Kunming (昆明) is the capital of beautiful Yunnan Province (云南) located in the far southwestern corner of China. Its proximity to other neighboring provinces such as Guizhou, Sichuan, and Tibet as well as its shared border with Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam make it one of the most popular holiday destinations in China. Kunming is also increasingly becoming a travel hub as the closest major city in China to both India and Thailand in addition to the growing popularity of nearby Dali and Lijiang in Yunnan Province.
Known as the "Spring City," Kunming boasts some of the best weather in China with a consistently pleasant climate and some of the freshest and cleanest air of any major city in the country. Kunming also offers the traveler a wide range of things to see and do from Ming Dynasty relics to the luxuries of modern department and convenience stores. Excellent cuisine and shopping opportunities are abundant, and an array of historical and cultural attractions will keep anyone busy for as long as he or she is here.
Fast Facts about Kunming
| Location: |
Southwest China, Yunnan Province |
| Elevation: |
1890 meters (6200 feet) above sea level |
| Population: |
4 million |
| People: |
Predominately Han Chinese with considerable quantities of Dai, Bai, and other ethnic minorities |
| Language: |
Mandarin (普通话) and Kunming Hua (昆明话) |
| Local Cuisine: |
Over the Bridge Noodles; Yunnan ham; goat cheese; Dai Minority food |
| Dialing Code: |
+86 871 (from abroad); 0871 (from within China) |
| Getting There: |
Air, train, bus |
| Getting Around: |
Walking, bicycle, public bus, taxi |
| Weather: |
Consistently temperate with both mild winters and summers; Can be visited at any time of the year; Rain is prevalent during the Summer; Winters are dry and sunny |
| Sister cities: |
Denver, USA
New Plymouth, New Zealand
Wagga Wagga, Australia
Zürich, Switzerland |
| Claim to Fame: |
Known as the "Spring City"; the Chinese terminus of the Burma Road during World War II |
Address:
No. 39 Huancheng Nan Lu, Panlong Dist.
Located in the eastern commercial center of the beautiful everlasting spring city, Kunming Taili
Address:
Yieryi Dajie Yunnan University West Gate
Yunnan University Hotel is strategically located in one of the better areas of Kunming for travelers. Located in the Yunnan University Foreign Language Center right next to Yunnan University, the hotel is right down the road from many of the better restaurants, cafes, and bars in Kunming as well as a 5 minute walk to Green Lake Park. The hotel is not the nicest place to stay in Kunm
Price:
Adult 10 RMB / Student 5 RMB
Yunnan is one of China’s most ethnically diverse provinces, home to over one-third of China’s ethnic minorities. The Yunnan Provincial Museum emphasizes this local minority culture in its exhibits, featuring art from the Dali Kingdom as well as other periods in Yunnan’s history. The museum has spent the last 50 years amassing over 150,000 pieces of folk art, handic
Yunnan is a vast province. Train travel therefore requires much more time than air travel, and is also often even slower than long distance buses. However, train travel is the more comfortable option for over-land travelers that are interested in a glimpse of the beautiful scenery that Yunnan Province is famous for. Kunming has two main railway stations.
Yunnan has rapidly developed its highway transportation system in recent times. It is now easy, cheap, and relatively quick (often faster than trains) to get to places in Yunnan and neighboring provinces, as well as to countries that are close-by.
Address:
Yongdao Street, Downtown Kunming
With haggling shoppers and indignant store owners, the Bird and Flower Market is your typical Chinese market scene. As its name suggests, shoppers might find it possible to purchase both flowers and birds here, but these are by no means the specialties of the market. One can find a wide array of knick knacks, souvenirs, weapons, fish, turtles, rodents, dogs, and more. How
Tags: Local market
With a history of more than 1200 years, Yuantong Temple (Yuantong Si) is one of Kunming’s most active Buddhist temples. Many people gather here to participate in Buddhist ceremonies on the 1st and 15th of each lunar month, as it is one of the most important Buddhist sites in the Kunming area.
Address:
76 Wenhua Xiang, Wenlin Jie
Why Salvador’s did not survive in Dali remains a mystery to this author.
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