As of today, 23 June, Lijiang's Black Dragon Pool water source spring has dried up. A reliable source of drinking water by locals, it reduced it flow last week and today when I went to collect water found out the trickle had finished. Thunderstorms on the way this week.
Lijiang Old Town preservation fee is 80y per person, usually payable at your accommodation, and now checked at entry to old town Lijiang, Black Dragon Pool and Jade Dragon snow mountain.
Entry to the Jade Dragon Snow mountain is 130y per person. The Old Town ticket is required too. Impression Lijiang show prices have increased to 260y.
There has been a marked decline in visitors to Yunnan over the last year due to the anti-corruption drive and the slow down in the Chinese economy. And prices for accommodation have come down, good news for travellers, bad news for the recent arrivals from the north-east who have come to launder money.
Power and Patronage examines the unwritten rules and inner workings of contemporary China's local politics and government. It exposes how these rules have helped to keep the one-Party state together during decades of tumultuous political, social, and economic change.
While many observers of Chinese politics have recognized the importance of informal institutions, this book explains how informal local groups actually operate, paying special attention to the role of patronage networks in political decision-making, political competition, and official corruption. While patronage networks are often seen as a parasite on the formal institutions of state, Hillman shows that patronage politics actually help China's political system function. In a system characterized by fragmented authority, personal power relations, and bureaucratic indiscipline, patronage networks play a critical role in facilitating policy coordination and bureaucratic bargaining. They also help to regulate political competition within the state, which reduces the potential for open conflict. Understanding patronage networks is essential for understanding the resilience of the Chinese state through decades of change.
It's official: Yunnan facing serious drought
Posted byAs of today, 23 June, Lijiang's Black Dragon Pool water source spring has dried up. A reliable source of drinking water by locals, it reduced it flow last week and today when I went to collect water found out the trickle had finished. Thunderstorms on the way this week.
Tourism federation recommends price freeze for scenic destinations
Posted byCorrection:
Lijiang Old Town preservation fee is 80y per person, usually payable at your accommodation, and now checked at entry to old town Lijiang, Black Dragon Pool and Jade Dragon snow mountain.
Entry to the Jade Dragon Snow mountain is 130y per person. The Old Town ticket is required too. Impression Lijiang show prices have increased to 260y.
There has been a marked decline in visitors to Yunnan over the last year due to the anti-corruption drive and the slow down in the Chinese economy. And prices for accommodation have come down, good news for travellers, bad news for the recent arrivals from the north-east who have come to launder money.
And another one bites the dust...
Posted byPower and Patronage examines the unwritten rules and inner workings of contemporary China's local politics and government. It exposes how these rules have helped to keep the one-Party state together during decades of tumultuous political, social, and economic change.
While many observers of Chinese politics have recognized the importance of informal institutions, this book explains how informal local groups actually operate, paying special attention to the role of patronage networks in political decision-making, political competition, and official corruption. While patronage networks are often seen as a parasite on the formal institutions of state, Hillman shows that patronage politics actually help China's political system function. In a system characterized by fragmented authority, personal power relations, and bureaucratic indiscipline, patronage networks play a critical role in facilitating policy coordination and bureaucratic bargaining. They also help to regulate political competition within the state, which reduces the potential for open conflict. Understanding patronage networks is essential for understanding the resilience of the Chinese state through decades of change.
And another one bites the dust...
Posted byThere is a great book about this subject written by a researcher and education leader who has been based in Yunnan.
Patronage and Power
Local State Networks and Party-State Resilience in Rural China
BEN HILLMAN
www.sup.org/books/title/?id=18534
Shangri-la hit by 5.9 earthquake
Posted byTiger Leaping Gorge on the Shangrila-side is currently closed, meaning no access in and out of Qiaotou to the gorge or from the end of the trek.