More About Weishan

Located in the center of Yunnan province, Weishan is a city with a rich history reaching back 1300 years.  Nearby Dali, 70 kilometers away, is often known as the seat of the Nanzhao empire, a semi-independent kingdom that arose in this region during the T’ang Dynasty of the 7^th century, but that kingdom was actually founded in Weishan.  Here the minority cultures of the Bai, Yi and Hui meet in the most culturally and environmentally diverse corner of China.

Weishan’s present old town dates to 1390 and contains the Drum Tower Gongshenlou, once a gate in the medieval wall that is the second largest such gate in China after Beijing’s Tien An Men, built a few years later.  Several Confucian temple complexes date back hundreds of years, and the Southern Silk Road is the town’s main artery, still lined with a variety of shops and peddlers hawking produce from the countryside. 

The city takes its name from the mountain that overlooks it: Weibaoshan.  This mountain is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in all of China, the setting for some two dozen Taoist and Buddhist temples dating back centuries and inextricably linked to the folkways and culture of the local people.  Protected as a forest park, the mountain includes the octagonally planned Changchundong temple, still active, and the Wen Chang palace with a pavilion in a pond decorated with the 18^th century Yi people mural “Dancing Under the Pine Trees”.

Since 1999, the town has been the center of the Weishan Heritage Valley, a regional designation that recognizes, protects and promotes this cultural, historical and environmental diversity.  The Southern Silk Road  that runs through Weishan Old Town has been restored and preservation laws insure the maintenance of traditional wooden storefronts.  Qing Dynasty courtyard houses have been restored and Ming era Confucian temples are being restored to their former glory thanks to the efforts of Weishan County officials.  Restoration efforts have also been directed to the temples of Weibaoshan and the ruined site where  began the Nanzhao Empire.

The Weishan Heritage Valley includes the famous Bird Pass, a migratory route here in the ecologically rich upper basin of the Mekong River.  The incredibly biodiversity of the region also supports a rich local cuisine.

We love Weishan and we would like to see Weishan kept the way as it today from the culture and Chinese tradition pespect. We would like to share our the best part of Weishan with you.

Weishan Map

Other useful links about Weishan:

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http://vincemichael.com/weishanproject/index.html

http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_travel/2003-09/24/content_36034.htm

http://www.weishan.cn.net/

http://french.10thnpc.org.cn/english/features/Festival/143117.htm