Yunnan Travel Notes - Literature and Art

"If Yunnan has a prefix, then maybe it means softness." When you come to Yunnan, you have to slow down your pace, put your heart down, and experience the slow life here. Otherwise it would be a bit of a waste of learning.

Speaking of literature and art in Yunnan, people often think of Dali and Lijiang.

We went to Dali during the Spring Festival the year before last. For Dali, Lonely Planet says so. "I came here just to stay. The charm of Dali cannot be understood by a hurried traveler. The pleasant four seasons, dense and different scenery, excellent outdoor resources, and pioneering humanistic atmosphere are all... It’s a good reason for people to stop here. This is China’s Tuscany, where the year-round sunshine breeds fresh and delicious agricultural products, the people are simple and friendly, and the pace of life is slow and comfortable. Artists like to come here to find creative inspiration. "

Lijiang is much more famous because some Naxi celebrities are good at promoting it, and the corresponding commercialization is more serious. It has also been labeled as the "best place to have an affair". We prefer places that are more niche, so we haven’t set foot there again in recent years, so let’s leave it at that.

This year I want to experience the literary and artistic features of these three cities.

There are some bars in Tengchong and Xishuangbanna, which are similar to Dali, but much quieter and more restrained than Dali.

There is a not-so-long bar street along the river in Xishuangbanna. All bars also have multiple functions such as restaurants and cafes. Therefore, there are many leisure resources in this area, and the pleasant climate in winter is about the same as the feeling in May in Jiangnan. It is warm and gentle, and various fruits and delicacies are quite suitable for avoiding the cold.

In Tengchong, there are several bars along the river with live performances. The singers get off work at 11pm.

These young Lisu people sing original music, which is very nice. Unfortunately, I don’t know why they mainly sing other people’s songs in the bar.

Heshun's inns are decorated like flowers. Nowadays, most of the inns are run by outsiders, with a high level of taste. In line with the standards of Dali and Lijiang, they are no longer farmhouses in the traditional sense.

As the provincial capital, Kunming has a diverse culture. Not to mention bars, there are several streets, such as Wenlin Street and Wenhua Lane, where bars are concentrated. Wandering around the streets of the old city, you will accidentally come across a cafe or bar. It deserves to be the provincial capital and cultural center.

Recently, I am interested in art museums because I am studying painting, and Kunming meets this need very well. This is an exhibition at the Wenlin Art Museum on Wenlin Street, an inconspicuous art museum. The works are all of the same size of 10 × 12 centimeters. It is really a dojo in a snail shell. You can indeed find some unique works:

It just so happened that the Ivey Art Museum at the foot of the West Mountain was holding an exhibition of Dali & Picasso's original works.

Dali was very good at promoting himself:

This exhibition has a lot of Dali stuff, and his sculptures are all very good:

He is also a person who admires Chairman Mao and has a series of related works:

This has some meaning to Tai Chi:

A horse ravaged by time but still stubborn. Dali was already over 80 years old at that time, and it was already difficult to make sculptures. Maybe I was thinking about myself when I was creating:

This is the curator introducing the exhibits. He highly admires traditional Chinese culture. There are also many works with Chinese elements in the works of Dali and Picasso this time.

This is the son of the owner of the collection introducing the exhibits. He introduced the ideas of Dali’s works from a psychological perspective:

Burning giraffes, deformed clocks, and women with drawers seem to be Dali's favorite themes:

Later, I visited the Yunnan Art Museum in the city, where an exhibition of paintings commemorating the Long March was being held. No need to go into details.

Generally speaking, Yunnan is not expensive, has an atmosphere, and is suitable for young and artistic people. Literary young people can only survive in a soil that tolerates them. Some cities in Yunnan with convenient transportation generally meet this condition. But for some reason, I have never heard of a singer composing songs for Kunming. Perhaps, other places in Yunnan are more suitable for them.