Kunming Travel Guide

Destination overview Destination sketch Kunming, a bustling prefecture-level city in the heart of Yunnan Province, is the province’s capital. Kunming, whose name derives from the sound byte associated with the name of an ethnic group that lived in the area […]

Destination overview

Destination sketch

Kunming, a bustling prefecture-level city in the heart of Yunnan Province, is the province’s capital. Kunming, whose name derives from the sound byte associated with the name of an ethnic group that lived in the area in ancient times, is nicknamed the “City of Eternal Spring” due to its mild, stable, year-round weather conditions. Kunming’s previous name was simply Yunnanfu, or “Capital of Yunnan”. As the capital city, Kunming is the political, cultural, and economic hub of the province, as well as the province’s “communications” hub (i.e., “communication” defined in the broadest sense, to also include transportation). Not surprisingly, Kunming is the seat of many large corporations that operate in the region, and is as well, the seat of the provincial government. As the cultural hub of Yunnan Province, Kunming is also home to a number of universites, museums, and art galleries.

Local life

Yi Nationality

Various beliefs are treasured in Yi nationality, such as the belief of the spirit, the worship of their ancestors, and the adoration of nature, along with the cherishing of Catholicism, Christianity, and Buddhism. Amongst all these beliefs, the power of the spirit is regarded as the most magical one. Some heirlooms left to the Yi people by their ancestors are endowed with magic that can bring good will to their owners. Therefore, these highly valued possessions are carefully kept and passed down through generations.
Their diets vary according to different regional conditions. However, because most of them live in mountainous areas, buckwheat, corn, potatoes are suitable for planting and are regarded as their staple food. Some of the ethnic groups do eat rice as their staple food. Pork, mutton, and beef are the main meats consumed. As for their beverages, tea and wines are regarded as the most superior ones to serve to their honoured guests. Drinking tea is the daily must. In some regions, ‘Sandao Tea’ is a popular way of drinking; this is divided into ‘Yingbin Tea’ (the tea for welcoming guests), ‘XukuTea’ (the tea for confiding hopeless things), and ‘Sanmen Tea’ (teas for dispelling boring moods).

Local festival

Torch Festival

Wrestling, Cockfighting and Bullfight in Torch Festival When drinking, they prefer to sit around a circle and drink one by one, without eating dishes. And during the festivals, numerous kinds of wines can be seen and tasted while some others play flutes or sing and dance. The goblets they use while drinking are also unique. Some of them are made of wood, some from sheep or ox horns, some are even made of eagle’s claws.

Best Travel season

As the saying goes, ‘the weather is always like that of early spring, and the flowers bloom all the year round’. Thus, the climate is fine for tourism all year round. The best time is from March to October when you will enjoy not only the stunning natural landscape Like Stone Forest, but also the fascinating minority cultures.

Intercity traffic

Aircraft

Kunming Changshui International Airport, KMG
Address: Changshui Village, Guandu District, Kunming City
Arrival: Take the No. 6 line of Kunming Metro, the first bus is 7:00, the last bus is 19:05, every 25 minutes, the fare is 5 yuan.
24-hour customer service phone: 0871-96566
Airport Express
Under normal circumstances, the departure interval of the Airport Express Line is half an hour. When the flight peak period is reached, it will be changed to every 15 minutes, and the fare will be 25 yuan.
Airport bus
919 Road A
Route: Haiyuan Temple Depot – Kexin Road (Haiyuan North Road) – Huangtupo Overpass West Exit – Metallurgical School – Xiaocaiyuan Overpass – Huancheng North Road – University of Science and Technology Xinying Campus – Xinying Road (Renmin East Road) – Changshui International Airport (B1 floor of terminal building)
Operating hours: 5:00-21:00 One-way maximum fare: 13 yuan Full time: 90 minutes

Train

Kunming Station
Address: Intersection of Beijing Road and Zhanqian Road, Guandu District
Arrival method: 2, 23, 24, 25, 31 public access can be reached Tel: 0871-12306

Kunming South Railway Station
Address: Wujiaying Street, Chenggong District, Kunming City
Arrival: Take Metro Line 1 to Kunming South Railway Station, or take Bus No. 920, No. 921, No. 923, No. 925, No. 927, No. 928, No. 930 to Kunming South Railway Station.
Tel: 0871-66195104

Long distance bus

Eastern Bus Terminal
Address: Northeast corner of the intersection of Hongqiao Road and Zhaoqing Road, Panlong District, Kunming City
Arrival: Take Metro Line 3 or Line 6 to Eastern Bus Station Tel: 0871-63833680

Southern Bus Terminal
Address: No. 7 Shangbo Street, Guandu District, Kunming City
How to get there: Take Metro Line 1 to the South Bus Station
Tel: 0871-673616683

Western Bus Terminal
Address: No. 18, Yining Road, Xishan District, Kunming City
Arrival: Take Metro Line 3 to the West Bus Station
Tel: 0871-68182746

North Bus Terminal
Address: Wuyuan Road, Panlong District, Kunming City
Arrival: Take Metro Line 2 to the North Bus Station
Phone: 0871-68373009

North West Bus Terminal
Address: Northwest corner of the intersection of Chenjiaying Road and Xiaotun Road, Wuhua District, Kunming
Arrival method: Take bus No. 151 and No. 189 to the northwest bus terminal
Tel: 0871-68265359

Outer suburb passenger bus station
Address: 100 meters northwest of the intersection of Renmin West Road and Panjiawan, Wuhua District, Kunming
Arrival: Take Metro Line 3 to Panjiawan Station
Phone: 0871-5318332

Traffic in the city

Bus

There are nearly 300 bus lines in Kunming, which are spread all over the city and can reach any place in the city center and the suburbs.

Taxi

The taxi starting price in Kunming is 8 yuan (within 3 kilometers), 1.8 yuan/km after 3 kilometers, and the fuel surcharge is 1 yuan. If you take a taxi to the suburbs or run long distances and have tolls, you will be responsible for the passengers.

Attractions

Green Lake Park

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 have 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.
Address：near Yunnan University in the north western part of town
Arrival mode: Take bus No. 100, No. 101, No. 124, No. 133, No. 235, and Z5 to get off at Cuihu South Road Station.
Opening hours: 7:00-23:00

Yuantong Temple

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 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.
Address: No. 30, Yuantong Street, Wuhua District, Kunming
Arrival method: Take bus No. 100, No. 101, No. 119, No. 235, Z5 and get off at Yuantong Temple Station.
Tickets: 20 yuan

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 mud, 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”.

Daguan Pavilion

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.

Qiongzhu Temple

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 vivid figures in totally fantastical positions (man whose eyebrows grow down to the floor, monks riding giant fish).
Address: Yu’an Mountain, Xishan District
Ticket: 10 yuan

Tanhua Temple

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.
Address : At the foot of Tuiying Mountain in the eastern outskirts of Kunming City, about 4km from the city centre.

Kunming Zoology Museum

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.
Address: 32 Jiaochang East Road
Arrival method: 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 4 and 92 (route 4 terminates just around the corner) run close to the museum, alternatively take routes 9, 55, 59, 74 or 96 to the Carrefour and walk from there.

Yunnan Provincial Museum

A smallish museum containing artifacts from the past 2,500 years. The items are presented quite and are reasonably well lit. For persons who are particularly interested in history one and a half hours might be sufficient. Descriptions are given in Chinese and English. Occasionally, the museum hosts temporary exhibitions on the ground floor. The permanent exhibitions are on the two upper floors, access by stairs only.
Address: 118 Wuyi Road, Wuhua District
Opening time: Adults ¥10, students ¥5.

Kunming City Museum

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.
Address: 71 Ta East Road, Guandu District

Yunnan Nationalities Museum

Kunming flower and bird market

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.
Address: Very central and situated within the area bounded by Dongfeng West Road to the south, Wuyi Road to the west, Renmin West Road to the north and Zhengyi Road to the east

Kunming Zoo

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. ¥15 (as of April 2011) with further ¥3 for the butterfly and peacock park.
Address: A few hundred metres north east of Green Lake, a few hundred metres east of Yunnan University, buses 101, 92, 95 to south side, buses 4, 22, 59. 74, 83 to north entrance

Dianchi Lake

Also known as Kunming Lake or Kunming Pond or Dian Pond). 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. Best place to see the lake is along Guang Jing Road. 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.

Western Mountain Forest Reserve

The forest reserve on the west bank of the Dianchi Lake consists of the Huating, Taihua and Luohan Mountains, which extend for more than 40 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, Sleeping Beauty. Dragon Gate (Longmen) is built on the steep rock hills, the carved stone Dragon Gate consists of the major part, which was cut in the years from 178l. No tourist can but be astonished at such elegant carving on such precipitous hills. On March 3, every lunar year, hundreds of Kunming people crowd up to the hills for celebrating their traditional distinguished gathering called Spring Touring, dancing and singing on the green western hills.

Yunnan Nationalities Village

Covering an area of about 133.3 ha. An ethnographic display of the architecture and ways of life of Yunnan’s minority populations.
Address: 1310 Dianchi Road

Jindian Park

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. The Expo 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. A day ticket purchased at the Southern gate of what is now known as the World Horti-Expo Garden is ¥100 (October 2010).
Arrival method: On Mingfeng Mountain, seven kilometers northeast of Kunming, a taxi is around ¥20 and takes 20 minutes, buses 10 and 71 go there as well

Jiuxiang Scenic Area

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 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.

Black Dragon Pool Park

Hei-long-tan Park Black dragon Pool 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. Entry is pricey at ¥20 per person per day;

Dinosaur Valley

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.

Food

Steaming-Pot Chicken

This dish gained its name from steaming the chicken in a pot with a hollow tube in the center. It is a simple tasty dish. To make it, place chicken, ginger, a shallot, pepper and salt in the pot and steam for about four hours, during which time steam from the tube contacts the cold pot cover turning to water, then flows back into the pot to become delicious chicken soup. Before serving, remove ginger and shallot.

Braised Termitornyces in Soy Sauce

Kunming is host to various wild mushrooms including Jizong. Whenever the sun shines after a rain from June to September, many Jizong shaped like small grey umbrellas appear on the mountain. The chicken-like taste of Jizong is popular with gourmands. Braised Jizong in Soy Sauce is prepared this way: Wash Jizong; dry by airing; cut into pieces. Next chop chili and tenderloin pieces. Wrap tenderloin and Jizong pieces in egg white, starch and salt mixture; fry in hot oil. Finally, braise the Jizong and tenderloin pieces with garlic, ginger and shallot. Drizzle sesame oil on a plate, place braised pieces on oil.

Bittern Duck

The dish is a first choice among tourists. After choosing ducks from Dianchi Lake and preparing with some ten steps, it can be served. The dish is golden with a soft flavor. It is said that Bittern Duck is a dish do much good to people’s health.

Across Bridge Rice Noodle

It is one of the featured local specialties. It has three main parts: a bowl of extremely hot chicken broth, various slices of meat, including chicken, fish, and meat up to nine varieties, with various seasonings and rice noodles.
Preparation: Add meat and seasonings to the soup first, then the rice noodles. Season with pepper powder, gourmet powder, fried chili, and chopped onion; the flavorful soup is colorful red, green, yellow and white.
The most authentic and tasty Across Bridge Rice Noodles are served at the Qiao Xiang Yuan (Culture Street Branch). It is located at No. 2 in Wenlin Jie, Jinma Biji Square.

Xuanwei Ham

Also called ‘Yuntui’ or ‘Yunnan Ham’ is one of the three famous and best hams in China. The main ingredient in many local dishes, Yunnan Ham retains its unique flavor and can be stored for long periods of time. Offered in most local restaurants, ham preparation includes baking, salting, pestle, warming, and freezing.

Shopping

Kunming is famous for local handiwork including ivory and woodcarving, Dai Jin (brocade made by Dai artisans), and Dai Zhu Bian (Dai bamboo basketry).

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