Kunming Travel Guide
As one of China’s most diversified provinces, Yunnan is certainly one of China’s most alluring destinations. Yunnan is home to more than one third of China’s ethnic minorities and over half of the country’s plant and animal species. The province is blessed by its mixture of traditional folk cultures as well as breath-taking scenery. Kunming, Yunnan’s capital, resides at an elevation of 1890m and boasts a milder climate than most other Chinese cities. Celebrated as the "Spring City," Kunming has neither severe winters nor extremely hot summers and can be visited at any time of the year.
Numerous areas of Yunnan exhibit strong local identities and have successfuly resisted Chinese influence. Ethnic minority culture has survived and thrived despite the government’s best efforts to encourage the relocation of Han Chinese into predominately ethnic regions. Thus, Kunming has developed a distinctive multi-cultural feeling that seems a world apart from other major Chinese cities. The city retains an individuality that has earned it a reputation as a laid-back, yet cosmopolitan provincial capital in southwest China. However, this is in light of the fact that rapid economic growth currently transforms Kunming into a modern Chinese city with wide roads, massive shopping malls, and skyscrapers.
Kunming has been inhabited for 2000 years. The town was a remote Chinese outpost until the 8th century when the kingdom of Nanzhao captured it and made it a secondary capital. In the 14th century, the Ming Dynasty set up shop, building a walled town in Yunnanfu, as Kunming was then known. The middle of the 19th century saw the intrusion of the West into Kunming from British Burma and French Indochina. In 1910 the French Indochina railway was completed, linking the city with Hanoi. The new train line allowed the French to exploit the region’s copper, tin, and timber resources. Kunming’s true modern expansion began during World War II when factories were established and refugees fleeing the Japanese poured in from eastern China. The face of Kunming has since radically changed, with streets widened and office buildings and housing projects erected.
Major tourist sites in Kunming include two Tang Dynasty Pagodas, Yuantong Temple, Yunnan Provincial Museum, Kunming City Museum, and Green Lake Park. Aside from Kunming’s array of tourist attractions, the city serves as a great jumping-off point for Dali, Lijiang, and Tiger Leaping Gorge to the north as well as Jinghong, Xishuangbanna, Pu’er and Yuanyang to the south.
Kunming offers travelers plenty of things to see and do, and a few good photo opportunities as well while visiting or passing through this city. It is no wonder that 2 million Chinese tourists and 800,000 foreign tourists visit Kunming every year. Nearby cities in Yunnan Province, such as Dali and Lijiang offer unique and enticing tourism options for travelers as well.
While there are a number of tourist attractions in and around Kunming, these sites are relatively lacking when compared to those in other provincial capitals in China. Furthermore, most of Kunming’s attractions tend to be either over-priced, over-rated, or both. With that in mind, travelers are encouraged to capitalize on some of Kunming’s positive characteristics (i.e. its pleasant weather, laid-back vibe, and short travel distances) and just relax, experience as much of Kunming’s culture as possible, and take in an attraction or two if time permits.
Walking and cycling around is one of the best ways to experience what the city has to offer. A walk through the Bird and Flower Market, the Yunnan University area, or around Green Lake Park is a great way to enjoy a sunny afternoon in Kunming. Better yet, all of these places are within walking distance of each other and all can be enjoyed without the cost of an entrance fee.
Travelers who have the time (and the money) should also consider a visit to a few of Kunming’s other tourist attractions, such as the Yunnan Provincial Museum, Shilin (Stone Forest), and the Western Hills near Dian Chi.
