General introduction

Kunming is the capital of southwest China’s Yunnan province, a primarily agricultural province of 45 million. Kunming has a population of five million and is located in one of the world’s most geographically, ethnically, biologically and linguistically diverse regions. Situated at 1,900 meters (6,233ft) above sea level and 25° north of the Equator it has a rather unique and pleasant climate for a Chinese city.

As the provincial capital, Kunming’s variety of people, languages, customs and food is a reflection of the variety found in Yunnan province itself. Roughly the size of California, Yunnan borders Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar (Burma), Guangxi and Tibet autonomous regions and Guizhou and Sichuan provinces. Yunnan is also less than 150 km from northeast India and northern Thailand.

Kunming weather is typically mild, except for two months of hot days usually around April and May and two months of cold nights and chilly days typically spanning from late December to early February. Otherwise, high temperatures average around 21°C (69°F) and lows are typically around 10°C (50°F). Weather in Kunming is influenced heavily by Indian monsoons as well as weather patterns in Tibet to the northwest.

Because of its high altitude Kunming weather is typically characterized by intense sunlight during the daytime and a slight chill at night. When the rest of China is hot, Kunming is one of the country’s coolest cities. When the northern half of the country is frozen and covered with snow, flowers are blooming. Hence, Kunming’s nickname in Chinese is ‘Spring City’.

Kunming sits upon the Yunnan Plateau, which rises toward the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau heading northwest and yields to lower altitude tropical jungle heading southward toward Southeast Asia. The city is surrounded by mountains and is just northeast of Dianchi Lake, the largest lake in the province and the sixth-largest freshwater lake in China.

Kunming is rapidly becoming one of China’s more internationalized cities. It has sister city relationships with Denver, Colorado in the United States and Wagga Wagga, New South Wales in Australia. Within five years it will have road and rail connections to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in addition to rail links to Hanoi, Vientiane, Phnom Penh. After the Stilwell Road is renovated, Kunming will be the only Chinese city connected to India by road. It will also be the main Chinese city of the China-ASEAN Asia Free Trade Area which will be launched in 2010 and will be the world’s largest FTA with over 1.8 billion people.

Attractions

Today Kunming is a major tourist city in China. It often serves as a mere stopover for travelers on their way to more idyllic or exotic locales in Yunnan such as Dali, Lijiang, Zhongdian (recently designated as ‘Shangri-la’ by Beijing) Deqin or Xishuangbanna, but the city has much to see in its own right.

One of the biggest draws for tourists coming to Kunming (other than the great weather and clean air) is the city’s ethnic diversity. Yunnan is home to over two dozen of China’s official 55 ethnic minorities. Tibetans, Hui, Bai, Dai, Yi, Naxi and other groups contribute to a cultural melting pot that differentiates Kunming from the majority of other major Chinese cities. Each of these ethnic groups brings with it a unique set of traditions including food, dress, art, music and mythology.

Kunming and the area surrounding the city also have many sights worth seeing. The Stone Forest is perhaps the most popular destination on the outskirts of the city. The Stone Forest, with its limestone columns reaching as high as 40 meters (131 feet) is one of the more unique geographical phenomena in China.

Within the city, Cuihu Park (Green Lake Park) is located in the city’s center. The park was once part of Dianchi Lake, but is now filled with small islands covered with bamboo, palms and willows. It is perhaps the best place in Kunming to people watch. Every afternoon around 2:30, people congregate in different sections of the park to play music, sing traditional songs, dance or just enjoy walking around and experiencing the wide variety of free entertainment available. Music lasts until nighttime.

Other attractions in the city include the Bamboo Temple, Kunming Zoo, Kunming Botanical Gardens and the World Horticultural Expo Gardens.