In Southeast Asian Studies at the ANU there is a long history of research and exploration in those parts of southern China that are most closely tied to their Southeast Asian neighbours.

Over the past few weeks I have been fortunate to spend some quality time in the borderlands of southwestern Yunnan. This short trip, generously funded by the Royal Society for Asian Affairs, facilitated my attendance at a “Manau Poi” – one of the great Jinghpo dancing festivals – in a village not far from the Burmese border.

In the coming weeks I will be posting pictures, reports and anecdotes from my time in Yunnan. I plan a regular series of posts over the next three weeks. Hopefully, these posts can help shed some New Mandala light on some of the more remote corners of “Southeast Asia”.

As always, your comments and ideas are warmly welcomed.

Standby, for more to come.