South of the Clouds: Travels in Southwest China

by Bill Porter

While flipping through the atlas of Chang Ch’i-yun, one of China’s most famous geographers, distinguished translator Bill Porter (Red Pine) developed a curiosity about the southwestern province of China. Dubbed Yun-nan, “South of the Clouds,” this was the last area modern China to come under Chinese control. Originally conquered by the Mongols and eventually introduced to foreigners as a vibrant setting for trade, Yun-nan became a critical crossroad connecting East and West.

In 1992, Porter left his home in Hong Kong to tour the small towns and major cities of Yun-nan, studying each of their local cultures and larger impacts on the trajectory of Chinese history. Here, he shares his encyclopedic knowledge of the nation’s beautiful legacy while introducing new insight about the province’s landscapes, people, and recent state of affairs. He visited Bulang Mountain, where the local people had no written language of their own, so they sent their children to live as monks in nearby Tai temples to learn Tai script. He saw women in Lijiang who wore traditional sheepskin jackets that bore seven frogeyes without clear explanation. In Dali, a small town turned urban center, he recalls a massive museum built to show off the city’s new wealth, only to have half of its halls left empty and unvisited.

The first of a series of three China travel memoirs to be published by Counterpoint, Bill Porter’s book tells the incredible story of a spread of land with a thousand years of human history. His remarkable insight and unparalleled understanding of China place this book at the forefront of East Asian travel literature.

Genres: China, Travel, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

Published November 10, 2015

About the author

Bill Porter is an American author who translates under the pen-name Red Pine (Chinese: 赤松; pinyin: Chì Sōng). He is a translator and interpreter of Chinese texts, primarily Taoist and Buddhist, including poetry and Sūtras.

He also wrote books about Buddhist hermits(Road to Heaven) and his travels in China(Zen Baggage: A Pilgrimage to China; Yellow River Odyssey).

Reviews

[Michal Botló · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personally, I distinguish between two kinds of travel books - those that graphically describe every step of the way, and those in which each of the visited places is accompanied by a fun fact, a memorable story, or perhaps an interesting individual.

And though South of the Clouds aims to be the second type, I guess Porter misses the ability to find the interesting details and so focuses primarily on how he caught a bus, whether he washed his clothes or had a shower, and where the places of interest were in relation to the place where he stayed/where the bus dropped him.

On the other hand, I definitely give him credit for two things - the (rather sparse) notions about the functioning of Chinese language and the stories the various tribes have about their origins. That is Porter’s area of expertise and it certainly feels so.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

One could well call Porter an informal anthropologist. He seeks out shrines, pagodas and Buddhist temples in southwest China, traveling by train, bus, pedicab, bicycle and foot. He observes historical artifacts and structures in remote villages amid a complex mix of peoples: Chuang, Miao, Yao, Yi, Dali, Chinuo, among others. Fluent in Chinese, he collects allegorical creation tales, such as two dragons beget 10 boys and 10 girls. which in turn beget the Dali culture. And great floods. It was only when I was well into reading that I discovered that this excursion was in 1991. So I began to wonder, do these remote cultures still exist? Fortunately the book provides a map of locations and I suppose that if I were so motivated I could look them up on Google Earth. Provided also are many black and white photos of peoples and sights. And I liked his often wry humor, easy to read narrative and chill outs with Canadian Club.

[Tuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

travel guide and log of south west china, very much off the beaten path, westerner path anyway. author has made a study of hermit monks, going and visiting them etc , so he's good at sticking his nose where it might not belong, good trait for a travel writer.
most of trips were from 1992 though. has nice pictures and lexicon

[Rain Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

不错的旅游指南. 一直以为云南西南一带并无太多有意思的东西, 通过此书发现我太浅薄了.

[Adriano Farina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flavourful rendition of a curious trip to Yunnan in 1992, tools with great attention to food and culture, and with great panache.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book from the mythology, to the Buddhism, to the travel and explorations. I just read this book because it was shorter than the other one I got by Porter at the library, but I really enjoyed this book. Great photographs and short chapters. He has a brevity and doesn't go on too much. It's hard to believe he cobbled the book together from audio recordings from 1992 when he was there. I saw a reference to 1992 but it wasn't until I read the back that I realized it was that far into the past. I wonder how much the land south of the clouds has changed. I try to talk to the Chinese people in the park where my daughter plays, but most of them struggle with English. When I show them a book about their country, they get very excited and try anyway and I really want to understand what they are saying. In a way he writes fantastical mythology and travel experiences, they could be folded into the historical fantasy of Shelly Parker-Chen. Perhaps she read this book, I would recommend it.

[Jrobertus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Porter has lived in China and produced a travel series for a radio in Hong Kong. He travels the country frequently and in this charming book reports from south China, in Yunnan and nearby areas. There are many tribes here and he visits them by boat, train, bus, tractor, and bike. He gives a candid report on what he sees, with a gentle but insightful wit. He spends many a night in local hostels or monasteries so it has a feel for the everyday life there. I plan to read more of his work.

[Olga Vannucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creation stories
And ancient mores:
A trip without rest
Through China's southwest.