Eighteen Oddities in Yunnan (; sometimes called Eighteen Wonders of Yunnan) are eighteen unique traits of the
Yunnan
Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...
province of
southwest China
Southwestern China () is a region in the People's Republic of China. It consists of five provincial administrative regions, namely Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Xizang.
Geography
Southwestern China is a rugged and mountainous region, ...
. The oddities, which are as follows, are generally presented in the form of a list, which is promulgated in promotional materials advertising the province to foreign and domestic tourists.
#
Eggs
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo begins to develop.
Egg, EGG or eggs may also refer to:
Biology
* Egg cell, the female reproductive cell (gamete) in oogamous organisms
Food
* Eggs as food
Places
* Egg, Austria
* Egg, Switzerland ...
are tied up sold in rope-like clusters
photo
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#Bamboo
Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...
hats are used as wok lids
#Three mosquito
Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a Family (biology), family of small Diptera, flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word ''mosquito'' (formed by ''Musca (fly), mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish and Portuguese for ''little fly''. Mos ...
es make up a dish - mosquitoes are so large that it is said that just three are large enough to make a meal
#Bamboo is used to make water pipes
Plumbing is any system that conveys fluids for a wide range of applications. Plumbing uses pipes, valves, plumbing fixtures, tanks, and other apparatuses to convey fluids. Heating and cooling (HVAC), waste removal, and potable water deliver ...
for smoking
#Erkuai
Erkuai () is a type of rice cake particular to the Yunnan Province of southwest China.
The name literally means "ear piece," a reference to the shape of one of its common forms. It is often served stir-fried with vegetables, and ''málà'' (麻 ...
- a local culinary specialty made of rice, whose name translates literally as "ear piece" (unlike 糍 粑(ci ba), made from glutinous rice, erkuai is made from regular rice)
#The same dress is worn for all four seasons - clothing for all four seasons may be seen on a single day in Yunnan, as climatic conditions may vary widely according to altitude and region
#Young girls are called "Old Lady"
#Automobiles move faster than trains
#Toes are exposed all year round
#Rain here but sunshine there - the weather is often variable between areas just a few kilometers apart
#Girls wear flowers in all four seasons
#Girls carry tobacco bags
#Green vegetables are called "bitter vegetables"
#Grannies climb mountains faster than monkeys
#Trains go abroad but not inland
#Monks can have love affairs
#Children are raised by men - Yunnan women have a reputation for being hard-working, thus many men stay home to take care of their children
#Automobiles move in the clouds - many roads are high in the mountains
The items on the list are not fixed, so other versions of the list may include other oddities, including:
#Stone grows in the clouds - Yunnan's Shilin, or Stone Forest resembles stalagmites growing out of the ground
#Locusts or grasshoppers are eaten as a delicacy
#Fresh flowers are served as a vegetable
#Water and fire are worshipped as gods
#People sing rather than speak
#Tea leaves are sold in piles
#Non-slanting walls are built with cobblestone
Cobblestone is a natural building material based on Cobble (geology), cobble-sized stones, and is used for Road surface, pavement roads, streets, and buildings. Sett (paving), Setts, also called ''Belgian blocks'', are often referred to as " ...
s
#Keys are hung on waist belts
#Small, lean horses are hard-working
#Fresh fruits and vegetables are available in all four seasons
References
*Li Kunwu (李昆武, 2004). ''Yunnan Shiba Guai'' (云南十八怪; Eighteen Wonders of Yunnan Province). China: Yunnan University Press. .
External links
Illustrated Eighteen Oddities in Yunnan page
{{Yunnan topics
Culture in Yunnan