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General
Information
 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. |
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History
Kunming's
Chinese
history
exceeds
two
millennia.
In
279
BC
general
Zhuang
Qiao
of
the
Chu
kingdom
set
up
camp
near
Dianchi
Lake.
During
the
Han
Dynasty
a
city
named
Kunzhou
was
established
to
the
southeast
of
present-day
Kunming.
Later
on
during
the
Mongol-ruled
Yuan
Dynasty,
the
area
was
given
the
name
Kunming
County.
During
the
early
19th
Century
Kunming
constructed
a
city
wall
–
the
hallmark
of
any
true
Chinese
city
at
the
time.
From
1910
to
1913
the
French
built
the
Indochina
Rail
Line
to
Kunming,
connecting
it
to
Hanoi
and
even
as
far
as
Haiphong
on
the
Gulf
of
Tonkin.
The
line
was
extended
to
Kunming
to
tap
the
vast
copper
resources
in
the
area.
The
line
still
operates
today.
In
the
past,
Kunming
was
considered
to
be a
backward
and
isolated
city.
Government
officials
that
fell
into
disfavor
with
their
superiors
were
often
posted
there
as
punishment.
In
1928
Kunming
was
elevated
to
municipality
status
by
the
Kuomintang-ruled
Republic
of
China.
Shortly
afterward,
the
city
was
about
to
experience
what
was
arguably
its
most
formative
period
to
date.
During
China's
war
of
resistance
against
Japan
during
World
War
II,
a
large
number
of
refugees
from
elsewhere
in
China,
particularly
the
country's
north,
fled
to
Kunming.
From
1937
to
1938
approximately
60,000
refugees
poured
into
Kunming,
which
only
had
a
population
of
around
150,000
beforehand.
Many
of
these
refugees
were
intellectuals
fleeing
persecution
under
Japanese
rule
as
well
as
Generalissimo
Chiang
Kai-shek's
Kuomintang
government
–
which
had
already
been
pushed
back
to
Chongqing
but
did
not
control
Yunnan,
with
which
it
had
an
alliance
but
did
not
rule.
Kunming
was
on
the
receiving
end
of a
brain
drain
that
resulted
in
the
establishment
of
Southwest
Associated
University,
which
was
located
on
the
grounds
of
present-day
Yunnan
Normal
University.
The
legacy
of
this
intellectual
immigration
is
apparent
today
–
Kunming
is
still
one
of
southwest
China's
educational
and
research
centers.
During
World
War
II,
Kunming
was
the
terminus
of
military
supply
routes
originating
in
Burma
and
later
India.
American
forces
were
stationed
in
the
city,
most
notably
the
Flying
Tigers.
The
design
of
Kunming's
current
airport
was
influenced
heavily
by
the
American
troops
posted
in
the
city
during
this
time.
After
the
Communist
victory
of
1949
and
the
reintegration
of
Yunnan
into
Beijing's
sphere
of
control,
Kunming
quieted
down
for
the
most
part
and
rode
the
political
ebbs
and
flows
experienced
by
the
rest
of
the
country. |
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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
peoplewatch.
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. |
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