. thumb|300px|Golden Horse memorial Archway on Jinbi Road
'''Kunming''' (____; ''K?nming'') is the capital of Yunnan Province.
Understand
Known in China as the 'City of Eternal Spring', Kunming is at an almost-tropical latitude but 2000 m (6600 ft) altitude which gives it a very temperate climate. The air is also quite clean compared to other Chinese cities. However temperate it may be, in winter it has been known to snow, so if visiting in December-January, pack warm. In addition to its own charms it serves as a hub from which to explore Yunnan province. The city has a population of around 6 million.
Get in
Some routes to or from Kunming are described in Overland Kunming to Hong Kong. Routes to the West are in Yunnan tourist trail.
By plane
'''Kunming International Airport''' (KMG) has flights from South-East Asian cities like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, as well as plenty of domestic connections through China. Currently the airport is located about 9km south-east of the city area, with a taxi ride to the city area costing about \20-25. At peak times you can expect to double this, as Kunming has major traffic flow issues.
A new airport is currently in the planning stages, and it is thought that it will be located about 60km north-east of the city area. It is estimated to be completed some time in the next 5 years, as they also have to build the transport infrastructure to the new location.
You can book Air tickets from Air China Office, ''Wallton Building, 448 Baoshan Jie,(0871)3159171'' or any number of travel agents in the King World Hotel a few blocks north of the train station on Beijing Lu. Tickets to Beijing are usually about \1600 to 2000, to Hong Kong about \1200 to 1500, with closer destinations getting ever cheaper as China's domestic carriers jostle for market share.
Camellia Hotel has a reliable and cheap booking service, and the Laos Consulate is located inside the Camellia Hotel building too.
By train
The South train station has recently been refurbished and has a ticket office on its lower level. The station serves destinations throughout China including Nanning, Guilin, Chengdu (Sichuan), Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi'an. The train service to destinations inside of Yunnan is poor except for an overnight sleeper train to Xiaguan (Dali New Town).
By bus
Kunming has several bus stations. In general, the most useful are the ones on Beijing Lu (north of the train station). Confusingly, there are two within half a kilometer from one another. The smaller station is to the left of the station (if you are looking at the front of the station from Beijing Lu). The other station is a five minute walk north of the train station walking on Beijing Lu. This is the larger of the two bus stations. To make matters more confusing, they both serve many of the same locations, so travellers are advised to check both. They serve destinations in Yunnan including Jinghong, Dali, Lijiang, Zhongdian, Hekou and Ruili. The long distance buses are excellent - cheap, reliable, comfortable, however, overnight sleepers can be cold, bumpy and dirty, check out the bus before you buy the tickets.
It also has international departures to Laos and Vietnam, though these services are not always running. The bus to Laos goes all the way from Kunming to Vientaine, and cost approximately US$50 and last 40 hours if you go all the way. You can get off at stops in between like Luang Prabang, and the cost of the ticket is cheaper. Either way, its a long ride and a little expensive, although not more than one would expect. The buses are clean but make stops in unexplained places for short periods. As for necessities, the bus stops along the way at dingy restaurants and even nastier restrooms at gas stations. Still, its a manageable journey if you need to go from Laos to Kunming or visa versa.
The journey to Vietnam is less arduous. Buses to Hekou, the border city on the Chinese side, leave regularly. There are night buses which allow you to leave Kunming at eight p.m. from the bus station next to the train station and arrive at Hekou in time to cross the border as soon as it opens. The bus station is just a few blocks from the border crossing. From there, you can take one of the many buses to Hanoi, Sapa or elsewhere.
Get around
Kunming has very bad traffic conditions and not only at peak times. It's worth planning ahead if you have somewhere to get to.
''Bicycles'' can be rented at most hostels and hotels for about \20 a day. There are bike lanes along the edges of many major roads and traffic generally moves fairly slowly.
''City Buses'' are \1 apiece and cover most of the city. They stop at every stop along their assigned route, but not all bus routes stop at all physical bus stops! Don't be surprised to see a bus driving right past a stop, as it may not be on their route. Stops are ususally 500m to 1km apart. Bus drivers are lead footed, and often race each other, especially on the ring roads. They tend to stop suddenly too, so get a good hand hold. Some of the bus stops are at the sides of the road but some bus stops are located in the middle of the road and appear to have been designed to provide maximum inconvenince and danger for passengers. There have been reports of pick-pocketing on crowded buses, especially just before "Spring Festival", when they need extra cash. It is possible to get a bus card, which reduces the cost per trip to \0.90. The card itself costs \30 and is bought at bus stations. Bus Nos. 52 and 67 run to the airport and may cost \2 depending on the bus and hour. Bus routes are marked on some local maps (purchased from street venders or kiosks) but are not always accurate.
''Taxis'' start at \8 and usually require you to turn the meters on and off yourself to make sure not to be scammed. As usual, care should be taken when traveling at night or long distances. Larger taxis cost more than smaller taxis. Also be aware that taxis are zoned and cannot access all areas. Don't be surprised if a taxi driver cannot take you to your destination as it may be outside their zone. Only certain taxis are allowed into the central areas at certain times. This is to allow all taxis a chance at the lucrative business areas.
See
Kunming flower and bird market. ery central and situated within the area bounded by DongFeng Xi Lu (??___H) to the south, WuYi Lu (_____H) to the west, RenMin Xi Lu (_l_____H) to the north and ZhengYi Lu (__?_H) to the east.. ust. orth. f. ongFeng. i. outh. enMin. ast. uYi. u. nd. est. hengYi. In September 2008 the market was undergoing major reconstruction: most of the small stalls had been torn down and the old houses were being demolished. It was unclear what was to replace the old market; there were conflicting reports of new buildings or buildings "in the old style" replacing them, as well as the possibility that the market will move indoors. However, some of the stalls on the edges of the market had remained in operation.
Nontheless if purchasing cute little puppy dogs, live crickets, birds, live bird food, tortoises and other things creepy, crawly and/or fluffy is your thing then it is here to be had ... along with a few flowers and a great many trinkets. The most obvious stalls begin where WuYi Lu meets DongFeng Xi Lu but other sellers can be found on other streets within the district.
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Kunming Zoology Museum. ___?______?. dmission: 80 Yuan, September 2008. ituated in the north of Kunming between the first and second ringroads, approximately 600 metres directly west of the Carrefore supermarket at the intersection of LongQuan Lu and BaiYun Lu. Bus routes 4 and 92 (route 4 terminates just around the corner) run close to the museum, alternatively take routes 9, 55, 59, 74 or 96 to the Carrefore and walk from there..
Anybody interested in Yunnan's animals through the ages could spend a couple of hours here. The museum is adjacent to, and indeed shares a compound with, a university science campus. The exhibits are arranged on five floors starting with dinosoars, fossils and skeletons on the ground floor and working up to a tropical rain forest replica on the uppermost floor. There are sections with preserved fish and amphibians, stuffed animals and preserved insects. The exhibits seem to concentrate on creatures that are, or were, to be found in Yunnan. Most exhibits are labelled in English and Chinese but the longer explanations and information boards are generally Chinese only. Overall it is a pleasant, clean, museum with the exhibits well presented and usually well lit. It isn't really an interactive museum; there is plenty to point at and peer at but not much to do. There is a small table offering momentos for sale but otherwise no shop. Nor is there any onsite catering. Entry updated September 2008.
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The Kunming Zoo. ___?__?. few hundred metres north east of Green Lake. A few hundred metres east of Yunnan University. Buses 101, 92, 95 to south side. Buses 4, 22, 59. 74, 83 to north entrance.. rices: in September 2008, 10 Yuan with further 3 Yuan charge inside for the butterfly and peacock park. The Zoo was built in 1953 and claims to have over 300 species. There is a peacock garden, butterfly enclosure, avery and aquarium. In spring the zoo is reputed to be a 'sea of flowers', in particular the blossom of cherry trees and weeping Chinese crabapple trees. Overall the zoo is a pleasant enough place but with a slight air of weariness and decay about it. Local people also use it as a place for performing exercise or playing cards and mahjong.
Yunnan Railway Museum. ]__?_H____?. unming North Railway Station, 913 Beijing Road, Kunming, China. ection 1 (mainly maps and documents) is in the main railway station building. Section 2 (locomotives and rolling stock) is found approximately 500 metres to the east of the railway station.. hina 0871-6138610 (August 2008). dults 10 Yuan, Children 5 Yuan. One ticket provided access to both sections. (valid August 2008). This is a smallish museum dedicated to the various narrow gauge railways constructed to link Yunnan with other places: the Yunnan-Vietnam railway, the GeJin-BiSeZhai-ShiPing railway, the Yunnan-Myanmar railway and the XuFu-KunMing railway. These railways were brought into existence principally through French-Chinese collaboration but, as the museum records, the equipment, rolling stock, machines and materials originated in various countries including France, Russia, China, England, the USA and Germany. The museum is in two sections: The first is easily found within the Kunming North Railway Station building and contains maps, documents, models, information boards and small artifacts. The information boards and artifact labels are generally in Chinese and English, but many of the copies of original documents and annotated drawings are in French and Chinese. The second section of the museum can be found by walking approximately 500 metres along the road alongside the railway line towards the east. (In other words, on emerging from the station building, turn right, climb over the low carpark fence and then follow the road as closely to the railway line as possible.) The second section of the museum houses various locomotives and rolling stock. Non-commercial photography is permitted but, as both sections of the museum are poorly lit, a tripod might be useful. Railway enthusiasts can probably browse contentedly for an hour or two but small children and people with no interest in history or railways might find 15 minutes to be more than long enough.
Provincial Museum. 18 WuYi Lu, Kunming, Yunnan. _]___C_____C_____H __118.. uite central, situated on the southern side of the junction of DongFeng Xi Lu (??___H) and WuYi Lu (_____H). Bus routes 26, 52, 66, 73, 95, 98 and 100 all stop nearby.. 871-6179536, 6179528. ttp://www.ynbwg.cn/. 0am to 5pm, closed Mondays. dmission free (September 2008). A smallish museum containing artifacts from the past 2500 years. The items are presented quite and are reasonably well lit. For persons who are particularly interested in history one and a half hours might be sufficient. Descriptions are given in Chinese and English. Occasionally the museum hosts temporary exhibitions on the ground floor. The permanent exhibitions are on the two upper floors, access by stairs only.
Kunming City Museum. ree. A simple museum whose main attraction is a central pillar taken from an old temple (now destroyed) and other relics from the Dian kingdom (a tribute state of the Western Song dynasty). Admission free, and includes a tour. As at August 2006, the main attraction, the fossil & dinosaur exhibition is currently undergoing complete renovation & is not open for visitors. A large part of the museum is taken up by a series of shops selling fossils/minerals (warning : many of the fossils are fakes) plus overpriced Chinese paintings, textiles, porcelains & some furniture.
Kunming Botanical Gardens.
These gardens are 12 kilometers from Kunming proper and, together with the Black Dragon Park, constitute a national scenic area.
The gardens have introduced precious flowers, traditional medicinal herbs, important trees and endangered plants of the province. Also they have cultivated many plants for domestication and the protection of their migration. The gardens have collected some 4,000 species of plants and established 10 special plant gardens and experimental districts.
The camellia garden is unique in the country and has collected 40 spucles of camellias. Yunnan Province boasts more than 100 species of camellia. These gardens were one of the earlies gardens to collect the cedar.
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Karst Topography.
<see name=Dianchi Lake.
The Dian Chi Lake, also called "Kunming Lake", "Kunming Pond", and "Southern Lake of Yunnan" in ancient times, is a plateau lake with beautiful scenery, the lake is 40 by 8 kilometers and is 1,886 meters above sea level. The lake water and the sky seem joining mutually like a city sea, dense mist and rolling water are on the surface of the lake, and sails are strolling above the water. It claims to be "a pearl on the Yungui Plateau" for a long time.
Being the largest lake in Kunming and the sixth largest fresh water lake in China, Dian Chi Lake is 300 square kilometers (116 square miles) in surface area, 1,885 meters (6,185 feet) in altitude and about 40 kilometers (25 miles) in length (from north to south).
The west side of Dian Chi Lake is the mountain forest, while on the east side are lands dotted with the fisheries and agribusinesses. Traditional fishing boats still sail on the lake, hooking and netting. Taking a boat to voyage between the blue sky and the green water, breathing the fresh air and viewing the birds flying just at your side, what an enjoyable, light-hearted and free moment it is!
When the weather is fine, there are white flocculent or massive clouds floating in the cerulean sky, the cyan water waves under the golden sunshine and the surrounding mountains reflect their silhouettes on the water. If you take a walk on the lake shore you will feel intoxicated by the beautiful landscape.
The most beautiful view of Dian Chi Lake appears at dawn and sunset, the refraction of the ethereal rays glitter on the water surface just like thousands of silver fishes swimming and playing. At night, when the breeze is fleeting over the water and the world is brimming over with hazy moonlight, Dian Chi Lake lies in silence and breathes in peace like a sleeping beauty.
The ocean-like Dian Chi Lake is the best place to go for those people who wish to get away from the bustling city and be close to the nature. Facing such a beautiful and capacious place, one may forget everything even himself, the only thing left is the amazing scenery before you.
On the West Mountain, you can overlook the crossed green fields and the vast green Dian Chi Lake, the high and low peaks ranged at random at distance and emerald forests and elegant meditation rooms closely.
Having the advantages of beautiful scenery and rich plants on the mountain, the West Mountain has already become a large-scale forest park after the transformation by Kunming City Government. Nearly 3,000 kinds of woody plants are growing on the mountain and the Ginkgo, Yulan magnolia and epiphyllum are unique in Kunming. The sago cycas, metasequoia, yew podocarpus and peacock China fir handed over in the geology history and the rare plants in the Dianzhong Plateau such as moss, alangium and Yunnan camphor tree are in addition to the above.
The Longmen is the most beautiful scenic spot on the West Mountain. If climbing the Longmen and overlooking the endless Dian Chi Lake, you will see the green wave ripples and the pretty scenes of the lake. If enjoying the Dian Chi Lake on the close Grand View Pavilion, you will see that the waving water is running to your eyes and the sails are strolling in the light mist on the lake.
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Green Lake Park. _____?, CuiHuGongYuan. ocated near Yunnan University in the north western part of town.. /a. ntry is free. A pleasant, smallish expanse of park and lake that serves as a mellow hang-out. Musicians sometimes practice along the paths. Plenty of goldfish and lotus plants can be seen. In the mornings it is a popular place for people to perform their morning exercises. During December and January many seaguls arrive in the region and in the mornings many people feed the birds or photograph them as they swoop past to catch the thrown food. There are a number of restaurants and tea shops near the lake and the northern edge is close to WenLinJie (Wen Lin Street) where there are many restaurants (Chinese, Korean, Western, Indian).
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Village of Ethnic Culture. Expensive and basically a minority disneyland, this tourist attraction highlights how the Han Chinese view their minority citizens as ethinic sideshows. Tromp around and see faked architecture of various Yunnan minorities. If you don't have any time to get outside of Kunming, this might be your best bet to experience the province's minority culture. Otherwise, don't bother, just hang out in the real thing in Xishuangbanna or in the northwest.
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Jindian (Golden Temple) Park. n the MingFeng mountain, seven kilometers north-east of Kunming. day ticket purchased at the Southern gate of what is now known as the 'World Horti-Expo Garden' is 100 yuan, June 2008. The park, sprawling for more than 133.3 hectares on the Mingfeng Mountain, is a national forest reserve comprising natural scenery mingled with sites of historical interest and man-made gardens. Some 12 percent of the surface are lakes or ponds.
On the Mingfeng Mountain stands the exquisite and serene Golden Temple, 6.7 meters in height and 7.8 meters in width, and cast of 250 tons of solid bronze. It is the largest bronze hall in China.
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Western Mountain Forest Reserve. The forest reserve on the west bank of the Dianchi Lake consists of the Huating, Taihua and Luohan mountains, which extend for more than 40 kilometers at an altitude of 2,500 meters above sea level. This is a colossal natural forest reserve, its lofty chain of mountains crisscrossed by gurgling brooks and streams. Ancient trees heap up rich piles of foliage, and birds warble and flutter in the midst of fragrant flowers.
Viewed from the southeast corner of Kunming, the entire forest reserve looks like a beautiful maiden reclining leisurely by the Dianchi Lake, her long hair quivering in the limpid water. Hence the nickname of the Western Mountains Forest Reserve, " Sleeping Beauty". Longmen (Dragon Gate) Built on the steep rock hills, the carved stone " Dragon Gate " consists of the major part, which was cut from the 46th year of Qianlong Era (178l) to the third year of Xianfeng Time in the Qing Dynasty. No tourist can but be astonished at such elegant carving on such precipitous hills. On March 3, every lunar year, hundreds of Kunming people crowd up to the hills for celebrating their traditional distinguished gathering called "Spring Touring", dancing and singing on the green western hills.
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Stone Forest. ocated about 2 hours by bus from Kunming. ttp://www.chinastoneforest.com/. ntry is a little pricy at \140 per person per day but you can get an annual pass for \160 for unlimited entry to the Stone Forest & 4 other nature reserves.. This is a UNESCO listed site of remarkable Karst geography. Good weekend trip & lots to see. It is not possible to change currency at the sole local bank & their ATM often does not work. Very good Youth hostel (\160/night double) or can get room at Stone Forest Hotel (inside the nature reserve) for \200/night for good a/c double room (including horrible breakfast). Local restaurants are pricy but noodle shop in main street has great food from \3 per bowl. Getting there: luxury buses depart regularly from east side of Kunming main railway station - \26 to Stone Forest - other buses may charge \90 for the same trip. Note : if one of the touts working in front of the train station assist you to find your bus their \10 commission will be added to your fare.
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Jiuxiang Scenic Spot. This scenic spot is 20 sq km in area and includes 5 tourist attractions, Diehong Bridge (5 km southeast from Jiuxiang Street, famous for the karst caves, the twin waterfalls and the huge natural stone dam cluster), Dasha Dam (consisting of picturesque karst caves and thick forest), Sanjiao Cave (5 km north of Jiuxiang Street, famous for the karst caves), Alu Long [a scenic area 6 km west of Jiuxiang Street, famous for the excavated Yi Nationality cliff paintings of Qin (221BC-206BC) and Han (206BC-220AD) dynasties] and Mingyue (meaning the bright moon) Lake.
Jiuxiang is known as the "museum of karst caves", which boasts its caves as the largest in scale and number (there are about a hundred karst caves) and has the most wonderful in-cave scenes in China. The caves in Jiuxiang fall into 4 cave clusters: Sanjiao Cave, Dashang Cave, Diehong Cave and Dasha Dam Cave. 66 out of the numerous caves in the area are profitably exploitable and the karst cave cluster is the largest of its kind on Yunnan-Guizhou plateau. The caves in the area are praised for their grandeur, wonder grotesquerie and natural beauty.
Jiuxiang, the birthplace of the aboriginal Yi ethnic people, has a strong minority custom color, a long cultural history, and widely spread old myths and tales. These include Hunting Festival, the Worship the White Dragon Festival, Love Song Contest, Bullfighting, Wrestling, Sanxian Dance (Sanxian is a three-stringed plucked instrument), Rattle Stick Dance and so on.
Tourists should take enough clothes since they may get wet in boats when they visit the karst caves and the gorges. The folk songs and dances and the local food are also special. What's more, Yangzonghai Lake Scenic Spot and Little White Dragon Forest Park are not far from Jiuxiang Scenic Spot. Tourists can take buses at the gate of the Jiuxiang to go there.
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Yuantong Temple. t the foot of Yuantong Hill in the northern part of Kunming. With a history of more than 1,200 years, Yuantong Temple is the grandest as well as the most important Buddhist temple in Yunnan Province. King Yimouxun of the Nanzhao Kingdom built the temple during the late eighth century as a continuation of Putuoluo Temple, and the restorations to the temple performed from the Qing Dynasty onward had not changed Yuantong Temple's unique mixed architectural style of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties.
Unlike all other Buddhist temples, which are built on an ascendant, you enter Yuantong Temple from above and descend along a gently sloping garden path. The view before you starting your peaceful walk beneath the gigantic cypress trees that line the garden path to the temple with its extensive array of flowers and foliage is deeply restful and impressive. A memorial archway with four Chinese characters -Yuantong Shengjing (Yuantong Wonderland)-is standing on the halfway; you can see the entire temple from here.
The temple complex is built around Yuantong Hall (Mahavira Hall), which is known as the Fane on the Water for it is surrounded by a very large pond filled with limpid water and fish. A delicate stone bridge which has an elegant octagonal pavilion stands in the center connects Mahavira Hall and the temple entrance. The pavilion is connected to the rest of the complex by various bridges and walkways.
Sakymuni, Amitabha and the Medicine Buddha, all Yuan Dynasty statues, are found in the main hall. The surrounding 500 Buddhist Arhats who are carved in the walls are rare treasures noted for their perfect proportions and lively appearances. Also in this temple hall are two ten meter high pillars from the Ming Dynasty that are each engraved with a dragon - one yellow and one green - who are trying to extend their bodies and claws into the air as if they are ready to fly. Like the Arhats, they impart the feeling that at any moment they could spring into action.
Outside, on each side of the main hall, there are stone staircases that are carved out of the mountainside and wind their way to the top of the hill. As you climb these stairs, there are ancient inscriptions along the way and various tone artworks that are considered the most important historical relics in Kunming. From the top of the stairs, you are presented with a terrific panoramic view of the entire complex. It is from here that you can most appreciate the architecture of the remarkable temple complex.
In 1982, Thai Buddhists sent a copper statue of Sakymuni to Yuantong Temple as a symbol of friendship, and the statue is three and a half meters high and four tons in weight. A few years later, in 1985, a Copper Buddha Hall was built in a combination of Chinese and Tai styles to house this exquisite gift.
Surrounding the temple pond are a series of halls where you will find old women praying, people sitting and chatting, ongoing classes in Buddhist scriptures, a magnificent calligraphy studio, an exhibit of temple photographs taken at the end of the Qing Dynasty by Auguste de Francois, a temple shop, a restaurant, and more.
Yuantong Temple is a working temple that also represents the Buddhism of China today. Along with the patronage of the local people of Kunming and Yunnan in general, Buddhists from around the world come here on pilgrimages to pay homage, there are special Buddhist services two times each month, and the Buddhist Association of Yunnan Province is located here. Yuantong Temple plays a very important role in history and in the modern world.
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Grand View Pavilion.
The Park of the Grand View Pavilion in the western part of Kunming races the Dianchi Lake in the south and the Western Mountains in the west. The pavilion, with a history of more than three hundred years, is a three-floor square structure with flying eaves and golden-lacquered ornamentation.
The top floor of the pavilion provides an all-embracing view of the vast Dianchi Lake and the peaks of the Western Mountains. A 180 character couplet is hanging down the pavilion, which is lauded as the 'number one couplet past and present'.
The Park of the Grand View Pavilion is the most fascinating garden in urban Kunming.
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Qiongzhu (Bamboo) Temple. An amazing work of art hidden in a temple a mile or two up the mountains encircling Kunming. A mixture of life-like figures in totally fantastical positions (man whose eyebrows grow down to the floor, monks ridding giant fish), this is some trippy artwork that's worth the trip.
Tanhua Temple. Tanhua Temple, also called Taohu Nunnery, free admisson. was built in 1634, the seventh year in the reign of Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty. It is located at the foot of Mt. Tuiying of the Jinma Mountain range in the eastern outskirts of Kunming City, about 4 kUometres away from the city centre. According to historical records, before the temple was erected, there had been a thatched shack where Shi Shiqiao, a scholar of the Ming Dynasty, buried himself in books. During the reign of Chongzhen, Shi Tai, grandson of Shi Shiqiao, donated the estate for the shack whereon tanhua Temple was built. In the backyard there was an epiphyllum tree, which is called "tanhua" in Chinese and honoured as "Buddha's Flower", hence the name "Tanhua Temple".
Tanhua Temple was built by the end of the Ming Dynasty. It went through many renovations during the reigns of Kangxi (1662-1722) and Qianlong (1736-1795) in the Qing Dynasty. It has been well-known for its flowers and plants ever since Yingding, the abbot, took charge of this temple. It has been a scenic spot for more than three hundred years, and an epitome of Kunming, "the Flower City of the Southern Frontier." Yingding (1864- 1922), a native of Kunming came to the temple in his childhood, and studied Buddish sutras under Xuliang, the abbot. Xuliang loved the boy very much because he was clever and could memorize every word he had learned. He was later sent to study Confucian doctrines under Wang Zhongyu, a Confucian scholar. He attained great achievement in poetry. After the death of Xuliang, Yingding inherited the abbotship. His diligence changed the bleak temple into a garden "full of fragrance from flowers." His gardening skills were well known in the city.
The epiphyllum tree was planted in the side court of the depository of Buddhist Scriptures. There is a stone tablet on which four characters are carved: "The Epiphyllum Brings Luck." After the erection of the temple, the original epiphyllum withered and died. The epiphyllum nowstanding taller than the eaves of the temple sprang from the root of the original one at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, and is about three hundred years old. The epiphyllum's leaves are broad and its twigs supple. It stands slim and graceful. When it bursts into flowers in mid-summer, the strong fragrance greets your nose, gladdens your heart and refreshes your mind. This epiphyllum is, in fact, a unique Yunnan magnolia, belonging to the lily magnolia family. It is an evergreen ornamental plant suitable for gardening. The big loquat tree in the backyard is said to have been planted in the early Ming Dynasty by Lan Mao (1397-1476), a famous doctor and the author of the book Meteria Medica of Yunnan.
In recent years, the old temple has resumed its original grandeur and achieved great development. It has become one of the most famous scenic spots in Kunming. When you enter the gate, coming into view are flowers alongside the road and the wall which embraces a rockery studded with flowers. You seem to have come to a world of flowers.
In this south of the temple, there is the Southern Garden with flowers and rockeries. The peaks of the rockeries look like a forest, each having its own style. The exuberant azalea, cypress, magnolia and bamboo vie with the rockeries for beauty and gracefulness. The winding paths among the flowers and the zigzagging corridor surround the Lotus Pond, where you can watch fish. You are delighted to see fishjumping out of the water, and feel fascinated with the blooming of flowers.
In the east of the temple there is a the East Garden, covering about fifty mu shaded by tall cedars and cypresses. Within the garden there are seven small gardens, namely, Yi Jian Xuan, Peony Garden, Magnolia Garden, Azalea Garden, Camellia Garden, Chinese Flowering Crabapple and Cheery Garden, and Children's Playground. They are ingeniously connected by foot-paths and corridors. The beauty of these gardens lies not only in the matching of the flowers with plants, but also in the interior layout of each garden. You will be greeted by picturesque scenes wherever you rove in these gardens, which combine the classical architectural style with that of the minority nationalities in Yunnan. Tanhua Temple, though occupying a small area of less than a hundred mu, is so enchanting that visitors will linger on without any thought of leaving.
When he was in Yunnan, Zhu De (1886-1976), Commander-in-Chief of the People's Liberation Army, admired very much Monk Yingding's skills of cultivating magnolias and other flowers. He often went to see the flowers and enjoy a cup of tea together with Yingding, whose style of coriversation and calligraphy he more than admired. Soon they became close friends. In the early spring of 1922 when he visited the temple, Zhu De wrote a poem for Yingding, who carved it on a stone tablet to commemorate the event. On March 9th of the same year, Moon Yingding passed away but the stone tablet remains.
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Do
Buy
Outdoor Equipment.
As elsewhere in bigger cities close to mountainous regions, you can buy fairly good quality fake and 'overrun' Outdoor and Camping gear in Kunming. Shops can be found in a courtyard at 20 Dongfeng Donglu and on Baoshan Jie close to the central square, as well as in the enormous garment district on the South Ring Road between the moat and Carrefour shopping centre (check basement and top stories, no self-respecting counterfeit vendor would sell on the mainfloor of a building). Bargain hard.
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local minority souvenirs, jade, and Chinese games. lower and bird market. efer to 'see' entry, above, for directions.. /a.
The flower and bird market is undergoing major reconstruction (September 2008) but some stalls remain.
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Eat
Local Specialties:
'''Over-the-Bridge Rice Noodles''' (??__? ''guoqiao mixian'') It is a typical Yunnan local flavor that could only be tasted in some parts of Yunnan. The Over the Bridge Rice Noodles has along history and it carries with itself a vivid love story.
This famous dish consists of several courses and a big bowl of chicken soup with very thick oil on top to keep the heat for cooking the food items, including raw pork, cooked chicken pieces, pork liver, slices of squid and slices of carp for the first course to be dipped into the boiling hot soup. Vegetables are then added afterwards as the second course, and the rice noodles follow as the last course. It is a kind of snack food in Yunnan . Surely enough , you are eager to have a taste of Yunnan Over the Bridge Rice Noodles.
'''Steam Potted Chicken''' with Tienchi & Steam Potted Chicken with Cordyceps
In the old times , there used to be a restaurant famous for its steam potted chicken. Later they created a new variety with gastrodia tuber in the soup, becoming one of the well known local nutritious dishes in Kunming.
Early in the Qianlong Era of the Qing Dynasty, the steam potted chicken became popular among the common people. Jianshui County has a long history in producing the best pottery ware in Yunnan. Pots produced in this county has different shapes and forms.
The steam pot has a hollow tube fixed in the center, up to the height of the pot. Food including the raw chicken pieces, ginger, salt and so forth are put around the tube and the pot is placed onto a bigger pot with boiling water underneath. Steam will come up from the small hole in the middle to heat the food in the pot. The Chicken will be ready about three or four hours. The same method is used to cook other food and will increase the flavor of the dish.
'''Yiliang Roasted Duck''' The "Goujie Roasted Duck" produced in the Goujie Street of Yiliang is extraordinarily delicious, with the crispy and yellowish skin, soft and tender duck meant, has a special slight flavor of pine needles.
'''Xuanwei Ham''' The history of Xuanwei ham dates back to the fifth year of YongZheng times in Qing Dynasty (AD 1727). Xuanwei ham won a prize at the Panama Fair in 1915. In 1923, Mr. Sun Zhongshan wrote an inscription "Yin He Shi De" (which means "eat properly for a sound mind") for Xuanwei ham and taste it at a food competition held in Guangzhou. Xuanwei ham has been selling well to Southeastern Asia and European countries. As a rule, the Xuanwei ham is processed during the winter. Select the best pork leg and press out the pork blood completely. Rub it with salt and smoke or air it dry after the salt permeates to a certain depth of the pork. Try to test the pork leg in three when the surface of the pork turn in green. The quality standard is to have the ham fragrance from three needles punched in the pork. Cut the ham open from the middle, it looks bright in color and has a clean fresh color. It can be preserved well in cellar with low moisture or in a warehouse with good air conditioning. Xuanwei ham can be bought from any big or small stores. If not convenient for travelling, it is possible to by canned Xuanwei ham.
'''Sweet Tonghai Peapowder Candy''' The sweet Tonghai peapowder candy is a famous traditional snack. It is very easy to get it from any store and shopping stand. The ingredients of the sweet Tonghai Peapowder Candy is made of quality white sugar, rice cerealose, and roasted peapowder(broad bean or pea).
'''Qujing Pickled Chives Flower''' This local product was first produced in the Guanxu Year of the Qing Dynasty. Main ingredients include chives flower, salt, wine, chili, and brown sugar.
'''Sweet Pickled Kaiyuan Chinese Onion''' Kaiyuan is a place in the south Yunnan and it is famous for its delicious sweet pickled Chinese onion. It is made of the Chinese onion, salt, chili, brown sugar, wine. After being sealed in a jar for three months, it is ready. It tastes crispy and slightly sweet.
'''Smoked Smelly Bean Curd''' It is one of the popular snacks found in the night snack market in Kunming. Quality Bean Curd is used as the raw material and it is smoked over a charcoal fire. If you have chance to be at the night snack market in Kunming, remember to experience it yourself.
'''The Eight Treasures of Yunnan''' Of all the well - known Yunnan cakes, the Eight Treasures of Yunnan comes the first. It is packed in eight small pieces. It consists of one hard - skin cake, a ham - stuffed moon part, two crispy white parts stuffed with puree and two crispy parts stuffed with sesame, peanuts, mushroom and rutabaga pickle.
Wild Mushrooms (___q ''junzi'')
Old lady potatoes with peppers and fennel (_V?_m__ ''laonai yangyu'')
Fried goats cheese (''rubing''), sometimes served with sugar or black pepper and salt. On the street, girls dressed in Dali minority costumes offer ''rubing'' with Hershey's chocolate, rose flavor, and condensed milk. Occasionally mixed in with green beans.
Local barbeque - at night , steet vendors set up charcoal grills to barbeque potatoes, zucchinis, pork, chicken, beef on skewers - all sprinkled liberally with powdered local chili. The taste is excellent & incredibly spicy - typically pay \1-2 per skewer for a great street meal.
Stinky Tofu (_L____ ''chou doufu'') - although not strictly a local specialty, this is a favorite among Chinese everywhere. Although it is certainly an acquired taste, it should not be missed.
Muslim vendors can be found hawking granola-bar type snacks in the older part of town north of the train station. A tough but tasty treat sold by the kilo, the vendor will chop a piece off a huge nut- and honey-filled cake, and make bars or squares as you like.
Restaurants:
A '''Daddy's Diner''' located at the corner of Long Quan road and the north Er Huan road. __?___H_a_k__?_H In the new tall orange and white apartment complex Tai Yang Xin Cheng ________ next to the '''University of Finance and Economics''' ??___w. It is a new restaurant serving '''American and Mexican food'''. The food is inexpensive and pretty good quality and they offer '''free Wi-Fi access''' Any taxi driver can take you there, and Bus routes 9, 74, 84, 114, 115, 129, And 168 also all stop nearby at: Cai Mao Xue Yuan. ??_w_@ ?0871-5844511 Unfortunately they are closed on Mondays. You can find their web site by searching Daddy's Diner Kunming on the Web.
Along '''Wenlin Jie''' there are many "Western" cafes and restaurants. These include "Salvadors" (which is on '''Wenhua Xiang''', just off '''Wenlin Jie'''), "French Cafe", "Prague Cafe" and many others. This street is commonly known as "Western Street" and the taxi drivers know it well!
'''Salvadors''' is currently closed for renovation as a result of a bomb that exploded in the restaurant. A sign outside claims re-opening in the first week of February 2009, but it doesn't look anywhere ready. More info about the bombing can be found by searching on the website GoKunming.
'''Food delivery''', many restaurants in Kunming offer localized food delivery. One particularly convenient restaurant delivery service in Kunming is called '''Lazy Bones Home Delivery'''. They deliver food for restaurants like '''Daddy_fs Diner''' all over Kunming. Unfortunately they charge a small fee. You can find them on the web or call ?532 2515
Next to Salvadors is a Yunnan style restaurant called '''Manna'''. Fantastic food at low prices. Even the drinks are reasonably priced (less than 10kuai). Despite this being a Chinese restaurant, the cakes are also worth trying.
'''Prague Cafe''' has a variety of meals including Japanese and Western. While this place largely remains a Chinese hangout, several foreigners looking for a quieter lunch or place to study Chinese can be seen. The staff are friendly and the coffee is probably second best in the area.
In the Kunming '''Flower and Bird Market''', there is a great pizzeria set in a Qing dynasty courtyard house. The prices are more expensive than eating local dishes, but the atmosphere and quality of the food are outstanding. To find it, head to the flower and bird market and as you walk round, keep your eyes peeled for their sign above the stalls.
The '''Vegetarian Restaurant''' is located a few doors to the left of the Kunming Zoo main entrance on Yuan Tong Lu, serves somewhat pricey imitation meat dishes from a 1,500 year-old tradition. Dishes range from \3.5 to \98. The crispy "duck" is especially good.
Drink
Shelter. ear the back entrance of the Zoo. The bar is unique. The entrance is not far from the zoo's back entrance. Entering through the doors, there is a jazzy scene with plenty of comfortable places to lounge. Sometimes they even have video games set up. But the thing that sets this bar apart from other bars lies through the doors next to the bar. Passing through them, you go down some steps about six feet and enter through three doors, each of them three inches thick. This second bar and dance floor lie about 10-20 feet beneath the Zoo in an old bomb shelter build in the 70's when Mao was frightened by the prospect of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Try to make your self heard over the blaring music as large, ominous ventilation pipes hang over you. It's is not the best place to hang out, but you have to see it at least once if you're in town.
Freedom Bar. enmin Donglu a few blocks West of Beijing Lu. A club and bar with dance music, a small dance floor, and plenty of alcohol. During happy hours foreigners are allowed three free drinks: either 3 whiskeys or 3 beers.
Several western-style retro-bars can be found on Tuo Dong Lu east of Bai Long Lu, and catering mostly to a local clientele afford an opportunity to mingle with locals.
Chapter One. enlin Jie. Always good for a Beerlao, and free Wi-Fi access. You can also borrow books and DVDs from their lending library. This is currently Kunming's English-speaker's hangout. Also serves food, but you might want to go across the street to Prague for edibles.
Two words: '''Speakeasy Bar'''. It is as dodgy as it sounds and just as great! THE place to be late on a Friday or Saturday night.
Sleep
Budget
As always with Chinese cities, there are number of so-so budget options around Kunming's train station. The <b>Golden Bridge/Jinqiao Hotel</b> (__?___X) isn't a bad option, with rooms starting at \40. Along Beijing Lu are a number of similar <i>zhaodaisuos</i>, just look for the ______ or ?? signs.
KinnOne Hotel. 8 West Dongfeng Road. 871-6077555. 871-6179689. 3:00. A fairly new Hotel very close to the centre of town - two minutes walk to the main pedestrianised area. Easy to miss, as it only has a small entrance onto the street with a lift. No english spoken at reception, but rooms start at \120 for a double, with en suite. Very clean, very good service, and the rooms on the north side of the building have a view over the bird market. Internet free in rooms (LAN connection), breakfast comes with room (in the restaurant on the 9th floor), and there is a laundry service available. A word of caution, on at least one occasion, a customer paid up front to have laundry done, only to be corced by the management and the police to pay a second time.
Camellia Hotel. 6 East Dongfeng Road. 871-3163000 (6008). ttp://www.kmcamelliahotel.com. 4:00. aster@kmcamelliahotel.com. 147033. A long standing relatively cheap hotel/hostel. It is on Dongfeng Donglu a few blocks east of Beijing Lu. Dorms are \30, doubles \80 to 200; prices are fixed and, at least for the doubles, include an excellent breakfast. Rooms are clean, staff is polite and most speak excellent English. Showers, laundry, and somewhat pricey internet/business services are available. Be careful when using services. On at least one occasion, when having laundry done, a tourist paid upfront only to be coerced by management (and police) to pay again upon checkout. Laos maintains its consulate in the main building on the ground floor from which you can obtain visas.
City Cafe. alf a block West of Camelia Hotel on the North side of the street. A cafe, bar, and erstwhile guesthouse off Dongfeng Donglu. Upon last inspection it was still renting rooms, however it has occasionally shut down for unknown reasons in the past. Doubles should go for about \20 to 30 and vary in cleanliness. The staff is very nice, though very little English is spoken. There have been a couple complaints of dishonest behavior by the owner concerning the cafe.
Hump over the Himalayas. he Hump Hostel. inmabiji Square, Jinbii Rd., Kunming. us no.3 from train/long distance bus station (7 stops). 871 3640359. he_hump_kunming@yahoo.com. ww.thehumpkunming.com. 2:00. 25 dorm, \80+ twin.. This place is a cafe, bar and hostel on Jinbi Lu. It is on the third floor and has a rooftop garden where you can have drinks while overlooking Jinbi Square. The staff speaks some English. Great selection of western style plates. Have pool table, DVDs and free wi-fi.
Mid range
'''7 Days Inn''' is located on Qing Nian Lu. phone="08718098088". Prices start at 150 for a King Size bedroom. Very clean rooms with helpful, yet non-English speaking staff. Free internet is available by connecting to the Ethernet port in your room. A free computer is also usually available in the lobby. The rooms also come equipped with a satellite dish that covers channels from all over China (only 1 or 2 English channels). Because it's located in the city, don't be surprised to find no view from your window. Think Best Western.
Spring City Star Hotel. 41 Baita Lu. 8608716161666. Formerly known as '''Spring City Inn''' (and before that '''Yunnan Machinery Hotel'''). The hotel is in a quite courtyard off busy Baita Lu, close to a secondary school. Fantastic value, exceptionally clean twin rooms, nice staff, a/c, breakfast included. Standard rooms with ensuite bath are 138RMB (December 2008). For laundry service go just around the corner to the Aoma Meili Pub (10RMB/kg). No elevator in this 4 floor hotel. Free internet.
'''Fairyland Hotel''', 7 km from airport nearby Yuantong Temple, Tel: +8608716353777.. \180/day with breakfast and free internet.
'''New Era Apartments''', pretty much in the city centre, near the underpass where Dong Feng Xi Lu becomes Dong Feng Dong Lu. The New Era Apartments are in the same building as the New Era Hotel and seem to be related to the '''Fairyland Hotel''' but might or might not be run by the same company. Postal address 99 Dong Feng Xi Lu, Kunming, Yunnan, China. (____ _]__ ____ ??___H99__). Note however that there is no vehicle access to the hotel from DongFeng Xi Lu. Telephone number: China 0871-2364684, Fax number: China 0871-3635308 In August 2008, an ensuite room with double bed, sofa, mediocre TV, good cable internet access, approximately 30 square metres of space, well lit, nicely decorated, uncramped, clean and comfortable, was available for 180 to 240 yuan per night, depending on length of stay and haggling skills. A fridge and microwave were provided in the room after some gentle pressure was applied. The apartments do not occupy all the floors of the building so the single, somewhat overworked, lift does not stop at all floors but will often keep you waiting. Also the set of lifts in the main lobby of each floor do not stop at all, presumably because they are used by some other hotel in the same building. The rooms overlooking the square below can be noisy between 9am and 10pm if some event is in progress in the square. Nearby are various eastern and western-style restaurants and fast food outlets, a very badly organised Carrefore supermarket, various retail plazas and small stores.
Splurge
'''Green Lake Hotel''', Cui Hu Nan Lu 6, Tel: (0871) 515 8888 (Fax: (0871) 515 3286), [http://www.greenlakehotel.com] A modern, luxury hotel. The bar has a panoramic view of Green Lake Park, and private car tours of the area are also offered. 293 rooms.
[http://www.kunmingjinjianghotel.com '''Kunming Hotel'''] Panlong District, Tel no.: 86 21 61226688 Ext. 7800, E-mail: tprsvns@hubs1.net. Jin Jiang Hotels_f flagship hotel, the four-star Kunming Hotel features highly business-oriented, but very luxurious rooms and meeting areas.
'''Harbour Plaza Hotel''', Hong Hua Qiao 20, Telephone: (0871) 538 6688 Fax: (0871) 538 1189, [http://www.harbour-plaza.com/hpkm]. On Green Lake Park, with 3 restaurants and 2 bars, in a quiet location. 315 rooms.
'''Kai Wah Plaza International Hotel''', Beijing Lu 157, Tel: (0871) 356 2828 Fax: (0871) 356 1818, [http://www.kaiwahplaza.com]. A large, elegant hotel with glass lobby, panoramic views, and a shopping center next door. 555 rooms.
'''Zhen Zhuang Ying Binguan''', Beijing Lu 514, Tel: (0871) 316 5869 Fax: (0871). A very beautiful hotel in a large garde, the Chinese president and other high-ranking officials stay here when in Yunnan, but not much English is spoken. 86 rooms.
Cope
<listing name="PSB - visa extentions" alt="" directions="On Baijing Road(Beijing Rd) near Jinbi Road" address="" phone="" email="" fax="" url="" hours="Mon-Fri 0900-1200, 1300-1700" price="\160">It takes 5 working days to get the visa extention. If you are going to Dali it takes only half a day here.</listing>
Get out
Visit the hot springs at Anning - 34 kms from Kunming.
The West Hills (___R Xi Shan) provide a good view of the city and have a few ancient Daoist (Taoist) caves of sculptures. Take bus #5 West to the end of the route, then Bus #6 or a minibus. In total the trip should take no more than an hour and a half. From the #6 bus stop either take a minibus up to the main gate or walk about 3 hours. There is an entrance fee to the grottos (\30).
Travel north to the old towns of Dali (4 hours) or Lijiang (8 hours), both very popular with foreign tourists.