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Kunming - capital of Yunnan province

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Kunming is the capital of Yunnan province. It's a big city with 6 million inhabitants. The city is the political and economic heart of Yunnan and the entrance port for most travelers visiting Yunnan. At an altitude of almost 2000 meters, it is also blessed with a mild climate but that said, winters can be quite cold and summers can be hot.

 
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The history of Kunming goes all the way back to the 4th century BC but Kunming was founded as a city in 765 CE, Kunming was known to the Chinese as Tuodong.

During the Ming dynasty the city walls were build but there's not a lot left of them these days.

Getting there and away

Kunming has the 4th largest airport in China with connections all over the country and some international destinations. The airport is a few kilometers east of the city center. Railway and bus stations are located on the south part of the city center with accommodation conveniently nearby.

Cycling in and out of Kunming is not a big problem too. The road to Jinghong , Xishuangbana leads west out of the city. Follow East Remin Lu to the T-junction and go left, it's about 7 km from the Camellia Hotel.

 

You have to follow this direction too if you are interested to cycle to Dali, Lijiang and Basoshan.

For a nice road along Dianchi lake, follow directions to Western Hills which will lead you all along the west side of the lake. For more about this route, see this page

 

There are a few other routes out of Kunming. If you follow the direction to the airport soon you will find road marks for Shilin (Stone Forest). You can also follow directions to Tonghai and Jianshui, here's more about that route. This last route is less traveled but worth the experience.

Going to north east Yunnan is an option few travelers ever do. I cycled once from Sichuan into Yunnan using this road. The road leads to Sonming, Zhaotong and further north to Junlian and Sichuan province. Here's the description of that road.

Getting around

Kunming is quite easy to go around. The easiest way is by taxi. Taxis to the airport cost around Y15 and it takes about 20 minutes. A taxi in the city should start with Y8 with Y1.6 added for per extra km.

 

Nearly two hundred public bus lines crisscross the city center, covering the whole prefecture. Prices are usually Y1 for a no air-conditioned and Y2 for air-conditioned.

Cycling is common, like in many cities in China there are parking areas for your bicycle and it should be safe. However, don't leave anything on your bike.

Much of the city center is transformed into a pedestrian zone where cars, motorbikes and even bicycles are not allowed. If you have to cross here with your bike, you have to walk.

Accommodation

Kunming has a wide range of hotels. See for details the hotels in Kunming page.

Things to see

You can easily spend a week in Kunming as there are plenty of sights to see in the city center alone. One of the main attractions is the majestic Yuantong Park (which contains the zoo) and the Yuantong Temple. The temple is located on the north site of the city center.

The Greenlake Park lies just of the Yuantong Temple and is an oasis of peace in the busy city. Here you will find many Chinese feeding the birds in their free hours.

Northwest about 12 km from the city center is the Qiongzhu Si (or Bamboo Temple) built in 639 and rebuilt in 1422 to 1428. The temple is an amazing piece of Chinese art. The temple is still very much in use by the locals.

In the southern parts of Kunming you can visit two more pagodas: West Pagoda and East Pagoda. Both are over 1000 years old.

The "Garden of the Word Horticultural Exposition" is located in the northern suburbs of Kunming, six kilometers from central Kunming.

Dian Lake is also worth a visit. The lake lies south of Kunming proper city with on the east shores the Western Hills with some nice pagodas.

Around Kunming you will find Shilin, the Stone Forest. It's actually not a forest. Some find the forest disappointing but I find it fascinating to see how, at this particular place, 1900 meters above sealevel, nature has shaped these rocks. I find it certainly worth a visit. If you are on the way to Guizhou, stay in Shilin and spend a day wandering around outside the (tacky) park. Here's more about the Stone Forest.

Bicycle shops

Kunming has two excellent bicycle shops. The first is located near the Greenlake Park. Xiong Brothers' Bike Shop has a reasonable collection of good materials. They can fix your bike for almost any problem. There are reports of ripping foreigners off. In fact, they did repair my bike once for free, changed materials (I brought them in myself) but they didn't charge me anything.

The address is:
61 Qianju Jie
Kunming Yunnan Province
China

Behind the Wallmart in the city center of Kunming you will find another excellent bicycle shop. They are maybe a bit more expensive but they will have for sure more material. In the area of the PSB office and the Lao and Myanmar embassy in the Camellia Hotel), near the second Wallmart there are another view decent bicycle shops. They are worth checking out for some spare stuff.

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