Kunming

About Kunming

Kunming, the capital of Yunnan, sits at about 1,900 metres with an average temperature near 15°C. Flowers bloom all year and the city is known as the Spring City, mild in both winter and summer. In town, Green Lake fills each winter with black-headed gulls arriving from Siberia between November and March, and Yunnan University's old campus and the Golden Horse and Jade Rooster archways are a short walk away. Dianchi Lake and the Western Hills' Dragon Gate make a full day to the southwest, while the UNESCO-listed Stone Forest lies about eighty kilometres east, with the Jiuxiang caves beyond it; the provincial museum and Guandu Old Town fill half a day. Changshui Airport is one of China's gateways to South and Southeast Asia, and high-speed rail links Dali, Lijiang, Guiyang and Nanning. The altitude means strong UV — keep up sunscreen and fluids. One to two days is enough; most itineraries use Kunming as the gateway to Yunnan.