Ep. 328 | The History of Yunnan Province (Part 1)

In this first episode of a multi-part series, we'll look at Yunnan's ancient beginnings during the Zhou Dynasty and take things up to the end of the Nanzhao Kingdom in the 10th century. The Dian Kingdom, the Cuanman, the beginnings of Nanzhao, and the rocky relationship between Tang Dynasty China, Tibet and Nanzhao. All of that will be looked at in this episode. Then next time in Part 2 we'll begin the Dali Kingdom. Thanks for listening.

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Terms in Episode

Pinyin/Term	Chinese	English/Meaning
Yúnnán	云南	A landlocked province in the southwest of the PRC. Population is around 50 million. The capital of the province is Kunming. Yunnan borders the provinces of Guizhou, Sichuan, Guangxi, and Tibet as well as Southeast Asian countries: Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar.
Hénán	河南	Province in northern China where Huaxia civilization began
Hǎinán	海南	Island province off the coast of southwest Guangdong
Guǎngzhōu	广州	Once known in the West as Canton, it is a historic port city and capital of Guangdong province
Luópíng County	罗平县	A county in northeast Yunnan
Guìzhōu	贵州	Interior province in west China bordering Yunnan
Guǎngxī	广西	Province in southern China to the north and west of Guangdong
Yúnlǐng	云岭	The Yun Mountain range, of which Yunnan was south of
Hàn Dynasty	汉朝	The Han Dynasty, founded in 202 BC (Western Han). Followiung an interregnum lasting 9- 25 AD, the Dynasty continued on (Eastern Han) from to 25 to 220 AD
Yuánmóu Man	元谋人	Homo erectus yuanmouensis, a subspecies of Homo erectus which inhabited the Yuanmou Basin in the Yunnan roughly 1.7 million years ago. It is the first fossil evidence of humans in China, though they probably reached the region by at least 2 million years ago.
Sìchuān	四川	Province in southwest China with its capital in Chengdu. It bordered Yunnan to the north
Lake Diān	滇池	Lake Dian, one of the three great lakes of Yunnan Province. Lake Dian was in Kunming, Lake Erhai 洱海 was in Dali and Fǔxiān Lake 抚仙湖 was in Chengjiang, Jiangchuan and Huaning Counties
Kūnmíng	昆明	Capital city of Yunnan Province and location of Lake Dian and the ancient Dian Kingdom
Diān Kingdom	滇国	The Dian Kingdom, established by the Dian people, a non-Han metalworking civilization from the late Spring and Autumn period until the Eastern Han dynasty. The Dian language was likely one of the Tibeto-Burman languages. The Han Empire's annexation of the Dian Kingdom in 109 BC eventually led to the establishment of the Yizhou commandery. Dian culture started from at least the 8th century BC, until it fell under the control of the Han dynasty in 109 BC
Eastern Zhōu	东周	The Eastern Zhou was divided up into the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods. It preceded the Qin Dynasty. It began in 771 BC after the capital was moved east to Luoyang. It fell in 256 BC
Xīnán Yí	西南夷	The "Yi" non-Han indigenous people of the Southwest, a chapter of the Record of the Grand Historian
Sīmǎ Qiān	司马迁	Han Dynasty historiographer who (along wirth his father Sima Tan) wrote the 史记 The Record of the Grand Historian
Yízù	彝族	The Yi ethnic minority people of Yunnan
Chǔ	楚国	The Yi or Nuosu people historically known as the Lolo, are an ethnic group in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. Numbering 9 million people, they are the seventh largest of the 55 ethnic minority groups officially recognized by the PRC. They live primarily in rural areas of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi, usually in mountainous regions. The Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture is home to the largest population of Yi people within mainland China, with two million Yi people in the region
King Zhāoxiāng	秦昭襄王	Great-grandfather of Qin Shihuang, he was king of Qin from 306 to 251 BC. King Zhaoxiang reigned as the King of Qin for 57 years, and was responsible for the state of Qin achieving strategic dominance over the other six major states. During his reign, Qin captured the Chu capital Ying in 278 BC, conquered the Xirong state of Yiqu in 272 BC, slaughtered a 450,000-strong Zhao army at Changping in 260 BC, and overthrew the Eastern Zhou dynasty in 256 BC.
King Huìwén	秦惠文王	Father of King Zhaoxiang. He reigned 338-311 BC
Duke Xiào	秦孝公	Father of King Huiwen. He reigned 361-338 BC
Shāng Yāng	商鞅	c. 390 – 338 BC, a Legalist, philosopher, and politician. Born in the Zhouvassal state of Wei during the Warring States period, he was a statesman, chancellor and reformer serving the State of Qin, where his policies laid the administrative, political and economic foundations that strengthened the Qin state and would eventually enable Qin to conquer the other six rival states, unifying China into a centralized rule for the first time in history under the Qin dynasty.
King Qīngxiāng	顷襄王	Chu king who reigned 298 to 263 BC
Xióng	熊	The surname of most all Chu kings
Zhuāng Qiáo	庄蹻	Chu general sent west on a expeditionary force in 279 BC. Founded the Dian Kingdom the following year
Qín Shǐhuáng	秦始皇	King of Qin who founded the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC. He was China's first emperor of a dynasty
Nányuè Kingdom	南越国	204-111 BC, an ancient kingdom ruled by Chinese kings of the Zhao family. It covered Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hong Kong, Macau, southern Fujian and central to northern Vietnam. Nanyue was established by Zhao Tuo, then Commander of Nanhai of the Qin Empire, in 204 BC after the collapse of the Qin dynasty. At first, it consisted of the commanderies Nanhai, Guilin, and Xiang.
Yèláng Kingdom	夜郎国	An ancient political entity first described in the 3rd century BC in what is now western Guizhou. It was active for over 200 years and among the first of this southwestern region to submit to China
Bā and Shǔ	巴蜀	Ba is an ancient state from around the Chongqing area, Shu was centered around Chengdu. Theywere both conquered by Qin in 316 BC.
Hàn Wǔdì	汉武帝	Emperor of the Han Dynasty from 156 to 87 BC
Jùn	郡	A commandery
Jiānwèi Commandery	犍为郡	The commandery established near the Lake Dian region
Hàn-Xiōngnú Wars		A series of military conflicts fought over two centuries (from 133 BC to 89 AD) between the Han Empire and the Xiongnu confederation, although extended conflicts can be traced back as early as 200 BC and ahead as late as 188 AD.
Zhāng Qiān	张骞	Died c. 114 BC, was a Chinese official and diplomat who served as an imperial envoy to the world outside of China in the late 2nd century BC during the Western Han dynasty. He was one of the first official diplomats to bring back valuable information about Central Asia, including the Greco-Bactrian remains of the Macedonian Empire as well as the Parthian Empire, to the Han dynasty imperial court, then ruled by Emperor Wu of Han.
Xīnjiāng	新疆	Autonomous Region (Province) in China's northwest. Capital is Urumqi
Chámǎ Gǔdào	茶马古道	The Ancient Tea Horse Road
Pǔ-Ěrh	普洱	Dali City is located in western Yunnan, approximately 250 km (160 mi) northwest of the provincial capital of Kunming.
Dàlǐ	大理	the county-level seat of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in northwestern Yunnan. Dali City is administered through 12 township-level districts, two of which are also commonly referred to as Dali. Dali City is located in western Yunnan, approximately 25 km (160 mi) northwest of the provincial capital of Kunming
Lìjiāng	丽江	Prefecture-level city in northwest Yunnan, parts of which are a UNESCO Heritage Site
Zhōngdiàn	中甸	A county-level city in Northwestern Yunnan. It's the government seat of the Dêqên Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, bordering Sichuan to the northwest, north, and east.Zhongdian was renamed Shangri-La in December 2001.
Zayu - Cháyú Xiàn	察隅县	A county in the Nyingchi, Tibet Autonomous Region. It means "people's residence" in Tibetan. It borders Zuogong County in Qamdo, Deqin County and Gongshan County in Yunnan Province in the east, Medog County in the west, Myanmar and India in the south, Bomi County and Basu County in Qamdo City in the north.
Bōmì	波密	A county of Nyingchi Prefecture in the south-east of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Historically known as Powo or Poyul, it was the seat of a quasi-independent kingdom until the early 20th century. Accounts of this terrestrial paradise influenced James Hilton's Shangri-La.
Dàxià	大夏	name given in antiquity by the Chinese to the territory of Bactria (present-day Afghanistan)
Yìzhōu	益州	Alsp called Yi Province or Yi Prefecture, It was a zhou (province) of ancient China. Its capital city was Chengdu.[
Shízhàishān	石寨山	Located in Jinning District, Kunming City. Shizhaishan and Lijiashan are the location where many Dian Kingdom rulers were interred in underground tombs
Lǐjiāshān	李家山	Site of more Dian Kingdom-era tombs. Not far from Shizhaishan
Sānxīngduī and Jīnshā	三星堆/金沙	Arcaeolgocal sites discovered around Chengdu of an ancient Bronze Age civilization.
Guō Mòruò	郭沫若	1892-1978, was a very respected Chinese author, poet, historian, archaeologist, and government official
Gōujiàn	勾践王	Reigned 496–465 BC as king of the Kingdom of Yue (越國, present-day northern Zhejiang)
Diān Wáng Jīn Yìn	滇王金印	The gold seal of the King of Dian
Zāngkē	牂牁郡	One of the commanderies setup by Han Wudi after making peace with the Yelang of Guizhou
Three Kingdoms	三国	The period frtom the fall of the Han in 220 AD to rthe founduing of the Jin Dynasty in 280
Nánzhōng	南中	The ancient name for a region in southwest China that covers parts of present-day Yunnan, Guizhou and southern Sichuan provinces
Zhūgě Liàng	诸葛亮	181-234, military engineer, strategist, statesman, and writer. He was chancellor and later regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. He is recognised as the most accomplished strategist of his era, and has been compared to Sun Tzu, the author of The Art of War
Cuànmán	爨蛮	An ethnic group in northern Yunnan. They came into power after assisting Zhuge Liang's Southern Campaign and dominated Yunnan during the Northern and Southern dynasties period. They were defeated by the Sui dynasty in 602 and split into the Baiman and Wuman, allegedly the ancestors of modern-day Bai people and Yi people
Shǔ Hàn	蜀汉	One of the Three Kingdoms of 220-280 AD. Shu Han was based in China's southwest and had its capital in Chengdu
Cáo Wèi	曹魏	One of the Three Kingdoms of 220-280 AD. Cao Wei was based in the north of China's and had its capital in Xuchang and Luoyang
Wú	吴国	The third of the Three Kingdoms of 220-280 AD. Also called Sun Wu, it was based in the east of China's and had its capital in Wuchang and Jianye (Nanjing area)
Fēnjiǔbìhé, héjiǔbìfēn	分久必合，合久必分	Famous line from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Divided for a long time must be united, united for a long time must be divided
Western and Eastern Jìn	西晋/东晋	The Western Jin lasted 266-311 and was based in Luoyang and Chang'an. From 312-420 the Eastern Jin was based in Jiankang (Nanjing)
Northern and Southern Dynasties	南北朝	A period of political division that lasted from 420-589. It following the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Eastern Jin dynasty. It is sometimes considered as the latter part of a longer period known as the Six Dynasties (220–589)
Liú Sòng	刘宋	The first of the Northern Dynasties. It lasted 420-479
Southern Qí	南齐	The second of the Southern Dynasties. It lasted 479-502
Northern Zhōu	北周	The last of the Northern Dynasties. It lasted 557-581 and was succeeded by the Song
Suí Emperor Yáng	隋炀帝	The second and final emperor of the Sui Dynasty. He reigned 604-618
Báimán	白蛮	Indigenous people of the Cuanman era, 3rd-4th Century. See Cuanman above
Wūmán	乌蛮	Indigenous people of the Cuanman era, 3rd-4th Century. See Cuanman above
Bái people	白族	An East Asian ethnic group native to the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province, Bijie area of Guizhou Province, and Sangzhi area of Hunan Province. They constitute one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by China.
Six Dynasties	六朝	See Northern and Southern Dynasties above
Táng Gāozǔ	唐高祖	Founder of the Tang Dynast. Personal name Li Yuan 李渊
Cháng’ān	长安	The ancient capital of many past dynasties. Located in present day Xian
Lake Ěrhǎi	洱海	An alpine fault lake in Dali City, Dali Prefecture, Yunnan. Erhai was also known as Yeyuze (叶榆泽) or Kunming Lake (昆明池) in ancient times.
Ānnán Dūhùfǔ	安南都護府	An imperial protectorate and the southernmost administrative division of the Tang dynasty. It ran from 679 to 866, located in modern-day Vietnam. An Nam, simplified to "Annam", is the Vietnamese form of the Chinese name Annan, which means "the Pacified South" or "to pacify the South", a clipped form of the full name, the "Protectorate General to Pacify the South"
Xìnúluó	细奴逻	Seventh Century chieftain of the Mengshe tribe
Méngshè	蒙舍	One of the many tribes or Zháo's 诏 around present day Dali Prefecture
zháo	诏	See above
Nánzháo Kāiguó Jūnwáng	南诏开国君王	the founding monarch of Nánzháo
Dà Méng	大蒙	Great Méng
Píluōgé	皮罗阁	The founder of the Nanzhao kingdom in what is now Yunnan. He reigned from 728 or 738 through 748
Tang Emperor Xuánzōng	唐玄宗	The seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756 CE. His reign of 44 years was the longest during the Tang dynasty
Nánzháo Kingdom	南诏国	A dynastic kingdom that flourished in what is now southern China and northern Southeast Asia during the 8th and 9th centuries. It was centered on present-day Yunnan
Méng Guīyì	蒙归义	Honorific name given to Piluoge by the Tang emperor
Géluófèng	阁逻凤	Nanzhao king who succeeded Piluoge and reigned 748 to 779
Sūzōng	唐肃宗	Tang emperor who reigned 756-762
Dàizōng	唐代宗	Tang emperor who reigned 762-779
Ān Lùshān Rebellion	安史之乱	Also known as the An–Shi Rebellion, An–Shi Disturbances, this was an eight-year civil war (from 755 to 763 AD) during the mid-Tang that started as a commanderyrebellion against the Imperial Government, attempting to overthrow and replace it with a rogue Yan dynasty.
Yìmóuxún	異牟尋	Grandson of Geluofeng, the sixth king of Nanzhao, reigned from 779 to 808.
Chengdu	成都	Capital city of Sichuan province
Dàdù River	大渡河	A major river located primarily in Sichuan. The Dadu flows from the eastern Tibetan Plateau into the Sichuan Basin where it joins with the Min River, a tributary of the Yangtze River.
Xiànzōng	唐宪宗	Tang emperor who reigned 805-820
Wǔzōng	唐武宗	Tang emperor who reigned 840-846
Shìlóng	世隆	The 11th king of Nanzhao, reigned 859-877
Gāo Pián	高骈	c. 821-887, Chinese military general, poet, and politician of the Tang Dynasty. He initially gained renown for defeating Nanzhao incursions, but later became known for his failure to repel the rebel army under Huang Chao
Quán Táng Shī	全唐诗	The Complete Tang Poems, the largest collection of Tang poetry.
Dàlǐ Old Town	大理古城	The historic old town center of Dali Town 大理镇
Chóngshèng Temple	崇圣寺	a Buddhist temple near the old town of Dali. The Three Pagodas are part of the complex. It was once the royal temple of the Kingdom of Dali, originally built in the 9th century. At its height, the temple included 891 rooms, 11,400 Buddhist iconographies, three pavilions, and seven buildings. The temple was severely damaged by earthquakes and conflict during the Qing, but was later rebuilt in 2005
Quànfēngyòu	劝丰祐	The 10th king of Nanzhao,
Xiǎoyàn Tǎ	小雁塔	The Small Wild Goose Pagoda, located in Xi'an
Dàlǐ Kingdom	大理国	A state situated in modern Yunnan, from 937 until 1253

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