Kunming Brief

Kunming, “The City of Eternal Spring,” is the capital of the province of Yunnan. The city is rather old. In fact, it is over 2400 years and has special historical significance in that it was once the doorway to the famous Silk Road that facilitated trade between India, Myanmar, Tibet and Sichuan. Currently, the city of Kunming is the center of economic, political, and culture for the province of Yunnan as well as the heart of the region for science, technology and transportation. It also has become a magnet for tourists. In fact, Kunming is southwestern China’s most popular tourist spot and plays host to thousands of tourists everyday.

Kunming enjoys nice weather all year long and provides great transportation inroads in and out of the city which makes it fantastic for tourists and industry. The city supports three major squares and five major streets that might be of interest to visitors. Jinma Biji Square, Jinbi Square and Dongfeng Square along with Nanping Jie, Jinma Biji Fang, Renmi Lu and Zhengyi Lu and Jingxing are great places for tourists and locals to enjoy entertainment and shopping. If one is looking to have a more cerebral experience, then they may wish to visit such historical spots as the Grand View Pavilion, Dianchi Lake, Stone Forest and the Village of Ethnic Culture.

More than 20 separate ethnic groups reside within the city of Kunming and even more groups live within the region. Each group has its own culture, celebrations and festivals. For example, the Yi group celebrates the Golden Temple Festival annually. Nearly a decade ago, the city hosted the International Horticultural Expo and the event brought worldwide attention and subsequently visitors to the city. 

For those who enjoy a good meal, a couple of popular native dishes are the Across Bridge Rice Noodles and Xuanwei Ham. You can get both of these dishes at various restaurants around the city. Night markets, clubs (pubs) and cafes are also great places to secure a lovely and delicious meal, enjoy good music and to ultimately have a good time. And no visit would be complete without purchasing souvenirs for those back home. One can find tie dyes, as well as carvings made from wood and ivory.

“The City of Eternal Spring”, Kunming, is a Chinese city of great historical relevance, much like many cities in China. It is a very big tourist draw due to the living and breathing history lessons, great entertainment, good food and fantastic shopping. It also continues to be the heart of the region for many important industries, including technology, economics, politics and culture.