In early 2001, professional video-maker Hazel McAllister B.A. (Hons) C.I.E. and travel-photographer husband Neil, made a journey through China's Yunnan province.

Hazel's work in Britain involves production of high-quality social and corporate video productions, and the five week trip to Yunnan in the company of a young Bai woman is recorded on video, shot in digital format which captures the colours, crafts, traditions, people, sights, sounds of this little visited region .

Yunnan's spectacular location, set amongst impenetrable hils and mountains, led to its isolation from the rest of China, and as a consequence, it's customs and traditions largely survived the Cultural Revolution.

Hazel's film records the best Yunnan has to offer, and the journey starts by exploring Xishangbanna, using Jinghong as a base. As well as visiting the towns of Menghai Menglian and Galanba, we explore off the beaten track, visiting hill tribes living near the Burmese border, beyond Damenlong, and spending a day at a remote Lahu festival.

The journey continues to the ancient World Heritage town of Lijiang, and as well as exploring the narrow lanes and wooden houses of the town, we visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and some local villages, before walking Tiger Leaping Gorge. We take local transport further north to Zhongdian, making a magical visit to the Tibetan Buddhist Monastery at Songzalin.

The video records Yunnanese daily life, as well as weekly markets, such as those at Shaping and Wase on the banks of Erhai Lake. We also spend Chinese New Year in Dali, a firecracker of a place, illuminated by skyrockets, and enlivened by a host of dragon dancers.

Lasting 1 hour 30 minutes, this production , available as VHS tape or DVD is a gentle excursion for the armchair traveller, a primer for future visitors and a superb souvenir for those who have already experienced this magnificent part of China.

If you live in the UK or Ireland, you can purchase
a VHS tape for £19.75,
or a DVD for £29.95 including p&p.
To order by e-mail, contact us at neil@neilmac.co.uk, giving your name, delivery address, credit card number and expiry date, and your address if it isn't the same as that for delivery. If you don't trust credit card transactions by email, you can fax your order on UK +44 (0) 161 439 3771.

To order by mail, make a cheque payable, to 'East Cheshire Video', and post it to; East Cheshire Video, 153 Grove Lane, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle, Cheshire. SK8 7NG.

The production is only available in VHS PAL format, playable in countries such as the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand which use this TV standard. Countries using SECAM or NTSC standard can only play the tape using a suitable multi-standard machine.

To order from outside the UK, please e-mail us for details of postage & packaging costs for your country.

Also available from East Cheshire Video, Bhutan - A Personal Journey

Please note that this production is supplied for personal use only.
Copyright is reserved under International Law, and the tape must not be broadcast, copied, duplicated, distributed or be used for public showing.