What happened? Why return?

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve written (that’s putting it mildly!).  Here’s why: To recap: my wife, Gienah, and I went to Yunnan Province, China in August of 2014 to spend 2 years studying Mandarin language and Chinese culture full-time.  That part of the plan went well and our 2 years ended in late June 2016. The next part of the plan was to buy, start or join a…

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San Yue Jie

Each year, our local town, Dali, hosts an event called 三月节 (or “San Yue Jie” which literally means “3rd full moon festival”).  Because it is based on the lunar calendar, this festival is usually held in late April or early May.  For over 1,000 years, people from across China and neighboring countries like Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Vietnam and Tibet* have made the trek to Dali for this annual event!  Today,…

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Springtime in Dali!

After a long, cold winter, there really is nothing quite like the explosion of vivid cherry blossoms and the beautiful scenery that unfolds here each spring. Please enjoy these photos – gathered over the last couple of weeks from our University, our neighborhood, and Dali’s Old Town. No explanation required!                    Copyright © Kevin Beaty, YUNEV and “Feet on the Ground…”, 2016. All rights reserved.

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Mighty Ducks!

No, I’m not referring to Oregon’s football team or Anaheim’s hockey team!  I’m talking about real ducks!  I recently traveled to Tengchong, the last real Chinese city before reaching Myanmar on the Old Burma Road.  Tengchong’s ancient town is less commercial than Dali or Lijiang and it’s a great place to visit. To get a feel for how simple and quiet this ancient town is, check out the video (above) of…

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