Kunming

Kunming (昆明; Kūnmíng) is the capital of Yunnan Province in China. Known in China as the City of Eternal Spring, Kunming is at an almost-tropical latitude but with a 2000 m (6600 ft) altitude, which gives it a very temperate climate. However, in winter it has been known to snow, so if visiting in December–February, pack warm. Also, when it rains - it's cold. The air is also quite clean compared to other Chinese cities, even though the traffic-congested streets still emit more than their fair share of pollution. The population of the prefecture of Kunming is now close to 10 million and the city is expanding rapidly, with numerous highways and modern buildings. Largely because of the fine climate, flower-growing is a major industry; tourist attractions include flower exhibits and auctions and a huge botanical garden.

In addition to its own charms, Kunming serves as a base from which to explore Yunnan province. Some routes to or from Kunming are described in Hong Kong to Kunming overland. The most popular route within Yunnan runs north and west from Kunming, and is described in Yunnan tourist trail. Kunming is also the jumping off point for trips to the tropical paradise area Xishuangbanna down in southern Yunnan near the Laotian border.

Kunming is one of the most important transport hubs of Southwest China. It is well connected to the rest of China by road, rail and air and also has good air links to Southeast Asia and a few outside the region, such as flights to Kolkata.

Some historic routes no longer exist. The old French-built railway to Vietnam is no longer in service, but a new railway along a similar route (Kuning to Hekou North 河口北), with regular passenger service, has been opened to replace it. There are also buses along that route, and a new bullet train link all the way to Singapore via Vientiane is perennially under discussion. The Burma Road, which terminated in Kunming, no longer exists but there are newer and better roads over much of that route and rail over some of it.

The area is known for the Yí (彝) people, an ethnic minority prevalent in and around Kunming. Especially at popular tourist sites, you may see people dressed in traditional Yi garb and selling handicrafts or showing off local dances.

• Kunming City Museum, 93 Tuo East Road, Guandu District (官渡区拓东路93号; Guāndùqū Tuòdōnglù) (About 1km east of Tangzixiang Station on Metro Line 2 and about 870 metres south of Tuodong Stadium Station on Metro Line 3. Bus routes 1, 62, 109, 117, 145, 213 and a1, +86 871 63306314. 09:30-17:00, no entry after 16:30. 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). A large part of the museum is taken up by a series of shops selling fossils/minerals (many of the fossils are fakes) plus overpriced Chinese paintings, textiles, porcelains and some furniture. Free, including a tour.
• Kunming Flying Tigers Memorial, 458 Beijing Road, Panlong District (盘龙区北京路458号) (About 200 metres south of Dongfeng Square Station at the intersection of metro lines 2 and 3. Directly opposite Chahua Park, +86 871 63199122. Tu-Su 10:00-17:00, no entry after 16:30. The Flying Tigers were fighter pilots — officially called the American Volunteer Group — who fought the Japanese in China through much of World War II, both before and after the US entered the war. Despite a whole range of problems, they shot down several hundred enemy planes. Kunming was one of their main bases. Free.
• Kunming Zoology Museum, 32 Jiaochang East Road, Wuhua District (五华区教场东路32号; Jiāochángdōnglù) (In the north of Kunming between the first and second ring roads, approximately 600 metres directly west of the Carrefour supermarket at the intersection of Longquan Road and Baiyun Road. Bus routes 92, 115, 139, and 146 run close to the museum (92 and 146 are best as they stop outside the main entrance). alternatively take routes 9, 10, 55, 59, 74, 84, 96, 129, 175 or z63 to the Xiaocaiyuan (小菜园) bus stop just south of Carrefour and walk from there, +86 871 65199680. Tu-Su 09:00-17:00. 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 dinosaurs, 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 is not really an interactive museum; there is plenty to point at and peer at but not much to do. There is a small table offering mementos for sale but otherwise no shop. Nor is there any onsite catering. ¥40.
• Yunnan Art Museum, 118 Wuyi Road, Wuhua District (五华区五一路118号) (Near Exit A of the Wuyi Road Station on Metro Line 3, +86 871 63163665. 09:00-17:00, closed on Mondays. Occupies the building where the Yunnan Provincial Museum (listed below) used to be. Free.
• Yunnan Nationalities Museum, 1503 Dianchi Road, Xishan District (西山区滇池路1503号) (On the north shore of Dianchi Lake. The nearest bus stop is Yunnan Nationalities Village (云南民族村), which is served by bus routes 24, 44, 73, 94, 135, 165, 184, 233, a1, a9, +86 871 64311219. Tu-Su 09:00-16:30. Free.
• Yunnan Provincial Museum, 6393 Guangfu Road, Guandu District (官渡区广福路6393号) (About 2km southwest of Xingyao Road Station on Metro Line 1. Catch bus no. z84 from the station if you don't want to walk, +86 871 67286571 (general enquiries), +86 871 67287185 (exhibition enquiries), +86 871 67286863 (tickets), +86 871 67286223 (group bookings). Tu-Su 09:00-17:00, no entry after 16:30. A large museum containing artifacts from the past 2,500 years. The items presented are reasonably well lit and the interior is amazing. A slow stroll through the museum may take two hours. Descriptions are mainly given in Chinese. The permanent exhibitions are on the two upper floors, while the ground floor hosts temporary exhibitions. Free.
• Yunnan Railway Museum, Kunming North Railway Station, 913 Beijing Road, Panlong District (盘龙区北京路913号火车北站; Pánlóngqū Běijīnglù Huǒchēběizhàn) (Section 1 is in the main railway station building, Section 2 is 500 m to the east of the railway station. Kunming North Railway Station can be reached by metro train on Line 2. The metro station is on the south side of the railway station, +86 871 66138610. W-Su 09:00-16:00. Inside the museum's trainshed This is a smallish museum dedicated to the various narrow gauge railways constructed to link Yunnan with other places. These railways were brought into existence principally through French-Chinese collaboration but the equipment originated in various countries. The museum is in two sections: The first 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 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. Adults ¥10, children ¥5, one ticket provides access to both sections.
• Yunnan University Wu Mayao Museum of Anthropology, Yunnan University, 2 Cuihu North Road, Wuhua District (五华区翠湖北路2号云南大学) (Just south of the main university gate on Beimen Street (北门街). Bus nos. 92, 139 and 187 stop near here., +86 871 65034167. Reportedly closed during the university's summer and winter vacation periods. Fascinating museum with an impressive collection of minority and Han artifacts from around Yunnan. Highlights include painted wooden torso armor of the Yi people, fearsome warriors of a traditionally caste society who historically controlled the mountainous region between Sichuan and Yunnan and whose queen was instrumental in negotiating the entry in to Yunnan of the Mongol Horde at the dawn of the Yuan Dynasty, ushering in the first real period of Han control thus beginning the widespread Sinification in Yunnan province. Unfortunately the showy modern glass presentation makes photography of some artifacts rather difficult. Free.

Kunming City Museum, 93 Tuo East Road, Guandu District (官渡区拓东路93号; Guāndùqū Tuòdōnglù) (About 1km east of Tangzixiang Station on Metro Line 2 and about 870 metres south of Tuodong Stadium Station on Metro Line 3. Bus routes 1, 62, 109, 117, 145, 213 and a1, +86 871 63306314. 09:30-17:00, no entry after 16:30. 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). A large part of the museum is taken up by a series of shops selling fossils/minerals (many of the fossils are fakes) plus overpriced Chinese paintings, textiles, porcelains and some furniture. Free, including a tour.

Kunming Flying Tigers Memorial, 458 Beijing Road, Panlong District (盘龙区北京路458号) (About 200 metres south of Dongfeng Square Station at the intersection of metro lines 2 and 3. Directly opposite Chahua Park, +86 871 63199122. Tu-Su 10:00-17:00, no entry after 16:30. The Flying Tigers were fighter pilots — officially called the American Volunteer Group — who fought the Japanese in China through much of World War II, both before and after the US entered the war. Despite a whole range of problems, they shot down several hundred enemy planes. Kunming was one of their main bases. Free.

Kunming Zoology Museum, 32 Jiaochang East Road, Wuhua District (五华区教场东路32号; Jiāochángdōnglù) (In the north of Kunming between the first and second ring roads, approximately 600 metres directly west of the Carrefour supermarket at the intersection of Longquan Road and Baiyun Road. Bus routes 92, 115, 139, and 146 run close to the museum (92 and 146 are best as they stop outside the main entrance). alternatively take routes 9, 10, 55, 59, 74, 84, 96, 129, 175 or z63 to the Xiaocaiyuan (小菜园) bus stop just south of Carrefour and walk from there, +86 871 65199680. Tu-Su 09:00-17:00. 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 dinosaurs, 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 is not really an interactive museum; there is plenty to point at and peer at but not much to do. There is a small table offering mementos for sale but otherwise no shop. Nor is there any onsite catering. ¥40.

Yunnan Art Museum, 118 Wuyi Road, Wuhua District (五华区五一路118号) (Near Exit A of the Wuyi Road Station on Metro Line 3, +86 871 63163665. 09:00-17:00, closed on Mondays. Occupies the building where the Yunnan Provincial Museum (listed below) used to be. Free.

Yunnan Nationalities Museum, 1503 Dianchi Road, Xishan District (西山区滇池路1503号) (On the north shore of Dianchi Lake. The nearest bus stop is Yunnan Nationalities Village (云南民族村), which is served by bus routes 24, 44, 73, 94, 135, 165, 184, 233, a1, a9, +86 871 64311219. Tu-Su 09:00-16:30. Free.

Yunnan Provincial Museum, 6393 Guangfu Road, Guandu District (官渡区广福路6393号) (About 2km southwest of Xingyao Road Station on Metro Line 1. Catch bus no. z84 from the station if you don't want to walk, +86 871 67286571 (general enquiries), +86 871 67287185 (exhibition enquiries), +86 871 67286863 (tickets), +86 871 67286223 (group bookings). Tu-Su 09:00-17:00, no entry after 16:30. A large museum containing artifacts from the past 2,500 years. The items presented are reasonably well lit and the interior is amazing. A slow stroll through the museum may take two hours. Descriptions are mainly given in Chinese. The permanent exhibitions are on the two upper floors, while the ground floor hosts temporary exhibitions. Free.

Yunnan Railway Museum, Kunming North Railway Station, 913 Beijing Road, Panlong District (盘龙区北京路913号火车北站; Pánlóngqū Běijīnglù Huǒchēběizhàn) (Section 1 is in the main railway station building, Section 2 is 500 m to the east of the railway station. Kunming North Railway Station can be reached by metro train on Line 2. The metro station is on the south side of the railway station, +86 871 66138610. W-Su 09:00-16:00. This is a smallish museum dedicated to the various narrow gauge railways constructed to link Yunnan with other places. These railways were brought into existence principally through French-Chinese collaboration but the equipment originated in various countries. The museum is in two sections: The first 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 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. Adults ¥10, children ¥5, one ticket provides access to both sections.

Yunnan University Wu Mayao Museum of Anthropology, Yunnan University, 2 Cuihu North Road, Wuhua District (五华区翠湖北路2号云南大学) (Just south of the main university gate on Beimen Street (北门街). Bus nos. 92, 139 and 187 stop near here., +86 871 65034167. Reportedly closed during the university's summer and winter vacation periods. Fascinating museum with an impressive collection of minority and Han artifacts from around Yunnan. Highlights include painted wooden torso armor of the Yi people, fearsome warriors of a traditionally caste society who historically controlled the mountainous region between Sichuan and Yunnan and whose queen was instrumental in negotiating the entry in to Yunnan of the Mongol Horde at the dawn of the [[Yuan Dynasty]], ushering in the first real period of Han control thus beginning the widespread Sinification in Yunnan province. Unfortunately the showy modern glass presentation makes photography of some artifacts rather difficult. Free.

• Daguan Pavilion, 284 Daguan Road, Xishan District (西山区大观路284号) (Inside Daguan Park (大观公园; Dàguān Gōngyuán). Bus routes 4, 22, 52, 95, 100, 104, 124, 131, 262, 258, z13 and z39, +86 871 68240933. 07:00-19:00. Daguan Park 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 is the most fascinating garden in urban Kunming. ¥20.
• Fulintang Drugstore (Bi'anguo Branch), 31 Guanghua Street, Wuhua District (五华区光华街31号) (At the corner of Guanghua Street and Wenming Street. About 540 metres from Wuyi Road Station on Metro Line 3. The nearest bus stop is Weiyuan Street (威远街), which is served by bus routes 133 and 189, +86 871 63636565. Opened in 1857, this is the oldest established drugstore in Kunming. The traditional style building has remained largely unchanged since the 19th century and has been included on China's national heritage list.
• Guandu Ancient Town, Guandu District (官渡区) (Bus routes 31, 165, 169, 174, 185, 186, 232, 253, 255, 908, a12, c143, c85, d28, k15 and k42. The nearest metro station is Xingyao Road Station on Metro Line 1, which is about 1.3 kilometres from the town, +86 871 67262799, +86 871 67273379. Open all day. An historic town that was founded during the Tang Dynasty and was once part of the kingdoms of Nanzhao and Dali. A number of old buildings are preserved here, including several temples. Free.
• Kunming Pump House, 6 Cui Hu East Road, Wuhua District (五华区翠湖东路6号) (The museum is inside the park's east gate, which is on the southeast side of the park. Visitors walking through the gate will see the museum about 100 m directly ahead of them. There is a bus stop just south of the east gate, which is served by bus routes 100, 101, 124, 133, 235 and z5, +86 871 63163863. W-Su 09:30-16:30.. As a result of droughts parching Yunnan, the reservoirs surrounding Kunming are of vital importance. The specter of Kunming's taps suddenly running dry is of great concern for residents. The two-room "History Museum of Kunming Water Supply" (昆明市自来水历史博物馆) is inside the Green Lake Park, and is housed in the building that once pumped 1,000 m³ of water daily from Green Lake's spring-fed Nine Dragon Pond (九龙池) and along a 9.5-km network of municipal water pipes. The pump station was completed in 1917 and started operating in 1918. It continued to be used until 1957. The current museum still contains what appear to be the two original French-made electric water pumps, along with a small collection of old photos and other curios, such as tokens that could be used to buy water from any of the more than 50 public water taps that were part of the system. Free.
• National Southwestern Associated University Site, Yunnan Normal University, 298 Yi Er Yi Street, Wuhua District (五华区一二一大街298号云南师范大学校园内) (The nearest bus stop is the Yunnan Normal University bus stop, which is served by bus routes 10, 22, 55, 64, 65, 84, 96, 111, 205 and 244, +86 871 65516091. Open all day. The National Southwestern Associated University was a wartime amalgamation of Peking University, Tsinghua University and Nankai University. It was established in Changsha in 1937 following the occupation of university campuses in Beijing and Tianjin by Japanese forces and was originally known as the Changsha Temporary University. In 1938, the university relocated to this site in Kunming following heavy air raids on Changsha and continued to operate here until the end of the war. The site, which is now part of Yunnan Normal University, is a national level heritage site and is open to the public. Free.
• Yunnan Military Academy, 22 Cui Hu West Road, Wuhua District (五华区翠湖西路22号) (Near the west gate of Green Lake Park. Nearby bus stops include the Provincial Library (省图书馆), which is served by bus routes 125 and 133 and the Science and Technology Museum (科技馆), which is served by bus routes 100, 101, 124, 133, 235 and z5, +86 871 65395952. Tu-Su 08:00-17:00 (academy), 09:00-17:00 (museum). The Yunnan Military Academy is a historic military academy that was founded in 1909 during the final years of the Qing Dynasty. It continued to operate after the Xinhai Revolution (1911) and was one of the most important military academies in China up until its closure in 1935. A number of prominent Communist military leaders received their training here. A museum at the site explains the history. The museum is in three sections with bilingual information boards and artefact labels. Free.
• Zhu De's Former Residence, 4 Honghua Lane (红花巷4号) and 3 Xiaomeiyuan Lane (小梅园巷3号), Wuhua District (五华区) (About 400 metres east of Green Lake Park's east gate. The nearest bus stop is Luofeng Street (螺峰街), which is served by bus nos. 92, 125 and 187, +86 871 63617017. 09:00-18:00. Zhu De (1886-1976) was one of the Communist Party's most revered political and military leaders in the 20th century. Most notably, he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Red Army during both the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War. He also held the position of Commander-in-Chief of the People's Liberation Army during the Korean War. This residence was Zhu De's home from 1921 to 1922. It is now a museum with exhibits on Zhu De's life. Free.

Daguan Pavilion, 284 Daguan Road, Xishan District (西山区大观路284号) (Inside Daguan Park (大观公园; Dàguān Gōngyuán). Bus routes 4, 22, 52, 95, 100, 104, 124, 131, 262, 258, z13 and z39, +86 871 68240933. 07:00-19:00. Daguan Park 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 is the most fascinating garden in urban Kunming. ¥20.

Fulintang Drugstore (Bi'anguo Branch), 31 Guanghua Street, Wuhua District (五华区光华街31号) (At the corner of Guanghua Street and Wenming Street. About 540 metres from Wuyi Road Station on Metro Line 3. The nearest bus stop is Weiyuan Street (威远街), which is served by bus routes 133 and 189, +86 871 63636565. Opened in 1857, this is the oldest established drugstore in Kunming. The traditional style building has remained largely unchanged since the 19th century and has been included on China's national heritage list.

Guandu Ancient Town, Guandu District (官渡区) (Bus routes 31, 165, 169, 174, 185, 186, 232, 253, 255, 908, a12, c143, c85, d28, k15 and k42. The nearest metro station is Xingyao Road Station on Metro Line 1, which is about 1.3 kilometres from the town, +86 871 67262799, +86 871 67273379. Open all day. An historic town that was founded during the Tang Dynasty and was once part of the kingdoms of Nanzhao and Dali. A number of old buildings are preserved here, including several temples. Free.

Kunming Pump House, 6 Cui Hu East Road, Wuhua District (五华区翠湖东路6号) (The museum is inside the park's east gate, which is on the southeast side of the park. Visitors walking through the gate will see the museum about 100 m directly ahead of them. There is a bus stop just south of the east gate, which is served by bus routes 100, 101, 124, 133, 235 and z5, +86 871 63163863. W-Su 09:30-16:30.. As a result of droughts parching Yunnan, the reservoirs surrounding Kunming are of vital importance. The specter of Kunming's taps suddenly running dry is of great concern for residents. The two-room "History Museum of Kunming Water Supply" (昆明市自来水历史博物馆) is inside the Green Lake Park, and is housed in the building that once pumped 1,000 m³ of water daily from Green Lake's spring-fed Nine Dragon Pond (九龙池) and along a 9.5-km network of municipal water pipes. The pump station was completed in 1917 and started operating in 1918. It continued to be used until 1957. The current museum still contains what appear to be the two original French-made electric water pumps, along with a small collection of old photos and other curios, such as tokens that could be used to buy water from any of the more than 50 public water taps that were part of the system. Free.

National Southwestern Associated University Site, Yunnan Normal University, 298 Yi Er Yi Street, Wuhua District (五华区一二一大街298号云南师范大学校园内) (The nearest bus stop is the Yunnan Normal University bus stop, which is served by bus routes 10, 22, 55, 64, 65, 84, 96, 111, 205 and 244, +86 871 65516091. Open all day. The National Southwestern Associated University was a wartime amalgamation of Peking University, Tsinghua University and Nankai University. It was established in [[Changsha]] in 1937 following the occupation of university campuses in Beijing and Tianjin by Japanese forces and was originally known as the Changsha Temporary University. In 1938, the university relocated to this site in Kunming following heavy air raids on Changsha and continued to operate here until the end of the war. The site, which is now part of Yunnan Normal University, is a national level heritage site and is open to the public. Free.

Yunnan Military Academy, 22 Cui Hu West Road, Wuhua District (五华区翠湖西路22号) (Near the west gate of Green Lake Park. Nearby bus stops include the Provincial Library (省图书馆), which is served by bus routes 125 and 133 and the Science and Technology Museum (科技馆), which is served by bus routes 100, 101, 124, 133, 235 and z5, +86 871 65395952. Tu-Su 08:00-17:00 (academy), 09:00-17:00 (museum). The Yunnan Military Academy is a historic military academy that was founded in 1909 during the final years of the Qing Dynasty. It continued to operate after the Xinhai Revolution (1911) and was one of the most important military academies in China up until its closure in 1935. A number of prominent Communist military leaders received their training here. A museum at the site explains the history. The museum is in three sections with bilingual information boards and artefact labels. Free.

Zhu De's Former Residence, 4 Honghua Lane (红花巷4号) and 3 Xiaomeiyuan Lane (小梅园巷3号), Wuhua District (五华区) (About 400 metres east of Green Lake Park's east gate. The nearest bus stop is Luofeng Street (螺峰街), which is served by bus nos. 92, 125 and 187, +86 871 63617017. 09:00-18:00. Zhu De (1886-1976) was one of the Communist Party's most revered political and military leaders in the 20th century. Most notably, he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Red Army during both the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War. He also held the position of Commander-in-Chief of the People's Liberation Army during the Korean War. This residence was Zhu De's home from 1921 to 1922. It is now a museum with exhibits on Zhu De's life. Free.

• Qiongzhu Temple, Heizhu Highway, Yu'an Mountain, Xishan District (西山区玉案山黑筇公路; Xīshān Qū Yùàn Shān Hēizhú Gōnglù) (On the south side of Jiaoye Park (郊野公园). Bus routes C61, C62 and C63. Bus C62 departs from a bus stop on Kunzhou Road (昆州路) just south of the West Bus Station, which is accessible via Metro Line 3, +86 871 68181881. 08:30-17:00. An amazing work of art hidden in a temple several kilometers up in the mountains encircling Kunming. For the most part, it is a normal temple, but in one room, there is a series of sculptures that is an incredible work of art. A mixture of life-like figures in totally fantastical positions (man whose eyebrows grow down to the floor, monks riding giant fish), this is some trippy artwork that is worth the trip. ¥10.
• Tanhua Temple, 533 Tanhua Road, Panlong District (盘龙区光明路昙华路533号; Pánlóngqū Guāngmínglù) (At the foot of Tuiying Mountain in the eastern outskirts of Kunming City, about 4km from the city centre. Bus routes 132 and z99 stop outside the south gate. You can catch bus z99 just outside Exit B of the Jinma Temple metro station on Line 3, +86 871 63845448. 07:00-17:00. Built in 1634. 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. Shi Tai, grandson of Shi Shiqiao, donated the estate for the shack whereon the temple was built.
  
  In the backyard there was an epiphyllum tree, which is called tanhua in Chinese, hence the name. The temple went through many renovations during the Qing Dynasty. It is well-known for its flowers and plants. It has been a scenic spot for more than three hundred years, and an epitome of Kunming, the Flower City of the Southern Frontier. 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 now standing 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. It bursts into flowers in mid-summer. The big loquat tree in the backyard is said to have been planted in the early Ming Dynasty.
  
  In the South Garden there are flowers and rockeries with winding paths among the flowers and the zigzagging corridor surround the Lotus Pond, where you can watch fish. The East Garden is shaded by tall cedars and cypresses and include seven smaller gardens and a Children's Playground.
  
  The old temple has resumed its original grandeur. It has become one of the most famous scenic spots in Kunming. Free.
• Yuantong Temple, 42 Yuantong Street, Wuhua District (五华区圆通街42号) (At the foot of Yuantong Hill in the northern part of Kunming. To the south of Kunming Zoo. Bus routes 4, 59, 74, 83, 100, 101, 129, 234 and a2, +86 871 65193762. 06:00-24:00. With a history of more than 1,200 years, Yuantong Temple is the grandest and most important Buddhist temple in Yunnan Province. King Yimouxun of the Nanzhao Kingdom built the temple in late eighth century. The restorations from the Qing Dynasty onward has not changed the unique mixed architectural style of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties.
  
  Unlike all other Buddhist temples, you enter Yuantong Temple from above and descend along a gently sloping garden path. A memorial archway with four Chinese characters is standing halfway. The temple complex is built around Yuantong Hall, which is surrounded by a very large pond. A delicate stone bridge which has an elegant octagonal pavilion stands in the center and connects the 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 which are carved in the walls are noted for their perfect proportions and lively appearances. Also in this temple hall are two ten metre high pillars from the Ming Dynasty, each engraved with a dragon trying to extend their bodies and claws into the air. Outside, on each side of the main hall, there are stone staircases carved out of the mountainside and wind their way to the top of the hill. There are ancient inscriptions along the way and various stone artworks 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. In 1982, Thai Buddhists sent a 3.5 metre copper statue of Sakymuni, which is now placed in the Copper Buddha Hall combining Chinese and Tai styles.
  
  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, a temple shop, a restaurant and more.
  
  Yuantong Temple is a real working temple. Buddhists from many different countries come here on pilgrimages to pay homage. There are special Buddhist services twice each month, and the Buddhist Association of Yunnan Province is also here, making it a centre of Buddhism in Yunnan. ¥6.
• Zhenqing Temple, 82 Tuodong Road, Panlong District (盘龙区拓东路82号) (700 metres west of Tangzi Lane Station on Metro Line 2. The nearest bus stop is Baita Road Intersection (白塔路口), which is served by bus nos. 1, 62, 109, 117, 145, 213, a1 and a2, +86 871 63125250. 08:00-17:30. Kunming's largest and most important Taoist temple. Free.

Qiongzhu Temple, Heizhu Highway, Yu'an Mountain, Xishan District (西山区玉案山黑筇公路; Xīshān Qū Yùàn Shān Hēizhú Gōnglù) (On the south side of Jiaoye Park (郊野公园). Bus routes C61, C62 and C63. Bus C62 departs from a bus stop on Kunzhou Road (昆州路) just south of the West Bus Station, which is accessible via Metro Line 3, +86 871 68181881. 08:30-17:00. An amazing work of art hidden in a temple several kilometers up in the mountains encircling Kunming. For the most part, it is a normal temple, but in one room, there is a series of sculptures that is an incredible work of art. A mixture of life-like figures in totally fantastical positions (man whose eyebrows grow down to the floor, monks riding giant fish), this is some trippy artwork that is worth the trip. ¥10.

Tanhua Temple, 533 Tanhua Road, Panlong District (盘龙区光明路昙华路533号; Pánlóngqū Guāngmínglù) (At the foot of Tuiying Mountain in the eastern outskirts of Kunming City, about 4km from the city centre. Bus routes 132 and z99 stop outside the south gate. You can catch bus z99 just outside Exit B of the Jinma Temple metro station on Line 3, +86 871 63845448. 07:00-17:00. Built in 1634. 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. Shi Tai, grandson of Shi Shiqiao, donated the estate for the shack whereon the temple was built.

In the backyard there was an epiphyllum tree, which is called tanhua in Chinese, hence the name. The temple went through many renovations during the Qing Dynasty. It is well-known for its flowers and plants. It has been a scenic spot for more than three hundred years, and an epitome of Kunming, the Flower City of the Southern Frontier. 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 now standing 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. It bursts into flowers in mid-summer. The big loquat tree in the backyard is said to have been planted in the early Ming Dynasty.

In the South Garden there are flowers and rockeries with winding paths among the flowers and the zigzagging corridor surround the Lotus Pond, where you can watch fish. The East Garden is shaded by tall cedars and cypresses and include seven smaller gardens and a Children's Playground.

The old temple has resumed its original grandeur. It has become one of the most famous scenic spots in Kunming. Free.

Yuantong Temple, 42 Yuantong Street, Wuhua District (五华区圆通街42号) (At the foot of Yuantong Hill in the northern part of Kunming. To the south of Kunming Zoo. Bus routes 4, 59, 74, 83, 100, 101, 129, 234 and a2, +86 871 65193762. 06:00-24:00. With a history of more than 1,200 years, Yuantong Temple is the grandest and most important Buddhist temple in Yunnan Province. King Yimouxun of the Nanzhao Kingdom built the temple in late eighth century. The restorations from the Qing Dynasty onward has not changed the unique mixed architectural style of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties.

Unlike all other Buddhist temples, you enter Yuantong Temple from above and descend along a gently sloping garden path. A memorial archway with four Chinese characters is standing halfway. The temple complex is built around Yuantong Hall, which is surrounded by a very large pond. A delicate stone bridge which has an elegant octagonal pavilion stands in the center and connects the 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 which are carved in the walls are noted for their perfect proportions and lively appearances. Also in this temple hall are two ten metre high pillars from the Ming Dynasty, each engraved with a dragon trying to extend their bodies and claws into the air. Outside, on each side of the main hall, there are stone staircases carved out of the mountainside and wind their way to the top of the hill. There are ancient inscriptions along the way and various stone artworks 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. In 1982, Thai Buddhists sent a 3.5 metre copper statue of Sakymuni, which is now placed in the Copper Buddha Hall combining Chinese and Tai styles.

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, a temple shop, a restaurant and more.

Yuantong Temple is a real working temple. Buddhists from many different countries come here on pilgrimages to pay homage. There are special Buddhist services twice each month, and the Buddhist Association of Yunnan Province is also here, making it a centre of Buddhism in Yunnan. ¥6.

Zhenqing Temple, 82 Tuodong Road, Panlong District (盘龙区拓东路82号) (700 metres west of Tangzi Lane Station on Metro Line 2. The nearest bus stop is Baita Road Intersection (白塔路口), which is served by bus nos. 1, 62, 109, 117, 145, 213, a1 and a2, +86 871 63125250. 08:00-17:30. Kunming's largest and most important Taoist temple. Free.

• Yunnan Nationalities Village, 1310 Dianchi Road, Xishan District (西山区滇池路1310号; Diānchílù) (Near Dianchi Lake. Bus routes 24, 44, 73, 94, 135, 165, 184, 233, a1, a9, +86 871 64311255 (enquiries), +86 871 68279283 (emergencies), +86 871 68279327 (complaints). 09:00-18:30. Covering an area of about 133.3 ha. An ethnographic display of the architecture and ways of life of Yunnan's minority populations. Adult ¥90, child 6-18 ¥45, seniors 60-70 ¥45, seniors over 70 free.

Yunnan Nationalities Village, 1310 Dianchi Road, Xishan District (西山区滇池路1310号; Diānchílù) (Near Dianchi Lake. Bus routes 24, 44, 73, 94, 135, 165, 184, 233, a1, a9, +86 871 64311255 (enquiries), +86 871 68279283 (emergencies), +86 871 68279327 (complaints). 09:00-18:30. Covering an area of about 133.3 ha. An ethnographic display of the architecture and ways of life of Yunnan's minority populations. Adult ¥90, child 6-18 ¥45, seniors 60-70 ¥45, seniors over 70 free.

• Baohai Park, 121 Baohai Road, Guandu District (官渡区宝海路121号) (Northeast of the Kunming International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Bus routes 122 and k52, +86 871 63512927. 08:00-19:00. The park covers an area of 250 mu (16.67 hectares) and is one of Kunming's largest modern parks. It features camphor, azaleas and other native plants. ¥5.
• Black Dragon Pool Park, 1 Lan'an Road, Panlong District (盘龙区蓝桉路1号) (Take bus no. 249 from the Longtou Street Station on Metro Line 2, +86 871 65886882. 08:00-18:00. Black Dragon Pool Park is a rare large garden, is the Kunming plum resort, known as the" Longquan exploration plum". The" Tang Mei" legend from Nanzhao transplant, with the tranquility Caoxi Temple" Yuan Mei" is considered to be Yunnan's most precious Gu Mei. The park features trees that are rare, not only because of their scarcity in the area, but also for their astounding age and size. Entry is pricey at ¥20 per person per day;.
• Dianchi Lake. Plateau lake with improving scenery. Historically the a pearl on the Yungui Plateau, the ecosystem was severely damaged in the 1960s by conversion of wetland into farmland. Great efforts are made starting from the 1990s to reverse this damage. Today the northern tip of the lake is gated by a series of causeways. Trawlers are working around the clock to purify the water. The best places to see the lake are along Guanjing Road. (观景路) and Haigeng Park. (海埂公园) near the Yunnan Nationalities Village (listed above). Here you can see tourists holding up snacks to feed flyby seagulls, oppposite of the lake here is the Western Mountain. The lake proper is 40 by 8 km and is 1,886 m above sea level. It is the largest lake in Kunming. Traditional fishing boats still sail on the lake.
• Green Lake Park, 67 Cui Hu South Road, Wuhua District (五华区翠湖南路67号) (Near Yunnan University in the north western part of town. Bus routes 100, 101, 124, 133, 235 and z5 stop at the park's east and south gates, +86 871 65318808. 07:00-23:00. 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 seagulls 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 Wenlin Street where there are many restaurants. Free.
• Jindian Park, Chuanjin Road, Panlong District (盘龙区穿金路) (on Mingfeng Mountain, 7 km northeast of Kunming, a taxi is around ¥20 and takes 20 minutes, buses 10, 47, 50, 57, 69, 71, 76, 142, 146, 147, 235, z85 and z90 go there as well, +86 871 65014511. 07:30-18:00. 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% 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. ¥50 to visit this park only. A combo ticket, which includes entry to both this park and the World Horti-Expo Garden as well as a return trip on the cable car connecting the two places, may be purchased for ¥130.
• Jingxing Street Flower and Bird Market, Jingxing Street, Wuhua District (五华区景星街) (Very central and situated within the area bounded by Dongfeng West Road (东风西路) to the south, Wuyi Road (五一路) to the west, Renmin West Road (人民西路) to the north and Zhengyi Road (正义路) to the east. Close to the Wuyi Road Station on Metro Line 3. 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 Road meets Dongfeng West Road but other sellers can be found on other streets within the district.
• Kunming Botanical Gardens, 132 Lanhei Road, Panlong District (盘龙区蓝黑路132号) (Take bus no. 249 from the Longtou Street Station on Metro Line 2. Get off at the Black Dragon Pool Park, +86 871 65223628. Tu-Su 09:00-17:00. These gardens are 12 km from Kunming proper and, together with the Black Dragon Pool Park (黑龙潭公园), 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 species of camellias. Yunnan Province boasts more than 100 species of camellia. These gardens were one of the earliest gardens to collect the cedar. ¥10 (West Garden), ¥5 (East Garden).
• Kunming Zoo, 92 Qingnian Road, Wuhua District (五华区青年路92号) (A few hundred metres north east of Green Lake and a few hundred metres east of Yunnan University. Buses 4, 59, 74, 83, 100, 101, 129, 234 and a2 go to Yuantong Hill on the southeast side of the zoo. Buses 4, 22, 59. 74, 83, 100, 101, 129, 234, a2 and z63 go to the north entrance, +86 871 65154546. 07:30-18:30, no entry to large animal section after 16:30. The Zoo was built in 1953 and has over 300 species. There is a peacock garden, butterfly enclosure, aviary and aquarium. In spring the zoo is reputed to be a sea of flowers, in particular the blossom of cherry trees and weeping Chinese crab apple 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. ¥20 for general entry with a further ¥80 for the circus.
• Western Mountains Forest Reserve / Xishan Scenic Area, Xishan District (西山区) (The easiest way to get here would probably be to catch a metro train to the Western Mountains Forest Reserve Station on Line 3. You can also take a cable car here from behind the Kunming Nationalities Village. The cable car fare is ¥40 for a one-way ride or ¥70 for a round trip. You can trek down from the mountain if you want to save money, +86 871 68426668. M-F 08:30-17:00, Sa Su 08:00-17:30. 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 km at an altitude of 2,500 m. 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 peak, Sleeping Beauty. Entry to the park is free but there is a fee to enter the Dragon Gate (see below).
  • Dragon Gate. The Dragon Gate is the most famous sight here, it is built on the steep rock hills, which was cut in the years from 1781. 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. Entrance to the Dragon Gate is an additional ¥30, a golf cart ¥12.5, and the lift for ¥25.
• World Horti-Expo Garden, 10 Shibo Road, Panlong District (盘龙区世博路10号) (Bus routes 47, 69, 71, 182, 204, 228, 235, 249, a12, a1, k18 and k43, +86 871 65012367. 08:00-17:00. The garden was constructed for the 1999 Kunming International Horticulture Exposition but is still in use and displays a wide variety of plants. It attracts many locals who can buy annual tickets at a fraction of the cost charged to foreigners, and is a popular site for wedding photographs. ¥70 to visit this park only. A combo ticket, which includes entry to both this park and the World Horti-Expo Garden as well as a return trip on the cable car connecting the two places, may be purchased for ¥130.
• Yunnan Wildlife Park, Chuanjin Road, Panlong District (盘龙区穿金路) (Bus routes 235, 241 and 249. You can catch bus 249 from Fengyuan Road (沣源路), just outside the Longtou Street Station on Metro Line 2., +86 871 65018888, +86 871 65017777. 09:00-17:30, no entry after 16:30. ¥100.

Baohai Park, 121 Baohai Road, Guandu District (官渡区宝海路121号) (Northeast of the Kunming International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Bus routes 122 and k52, +86 871 63512927. 08:00-19:00. The park covers an area of 250 mu (16.67 hectares) and is one of Kunming's largest modern parks. It features camphor, azaleas and other native plants. ¥5.

Black Dragon Pool Park, 1 Lan'an Road, Panlong District (盘龙区蓝桉路1号) (Take bus no. 249 from the Longtou Street Station on Metro Line 2, +86 871 65886882. 08:00-18:00. Black Dragon Pool Park is a rare large garden, is the Kunming plum resort, known as the" Longquan exploration plum". The" Tang Mei" legend from Nanzhao transplant, with the tranquility Caoxi Temple" Yuan Mei" is considered to be Yunnan's most precious Gu Mei. The park features trees that are rare, not only because of their scarcity in the area, but also for their astounding age and size. Entry is pricey at ¥20 per person per day;.

Dianchi Lake. Plateau lake with improving scenery. Historically the a pearl on the Yungui Plateau, the ecosystem was severely damaged in the 1960s by conversion of wetland into farmland. Great efforts are made starting from the 1990s to reverse this damage. Today the northern tip of the lake is gated by a series of causeways. Trawlers are working around the clock to purify the water. The best places to see the lake are along Guanjing Road. (观景路) and Haigeng Park. (海埂公园) near the Yunnan Nationalities Village (listed above). Here you can see tourists holding up snacks to feed flyby seagulls, oppposite of the lake here is the Western Mountain. The lake proper is 40 by 8 km and is 1,886 m above sea level. It is the largest lake in Kunming. Traditional fishing boats still sail on the lake.

Green Lake Park, 67 Cui Hu South Road, Wuhua District (五华区翠湖南路67号) (Near Yunnan University in the north western part of town. Bus routes 100, 101, 124, 133, 235 and z5 stop at the park's east and south gates, +86 871 65318808. 07:00-23:00. 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 seagulls 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 Wenlin Street where there are many restaurants. Free.

Jindian Park, Chuanjin Road, Panlong District (盘龙区穿金路) (on Mingfeng Mountain, 7 km northeast of Kunming, a taxi is around ¥20 and takes 20 minutes, buses 10, 47, 50, 57, 69, 71, 76, 142, 146, 147, 235, z85 and z90 go there as well, +86 871 65014511. 07:30-18:00. 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% 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. ¥50 to visit this park only. A combo ticket, which includes entry to both this park and the World Horti-Expo Garden as well as a return trip on the cable car connecting the two places, may be purchased for ¥130.

Jingxing Street Flower and Bird Market, Jingxing Street, Wuhua District (五华区景星街) (Very central and situated within the area bounded by Dongfeng West Road (东风西路) to the south, Wuyi Road (五一路) to the west, Renmin West Road (人民西路) to the north and Zhengyi Road (正义路) to the east. Close to the Wuyi Road Station on Metro Line 3. 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 Road meets Dongfeng West Road but other sellers can be found on other streets within the district.

Kunming Botanical Gardens, 132 Lanhei Road, Panlong District (盘龙区蓝黑路132号) (Take bus no. 249 from the Longtou Street Station on Metro Line 2. Get off at the Black Dragon Pool Park, +86 871 65223628. Tu-Su 09:00-17:00. These gardens are 12 km from Kunming proper and, together with the Black Dragon Pool Park (黑龙潭公园), 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 species of camellias. Yunnan Province boasts more than 100 species of camellia. These gardens were one of the earliest gardens to collect the cedar. ¥10 (West Garden), ¥5 (East Garden).

Kunming Zoo, 92 Qingnian Road, Wuhua District (五华区青年路92号) (A few hundred metres north east of Green Lake and a few hundred metres east of Yunnan University. Buses 4, 59, 74, 83, 100, 101, 129, 234 and a2 go to Yuantong Hill on the southeast side of the zoo. Buses 4, 22, 59. 74, 83, 100, 101, 129, 234, a2 and z63 go to the north entrance, +86 871 65154546. 07:30-18:30, no entry to large animal section after 16:30. The Zoo was built in 1953 and has over 300 species. There is a peacock garden, butterfly enclosure, aviary and aquarium. In spring the zoo is reputed to be a sea of flowers, in particular the blossom of cherry trees and weeping Chinese crab apple 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. ¥20 for general entry with a further ¥80 for the circus.

Western Mountains Forest Reserve / Xishan Scenic Area, Xishan District (西山区) (The easiest way to get here would probably be to catch a metro train to the Western Mountains Forest Reserve Station on Line 3. You can also take a cable car here from behind the Kunming Nationalities Village. The cable car fare is ¥40 for a one-way ride or ¥70 for a round trip. You can trek down from the mountain if you want to save money, +86 871 68426668. M-F 08:30-17:00, Sa Su 08:00-17:30. 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 km at an altitude of 2,500 m. 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 peak, Sleeping Beauty. Entry to the park is free but there is a fee to enter the Dragon Gate (see below).

• Dragon Gate. The Dragon Gate is the most famous sight here, it is built on the steep rock hills, which was cut in the years from 1781. 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. Entrance to the Dragon Gate is an additional ¥30, a golf cart ¥12.5, and the lift for ¥25.

Western Mountains Forest Reserve / Xishan Scenic Area, Xishan District (西山区) (The easiest way to get here would probably be to catch a metro train to the Western Mountains Forest Reserve Station on Line 3. You can also take a cable car here from behind the Kunming Nationalities Village. The cable car fare is ¥40 for a one-way ride or ¥70 for a round trip. You can trek down from the mountain if you want to save money, +86 871 68426668. M-F 08:30-17:00, Sa Su 08:00-17:30. 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 km at an altitude of 2,500 m. 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 peak, Sleeping Beauty. Entry to the park is free but there is a fee to enter the Dragon Gate (see below).

• Dragon Gate. The Dragon Gate is the most famous sight here, it is built on the steep rock hills, which was cut in the years from 1781. 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. Entrance to the Dragon Gate is an additional ¥30, a golf cart ¥12.5, and the lift for ¥25.

World Horti-Expo Garden, 10 Shibo Road, Panlong District (盘龙区世博路10号) (Bus routes 47, 69, 71, 182, 204, 228, 235, 249, a12, a1, k18 and k43, +86 871 65012367. 08:00-17:00. The garden was constructed for the 1999 Kunming International Horticulture Exposition but is still in use and displays a wide variety of plants. It attracts many locals who can buy annual tickets at a fraction of the cost charged to foreigners, and is a popular site for wedding photographs. ¥70 to visit this park only. A combo ticket, which includes entry to both this park and the World Horti-Expo Garden as well as a return trip on the cable car connecting the two places, may be purchased for ¥130.

Yunnan Wildlife Park, Chuanjin Road, Panlong District (盘龙区穿金路) (Bus routes 235, 241 and 249. You can catch bus 249 from Fengyuan Road (沣源路), just outside the Longtou Street Station on Metro Line 2., +86 871 65018888, +86 871 65017777. 09:00-17:30, no entry after 16:30. ¥100.

• Kunming Theater, 410 Qingnian Road, Wuhua District (五华区青年路410号; Wǔ​huá​qū Qīng​nián​lù​) (About 630 metres walk from Jiaolan Bridge Station on Metro Line 2 and about 690 metres walk from Dongfeng Square Station at the intersection of Lines 2 and 3. Buses that stop near the theater include bus nos. 1, 4, 50, 56, 77, 78, 83, 91, 112, 129, 133, 161, 189, 234 and a2, +86 871 63169950.
• Yunnan Art Theater, 132-134 Dongfeng West Road, Wuhua District (五华区东风西路132-134号; Wǔ​huá​qū​ Dōng​fēng​xī​lù​) (About 300 metres northwest of Wuyi Road Station on Metro Line 3. Bus routes 5, 10, 26, 52, 66, 82, 84, 98, 116, 124 and k13, +86 871 63628996. 19:00-21:30.

Kunming Theater, 410 Qingnian Road, Wuhua District (五华区青年路410号; Wǔ​huá​qū Qīng​nián​lù​) (About 630 metres walk from Jiaolan Bridge Station on Metro Line 2 and about 690 metres walk from Dongfeng Square Station at the intersection of Lines 2 and 3. Buses that stop near the theater include bus nos. 1, 4, 50, 56, 77, 78, 83, 91, 112, 129, 133, 161, 189, 234 and a2, +86 871 63169950.

Yunnan Art Theater, 132-134 Dongfeng West Road, Wuhua District (五华区东风西路132-134号; Wǔ​huá​qū​ Dōng​fēng​xī​lù​) (About 300 metres northwest of Wuyi Road Station on Metro Line 3. Bus routes 5, 10, 26, 52, 66, 82, 84, 98, 116, 124 and k13, +86 871 63628996. 19:00-21:30.

• Sunshine Golf Club, 6km Kunming-Qujing Highway, Panlong District (盘龙区昆曲高速公路6公里处) (The nearest bus stop is a few hundred metres southwest of the golf club at the Xilunanjun Housing Estate (溪麓南郡小区), which is served by bus no. 150. You can catch bus no. 150 from Fengyuan Road (沣源路) near the North Bus Station Metro Station - the terminus of Line 2. Alternatively catch a taxi from the station. The distance from the station to the golf club is about 4 kilometres, +86 871 68288999.
• China Kunming International Art Festival. Three weeks in April/May. Annual festival with music, dance and art.

Sunshine Golf Club, 6km Kunming-Qujing Highway, Panlong District (盘龙区昆曲高速公路6公里处) (The nearest bus stop is a few hundred metres southwest of the golf club at the Xilunanjun Housing Estate (溪麓南郡小区), which is served by bus no. 150. You can catch bus no. 150 from Fengyuan Road (沣源路) near the North Bus Station Metro Station - the terminus of Line 2. Alternatively catch a taxi from the station. The distance from the station to the golf club is about 4 kilometres, +86 871 68288999.

China Kunming International Art Festival. Three weeks in April/May. Annual festival with music, dance and art.

• Stone Forest, 70 km southeast of Kunming, about 2 hours by bus from Kunming East Bus station. This is a UNESCO listed site of remarkable karst geography. Good weekend or day trip and lots to see. Visit early to avoid crowds.
• Jiuxiang Scenic Area, about 65 km east of Kunming (beeline). This scenic area is 20 km² and includes five 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 four 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 is 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.
• Dinosaur Valley at Lufeng opened at 2008. This is a national park displaying more than 70 full dinosaur skeleton fossils found in the area, scattered over the mountains about 75 km away from Kunming. Many attractions for kids available. Regular buses go from Kunming's West bust terminal. Very nice for a half-day trip. Entry ¥120.
• Earth Forest. The Earth Forest in Yuanmou County in Chuxiong Prefecture is a scenic spot at the provincial level. Earth Forest, as a representative landscape in the county, comprises Xinhua, Bangguo, Wanbao and Tiger Leaping Beach, covering an area of 50 km². The Earth Forest came into being since geological movement and soil erosion one or two million years ago. Its shape looks like an immense forest and the main component is earth, so it is named Earth Forest. The Earth Forest, the Stone Forest in Kunming and the Colorful Sand Forest in Luliang are called “the Three Forests in Yunnan”.

Stone Forest, 70 km southeast of Kunming, about 2 hours by bus from Kunming East Bus station. This is a UNESCO listed site of remarkable karst geography. Good weekend or day trip and lots to see. Visit early to avoid crowds.

Jiuxiang Scenic Area, about 65 km east of Kunming (beeline). This scenic area is 20 km² and includes five 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 four 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 is 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.

Dinosaur Valley at [[Lufeng]] opened at 2008. This is a national park displaying more than 70 full dinosaur skeleton fossils found in the area, scattered over the mountains about 75 km away from Kunming. Many attractions for kids available. Regular buses go from Kunming's West bust terminal. Very nice for a half-day trip. Entry ¥120.

Earth Forest. The Earth Forest in [[Yuanmou|Yuanmou County]] in Chuxiong Prefecture is a scenic spot at the provincial level. Earth Forest, as a representative landscape in the county, comprises Xinhua, Bangguo, Wanbao and Tiger Leaping Beach, covering an area of 50 km². The Earth Forest came into being since geological movement and soil erosion one or two million years ago. Its shape looks like an immense forest and the main component is earth, so it is named Earth Forest. The Earth Forest, the Stone Forest in Kunming and the Colorful Sand Forest in Luliang are called “the Three Forests in Yunnan”.

• 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. See our China article for background. Shops can be found in a courtyard at 20 Dongfeng East Road and on Baoshan Street 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 main floor of a building). Bargain hard.
• Local minority souvenirs, jade, Flower and bird market (Refer to See section for directions.
• Equipment for Chinese games, Flower and bird market (Refer to See section for directions. In particular, Yunnan stones (云子) Yúnzǐ for the game of Go (Chinese: weiqi 围棋) are the best Chinese stones. They are quite different from Japanese stones, and much cheaper; see the Yunzi article on the go players' wiki, Sensei's Library. It is also possible to visit the factory (Chinese-only web site) near Kunming. Boards and bowls are also available.
• Mandarin Bookstore, 52 Wenhua Lane 9-10 (end of Wenlin Road, past the police station and turn right. Has some English, French and German books. Has the Lonely Planet China guidebook, which is generally hard to find in China.
• Xinhua Bookstore. A typical large (2-storey) bookstore of the national Xinhua chain. A decent map section, with some local area maps available right near the entrance. There is a large space with chairs and tables to sit down and read, or to use your laptop.
• Computer street. If you need some IT stuff. Pay attention to counterfeit, and whether international warranty is available.
• Bicycles and accessories, A couple dozen of bicycle stores are concentrated within a couple blocks on the South Ring Road, just east from Zhenchi Lu. (Which means, a few blocks west of the Carrefour store). As of 2016, the stores are all next to each other, on the north side of the street, and carry bicycles priced from ¥300-3000, as well as spare parts and accessories. Bicycles and some accessories are also sold in Wal-Mart and Carrefour stores around town. (Refer to See Section for directions.

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. See our [[China#Brand-name goods|China article]] for background. Shops can be found in a courtyard at 20 Dongfeng East Road and on Baoshan Street 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 main floor of a building). [[Bargain]] hard.

Local minority souvenirs, jade, Flower and bird market (Refer to See section for directions.

Equipment for Chinese games, Flower and bird market (Refer to See section for directions. In particular, Yunnan stones (云子) Yúnzǐ for the game of Go (Chinese: weiqi 围棋) are the best Chinese stones. They are quite different from Japanese stones, and much cheaper; see the Yunzi article on the go players' wiki, Sensei's Library. It is also possible to visit the factory (Chinese-only web site) near Kunming. Boards and bowls are also available.

Mandarin Bookstore, 52 Wenhua Lane 9-10 (end of Wenlin Road, past the police station and turn right. Has some English, French and German books. Has the Lonely Planet China guidebook, which is generally hard to find in China.

Xinhua Bookstore. A typical large (2-storey) bookstore of the national Xinhua chain. A decent map section, with some local area maps available right near the entrance. There is a large space with chairs and tables to sit down and read, or to use your laptop.

Computer street. If you need some IT stuff. Pay attention to counterfeit, and whether international warranty is available.

Bicycles and accessories, A couple dozen of bicycle stores are concentrated within a couple blocks on the South Ring Road, just east from Zhenchi Lu. (Which means, a few blocks west of the Carrefour store). As of 2016, the stores are all next to each other, on the north side of the street, and carry bicycles priced from ¥300-3000, as well as spare parts and accessories. Bicycles and some accessories are also sold in Wal-Mart and Carrefour stores around town. (Refer to See Section for directions.

Local specialties include:

• Over-the-Bridge Rice Noodles (过桥米线; guòqiáo mǐxiàn) is a typical Yunnan local flavor that could only be tasted in some parts of Yunnan. 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.

  The name supposedly comes from a husband who isolated himself in a garden for intensive study before his civil service exam; this is the dish his loving wife prepared, and carried over the bridge, to sustain him.

• Steam Potted Chicken (汽锅鸡 qìguō jī) with Tienchi & Steam Potted Chicken with Cordyceps used to be made in a restaurant famous for this course. 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 in 3-4 hours. The same method is used to cook other food and will increase the flavor of the dish.
• Yiliang Roasted Duck (宜良烤鸭 Yílíang kǎoyā) - The "Goujie Roasted Duck" produced in the Goujie Street of Yiliang is extraordinarily delicious, with the crispy and yellowish skin, soft and tender duck meat, has a special slight flavor of pine needles.
• Xuanwei Ham (宣威火腿 Xuānwēi huǒtuǐ) dates back to 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 buy canned Xuanwei ham.
• Er Kuai (饵块, ěrkuài) is a chewy rice cake made from steamed rice, which is pounded, kneaded, and rolled into various shapes. The resulting cakes are used in a number of dishes: thinly-sliced erkuai stir-fried with fragrant spicy hot sauce and pork (chao er kuai), cut into square noodles served with gravy (lu er si) or in soup, or rolled into pancakes which are then wrapped around a youtiao (Chinese donut stick) with a sweet or spicy sauce (er kuai bao you tiao), an addictive street snack.
• Red Re-fried Beans are a local favorite, consisting (as the name implies) of a red bean re-fried, often in some mixture of flour and powdered chicken broth and meat tenderizer. A succulent addition to any traditional meal.
• 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 are quality white sugar, rice cerealose, and roasted pea powder (broad bean or pea).
• Qujing Pickled Chives Flower 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 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 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 (菌子 junzi)
• Old lady potatoes with peppers and fennel (老奶洋芋 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, street 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 (臭豆腐 chòu dòufu) - 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.

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’s Diner all over Kunming. Unfortunately they charge a small fee. You can find them on the web or call .

For breakfast, try one of the stands or carts selling ¥1 steamed buns and other cheap food.

• Heavenly Manna, 74 Wenhua Alley, Wenlin Street (文林街文化巷74号; Wénlínjiē Wénhuàxiàng) (Next to Salvadors, +86 871 5369399. Yunnan style restaurant in the very trendy and fashionable Wenlin Street area. Fantastic food at reasonable prices. The drinks are less than ¥10. The cakes are also worth trying.
• Yuanxi Lu. A street full of small restaurants and shops. There's a good place hidden behind an entrance with a small Chinese-style roof on top, selling chou doufu in the entrance. One shop to the left you can try pork brain or just some tasty dumplings. On the opposite side of the street there's a Dai minority restaurant. You can recognize it by its bamboo-style walls.
• Insane Wontons. A delicious insanely spicy dumpling (wonton) soup with other (including non-spicy) options as well. Try the Sichuan Spicy Wontons (MaLa HunDun) 麻辣馄饨 or the Strange Flavor Wontons (GuaiWei HunDun)怪味馄饨 for the two best.

Heavenly Manna, 74 Wenhua Alley, Wenlin Street (文林街文化巷74号; Wénlínjiē Wénhuàxiàng) (Next to Salvadors, +86 871 5369399. Yunnan style restaurant in the very trendy and fashionable Wenlin Street area. Fantastic food at reasonable prices. The drinks are less than ¥10. The cakes are also worth trying.

Yuanxi Lu. A street full of small restaurants and shops. There's a good place hidden behind an entrance with a small Chinese-style roof on top, selling chou doufu in the entrance. One shop to the left you can try pork brain or just some tasty dumplings. On the opposite side of the street there's a Dai minority restaurant. You can recognize it by its bamboo-style walls.

Insane Wontons. A delicious insanely spicy dumpling (wonton) soup with other (including non-spicy) options as well. Try the Sichuan Spicy Wontons (MaLa HunDun) 麻辣馄饨 or the Strange Flavor Wontons (GuaiWei HunDun)怪味馄饨 for the two best.

The Vegetarian Restaurant is 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.

• Flavor Street, Store 48, Taiyang Xincheng, Longquan Lu (龙泉路泰暘欣城58号商铺; Lóngquánlù Tàiyángxīnchéng) (at the corner of Longquan Road and North Erhuan Road in the new tall orange and white apartment complex Taiyang Xincheng next to the University of Finance and Economics (财经大学), any taxi driver can take you there, and bus routes 9, 74, 84, 114, 115, 129, and 168 also all stop nearby at Caimao Xueyuan (财贸学院), +86 137 59154460. Restaurant with good pizza and amazing Thai hot pot. The owner is very friendly and the service is superb.

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.

Along Wenlin Jie there are many Western cafes and restaurants. This street is commonly known as Western Street and the taxi drivers know it well! These cafes include:

• Mazagran Cafe. Has a good selection of Western meals and some delicious cakes and cookies (the millionaire shortbread is a favourite). The clientele is a mix of Westerners (lots of students looking for an afternoon study spot and enjoying the free Wi-Fi) and locals. Its second floor location (the stairs are around the back of the building) and open frontage makes it a good place to people watch. The restaurant was set up by a New Zealand couple who have since moved, but in terms of quality Western food it's one of the best.
• Salvadors. Wide variety of western food and imported beer. They make excellent ice cream. A local favorite.
• French Cafe. Offers free Wi-Fi internet and serves a list of French options that cannot be found elsewhere in Kunming. Great homemade baguette, real French pastries, good coffee. The lovely atmosphere and the good music is a plus. It has become a popular spot to hang out and have a beer or two in the evenings.
• Games Cafe. Run by a Frenchman and his local wife, this place offers a stunning collection of boardgames in a few languages (mostly English and Chinese), and is popular with both foreigners and locals. Local and imported beers, home made noodles, various French food and amazing meal-portioned salads.
• Prague Cafe. Cute cafe with an upper level, has books and magazines. 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. Food is mediocre, pizza is microwaved from a box. Pricey drinks. Disgusting bathroom, ¥50 fine if you poop or throw paper in the toilet.

Flavor Street, Store 48, Taiyang Xincheng, Longquan Lu (龙泉路泰暘欣城58号商铺; Lóngquánlù Tàiyángxīnchéng) (at the corner of Longquan Road and North Erhuan Road in the new tall orange and white apartment complex Taiyang Xincheng next to the University of Finance and Economics (财经大学), any taxi driver can take you there, and bus routes 9, 74, 84, 114, 115, 129, and 168 also all stop nearby at Caimao Xueyuan (财贸学院), +86 137 59154460. Restaurant with good pizza and amazing Thai hot pot. The owner is very friendly and the service is superb.

Mazagran Cafe. Has a good selection of Western meals and some delicious cakes and cookies (the millionaire shortbread is a favourite). The clientele is a mix of Westerners (lots of students looking for an afternoon study spot and enjoying the free Wi-Fi) and locals. Its second floor location (the stairs are around the back of the building) and open frontage makes it a good place to people watch. The restaurant was set up by a New Zealand couple who have since moved, but in terms of quality Western food it's one of the best.

Salvadors. Wide variety of western food and imported beer. They make excellent ice cream. A local favorite.

French Cafe. Offers free Wi-Fi internet and serves a list of French options that cannot be found elsewhere in Kunming. Great homemade baguette, real French pastries, good coffee. The lovely atmosphere and the good music is a plus. It has become a popular spot to hang out and have a beer or two in the evenings.

Games Cafe. Run by a Frenchman and his local wife, this place offers a stunning collection of boardgames in a few languages (mostly English and Chinese), and is popular with both foreigners and locals. Local and imported beers, home made noodles, various French food and amazing meal-portioned salads.

Prague Cafe. Cute cafe with an upper level, has books and magazines. 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. Food is mediocre, pizza is microwaved from a box. Pricey drinks. Disgusting bathroom, ¥50 fine if you poop or throw paper in the toilet.

• Shiping Huiguan, Cuihu Nan Lu, 24 Zhonghe Xiang (翠湖南路中和巷24号) (Near south end of Green lake park, +86 871 3627222, +86 871 3627444. Traditional Yunnanese restaurant in an old courtyard; the amazing building is reason enough for a visit, though the food is also very good. The plate of various fried insects is interesting to try; the river shrimps and the baked fish is also a must. ¥50-100/person.
• Makye Ame, Jinhuapu Lu (Inside the Kunming office of Diqing Prefecture) (近华浦路迪庆州驻昆办二楼) (west of the university area, +86 871 8336300. A Tibetan restaurant with fantastic atmosphere and design, and nightly stage performances of tibetan songs and dances. Some dish with yak meat must of course be tried; there is plenty in the menu.

Shiping Huiguan, Cuihu Nan Lu, 24 Zhonghe Xiang (翠湖南路中和巷24号) (Near south end of Green lake park, +86 871 3627222, +86 871 3627444. Traditional Yunnanese restaurant in an old courtyard; the amazing building is reason enough for a visit, though the food is also very good. The plate of various fried insects is interesting to try; the river shrimps and the baked fish is also a must. ¥50-100/person.

Makye Ame, Jinhuapu Lu (Inside the Kunming office of Diqing Prefecture) (近华浦路迪庆州驻昆办二楼) (west of the university area, +86 871 8336300. A Tibetan restaurant with fantastic atmosphere and design, and nightly stage performances of tibetan songs and dances. Some dish with yak meat must of course be tried; there is plenty in the menu.

Over-the-Bridge Rice Noodles (过桥米线; guòqiáo mǐxiàn) is a typical Yunnan local flavor that could only be tasted in some parts of Yunnan. 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.

The name supposedly comes from a husband who isolated himself in a garden for intensive study before his civil service exam; this is the dish his loving wife prepared, and carried over the bridge, to sustain him.

Steam Potted Chicken (汽锅鸡 qìguō jī) with Tienchi & Steam Potted Chicken with Cordyceps used to be made in a restaurant famous for this course. 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 in 3-4 hours. The same method is used to cook other food and will increase the flavor of the dish.

Yiliang Roasted Duck (宜良烤鸭 Yílíang kǎoyā) - The "Goujie Roasted Duck" produced in the Goujie Street of Yiliang is extraordinarily delicious, with the crispy and yellowish skin, soft and tender duck meat, has a special slight flavor of pine needles.

Xuanwei Ham (宣威火腿 Xuānwēi huǒtuǐ) dates back to 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 buy canned Xuanwei ham.

Er Kuai (饵块, ěrkuài) is a chewy rice cake made from steamed rice, which is pounded, kneaded, and rolled into various shapes. The resulting cakes are used in a number of dishes: thinly-sliced erkuai stir-fried with fragrant spicy hot sauce and pork (chao er kuai), cut into square noodles served with gravy (lu er si) or in soup, or rolled into pancakes which are then wrapped around a youtiao (Chinese donut stick) with a sweet or spicy sauce (er kuai bao you tiao), an addictive street snack.

Red Re-fried Beans are a local favorite, consisting (as the name implies) of a red bean re-fried, often in some mixture of flour and powdered chicken broth and meat tenderizer. A succulent addition to any traditional meal.

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 are quality white sugar, rice cerealose, and roasted pea powder (broad bean or pea).

Qujing Pickled Chives Flower 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 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 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 (菌子 junzi)

Old lady potatoes with peppers and fennel (老奶洋芋 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, street 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 (臭豆腐 chòu dòufu) - 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.

The main club area is in the Wuhua district, specifically Kundu Bar Street. Clubs are open until 05:30 or 06:00. There are probably more than 10 clubs to suit every style and taste.

• Soho, In the Kundu Bar District. closes at 03:00. This is a popular national franchise bar. They have singers throughout the night and DJs to spin the music. The distinction this place has is that they don't hire bar girls. In most Chinese clubs, the hot girls you see work for the club to give the place an image or to sell you beer and sell more tables. The girls you see in this club are customers or brought by customers. So you get a more real experience without getting pressured to buy alcohol all the time. ¥40 a beer, ¥240 a dozen.
• s.Muse. closes at 06:00. Another franchise club that opens until 6am. They have the best location in the whole district. Right in front of the square. ¥50 a beer.
• Babi.
• Camp David.
• M2.
• Mask.

Soho, In the Kundu Bar District. closes at 03:00. This is a popular national franchise bar. They have singers throughout the night and DJs to spin the music. The distinction this place has is that they don't hire bar girls. In most Chinese clubs, the hot girls you see work for the club to give the place an image or to sell you beer and sell more tables. The girls you see in this club are customers or brought by customers. So you get a more real experience without getting pressured to buy alcohol all the time. ¥40 a beer, ¥240 a dozen.

s.Muse. closes at 06:00. Another franchise club that opens until 6am. They have the best location in the whole district. Right in front of the square. ¥50 a beer.

Babi.

Camp David.

M2.

Mask.

This long street is full of 20-30 small lounges/bars that locals and university students visit.

Several western-style retro-bars can be found on Tuo East Road east of Bailong Road, and catering mostly to a local clientèle afford an opportunity to mingle with locals.

Other bars include:

• Shelter Bar, 295 Yuantong East Road (圆通东路295号; Yuántōngdōnglù) (near the back entrance of the Zoo, north side of Yuantong Mountain. The bar is unique. 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 2 m (6 feet) and enter through three doors, each of them 7 cm (3 inches) thick. This second bar and dance floor lie 3-6 m (10-20 feet) beneath the Zoo in an old bomb shelter build in the 1970s when Mao was frightened by the prospect of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Try to make yourself heard over the blaring music as large, ominous ventilation pipes hang over you. It is not the best place to hang out, but you have to see it at least once if you are in town.
• Dyonysos (狄俄尼索), Baoshanjie 1, 8th floor (盘龙区宝善街宝善1号8楼(近前景动感天下)); (A few buildings north-west of Jinbi square. A high class live-music bar. Very good Yunnan snacks and great selection of drinks. Usually six singers a night with other musicians playing in between. Little bit pricy but great to entertain guests in the city center.
• Freedom Bar, Renmin East Road (人民东路; Rénmíndōnglù) (A few blocks West of Beijing Road. 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.
• Aoma Meili Pub, 60 Dongfeng East Road (东风东路60号; Dōngfēngdōnglù) (Right by the Camellia Hotel, +86 871 3126036. This well-known western restaurant is undergoing some changes to be more of a bar. There are no other bars near the Camellia Hotel, so it is really nice! It is one of the few places with a Western bartender as well. He has lived in Yunnan for a few years, and is really good to get information from. He said he just started here, so as soon as he gets all the equipment he promised some great cocktails! Good food, nice atmosphere.

Shelter Bar, 295 Yuantong East Road (圆通东路295号; Yuántōngdōnglù) (near the back entrance of the Zoo, north side of Yuantong Mountain. The bar is unique. 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 2 m (6 feet) and enter through three doors, each of them 7 cm (3 inches) thick. This second bar and dance floor lie 3-6 m (10-20 feet) beneath the Zoo in an old bomb shelter build in the 1970s when Mao was frightened by the prospect of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Try to make yourself heard over the blaring music as large, ominous ventilation pipes hang over you. It is not the best place to hang out, but you have to see it at least once if you are in town.

Dyonysos (狄俄尼索), Baoshanjie 1, 8th floor (盘龙区宝善街宝善1号8楼(近前景动感天下)); (A few buildings north-west of Jinbi square. A high class live-music bar. Very good Yunnan snacks and great selection of drinks. Usually six singers a night with other musicians playing in between. Little bit pricy but great to entertain guests in the city center.

Freedom Bar, Renmin East Road (人民东路; Rénmíndōnglù) (A few blocks West of Beijing Road. 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.

Aoma Meili Pub, 60 Dongfeng East Road (东风东路60号; Dōngfēngdōnglù) (Right by the Camellia Hotel, +86 871 3126036. This well-known western restaurant is undergoing some changes to be more of a bar. There are no other bars near the Camellia Hotel, so it is really nice! It is one of the few places with a Western bartender as well. He has lived in Yunnan for a few years, and is really good to get information from. He said he just started here, so as soon as he gets all the equipment he promised some great cocktails! Good food, nice atmosphere.

If you are arriving in China through Kunming, note that there is no telco store in the Kunming Changshui Airport. A convenience store at the arrival hall (level B1) sells one at a hefty price of ¥100, it is not clear what is included in that price (as of Mar 2019).

• China PSB - visa extensions. M-F 09:00-12:00, 13:00-17:00. It takes five working days to get the visa extension. Before it took only a half day to get the visa extension in Dali but now it also takes five working days at the police department in Xiaguan. (Jun 2010). ¥160.

China PSB - visa extensions. M-F 09:00-12:00, 13:00-17:00. It takes five working days to get the visa extension. Before it took only a half day to get the visa extension in [[Dali]] but now it also takes five working days at the police department in Xiaguan. (Jun 2010). ¥160.

• Laos Lao Consulate, 6800 North Caiyun Road, Guandu District (官渡区彩云北路6800号) (Near Exit A of Erji Station on Metro Line 1, +86 871 67334522.
• Myanmar Myanmar Consulate, 99 Yingbin Road, Guandu District (官渡区迎宾路99号) (Near Erji Road Station on Metro Line 1, +86 871 68162804.
• Thailand Royal Thai Consulate, 18th floor, East Tower, Shuncheng Twin Towers, 11 Dongfeng West Road, Wuhua District (五华区东风西路11号顺城双塔东塔18楼顺) (Close to Exit B of Wuyi Road Station on Metro Line 3, +86 871 63166616 (general enquiries), +86 871 63149296 (visa enquiries). M-F 08:30-12:00, 13:00-17:30 (office), M-F 09:00-11:30, 13:00-17:00 (visa section).
• Malaysia Malaysian Consulate, Room 1503, 15th floor, Tower B, South Asia Top City Building, Dianchi Road, Xishan District (西山区滇池路南亚风情第一城B座写字楼15楼1503室) (The nearest bus stop is Fuhai Xiang (福海乡), which is served by bus nos. 44, 73, 89, 91, 106, 120, 203, a1, c8, k15, k25 and z12. You can catch bus no. 44 from Kunming Railway Station, +86 871 63165088. M-F 09:00-17:00.
• Vietnam Vietnamese Consulate, Room 507, Hongta Mansion, 1/155 Beijing Road, Guandu District (官渡区北京路155号附1号红塔大厦507室) (About 400 metres south of South Ring Road Station at the intersection of metro lines 1 and 2, +86 871 63522669. M-F 09:00-17:00. The phone number on the Consulate website is incorrect. An extra 6 was added to to all Kunming phone numbers in 2012.
• Cambodia Cambodian Consulate, 14th floor, Guanfang Plaza, 258 Baiyun Road, Panlong District (盘龙区白云路258号官房广场14楼) (The nearest bus stop is the Xinxing Road (新兴路) bus stop, which is servd by bus routes 50, 55, 60, 67, 95, 114, 158, 254 and z5, +86 871 63317320.

Laos Lao Consulate, 6800 North Caiyun Road, Guandu District (官渡区彩云北路6800号) (Near Exit A of Erji Station on Metro Line 1, +86 871 67334522.

Myanmar Myanmar Consulate, 99 Yingbin Road, Guandu District (官渡区迎宾路99号) (Near Erji Road Station on Metro Line 1, +86 871 68162804.

Thailand Royal Thai Consulate, 18th floor, East Tower, Shuncheng Twin Towers, 11 Dongfeng West Road, Wuhua District (五华区东风西路11号顺城双塔东塔18楼顺) (Close to Exit B of Wuyi Road Station on Metro Line 3, +86 871 63166616 (general enquiries), +86 871 63149296 (visa enquiries). M-F 08:30-12:00, 13:00-17:30 (office), M-F 09:00-11:30, 13:00-17:00 (visa section).

Malaysia Malaysian Consulate, Room 1503, 15th floor, Tower B, South Asia Top City Building, Dianchi Road, Xishan District (西山区滇池路南亚风情第一城B座写字楼15楼1503室) (The nearest bus stop is Fuhai Xiang (福海乡), which is served by bus nos. 44, 73, 89, 91, 106, 120, 203, a1, c8, k15, k25 and z12. You can catch bus no. 44 from Kunming Railway Station, +86 871 63165088. M-F 09:00-17:00.

Vietnam Vietnamese Consulate, Room 507, Hongta Mansion, 1/155 Beijing Road, Guandu District (官渡区北京路155号附1号红塔大厦507室) (About 400 metres south of South Ring Road Station at the intersection of metro lines 1 and 2, +86 871 63522669. M-F 09:00-17:00. The phone number on the Consulate website is incorrect. An extra 6 was added to to all Kunming phone numbers in 2012.

Cambodia Cambodian Consulate, 14th floor, Guanfang Plaza, 258 Baiyun Road, Panlong District (盘龙区白云路258号官房广场14楼) (The nearest bus stop is the Xinxing Road (新兴路) bus stop, which is servd by bus routes 50, 55, 60, 67, 95, 114, 158, 254 and z5, +86 871 63317320.

Regarding concerns about earthquakes, risk of terrorism, please refer to your own country's foreign office advice regarding travel to China.

Travelers to Kunming in 2010 reported barber shops, massage centers, and other small shops involved in various cons. One such involves an older woman entering the shop and demanding a larger amount than was quoted. The woman together with the workers apply pressure and it can be especially intimidating to be surrounded by a shop filled with angry Chinese while your head is covered in soap (and it is dripping into your eyes), all your clothes and passport are locked in a closet (and they have the key), or together they are blocking the exit. If you give in to the much larger demanded amount, the service will continue. Disagreement can result in variations of the shop workers pushing you out with your hair half cut/full of soap, barefoot, or simply not allowing you to leave while one (or many) of the workers surround you attempting to pick your pocket. To date, so many incidents have been reported to the PSB in Kunming that they are considering setting up the first ever Tourist Police unit in Yunnan Province.

Dianchi Lake (滇池) is highly polluted. Do not swim in the lake or eat fish caught in it.

• Shilin – the Stone Forest, a national park full of spectacular stone pillars carved by erosion
• Visit the hot springs at Anning - 34 km from Kunming.
• Dongchuan – known for its colorful terraces
• Travel further north-west to the old towns of Dali (4 hours) or Lijiang (8 hours), both very popular with domestic and foreign tourists. See Yunnan tourist trail for discussion.
• Fuxian lake - one of cleanest and deepest lakes in China (hard to believe when you see how locals wash their motorbikes on the beach). One hour by bus from Kunming. Great one day trip. In Kunming get to South bus station (buses 170, 156; taxi ¥40), really far from downtown. Regular buses to Chengjiang (澄江) for ¥15- ¥20 every hour. There you can take local transport/taxi to lake or walk. Lake is 3–4 km far from Chengjiang bus station. Last bus back to Kunming at 19:00. You also can camp on the beach, recommended not too close to city. Lake is huge, clear, beautiful! You can walk around within a weekend or just a half, to South end of lake, there are also villages with transport to Kunming.
• The tin-mining center of Gejiu, the historic towns of Shiping, Mengzi, and (most impressive of all) Jianshui, and the Yuanyang rice terrace all lie to the south.
• Yuanmou - buses can be taken to here will allow you to explore the Earth Forest.