of Materia Medica"). According to scientific analysis, sanqi con¬tains five kinds of saponin, in addition to being rich in such substances as iron, calcius, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Eaten raw, it is ef¬fective in causing swelling to subside, stopping pain, activating blood stasis, and adding to vital energy. Eaten cooked, it can build up one＊s health, promote growth and treat asthenia and the deterioration of the functions of the organs. It can effectively treat such ailments as suffo¬cation and angina pectoris caused by coronary atherosclerotic heart disease; anaemia; insomnia; poor physical development; high cholesterol content in the blood, and some woman＊s diseases that cause bleeding. It is even held that sanqi restrains cancer. A famous medical book of the early Qing Dynasty records that Ginseng is the best Qi 每 tonifying herb and sanqi is the best blood - tonifying herb. The main substance in Yunnan Baiyao and Pianzihuang is Sanqi. Sanqi is grown widely in Yunnan. Wenshan Prefecture ranks first in China in Sanqi production with a history of over 400 years.
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