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.
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.
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.
Jianshui and to a lesser extend Tonghai are great
cities to visit, though few travelers go there. The problem with both
cities is that they are a little "at the end of the road". Still, if you
want to cycle from Kunming to Guilin, than this is your change.
Baoshan is a kind of "forgotten" province in Yunnan. Not
many people visit this really beautiful and very different part of China.
Which is not fair as Baoshan has plenty to offer in terms of culture,
spectacular nature and most of the year warm weather.
