Kunming

No reviews yetCity Yunnan, China

About Kunming

Kunming earned its nickname, the City of Eternal Spring, from a mild highland climate that keeps flowers blooming all year. At almost 1,900 metres on the Yunnan plateau, beside the large Dianchi Lake, it is a relaxed and sunny capital and the gateway to one of China's most culturally diverse provinces.

The city has a long history as a crossroads between China and Southeast Asia, from the bronze-making Dian kingdom of more than two thousand years ago to the age of the railway. Temples such as Yuantong and the bronze Golden Temple, the old town of Guandu and the arhat statues of the Bamboo Temple reflect centuries of Buddhist and Taoist life, while the many peoples of Yunnan are celebrated at the Yunnan Nationalities Village.

In winter, flocks of black-headed gulls from Siberia arrive at Green Lake Park and the lakeshore. The Stone Forest of Shilin and the Western Hills above Dianchi make classic day trips, and crossing-the-bridge rice noodles and wild mushrooms are must-try local dishes.

Best seasonAll year; November-March brings the gulls and dry sunny weather

Ideal stay3 days, including a day at the Stone Forest

ArrivingKunming Changshui International Airport; high-speed trains to Kunming South

What to See in Kunming: 12 Favorites

Nature 2

Stone Forest

In Shilin County southeast of the city, a maze of tall grey limestone pillars rises from the ground like a petrified forest, shape...

Dianchi Lake

One of the largest freshwater lakes in Yunnan stretches south of Kunming, framed by the Western Hills on its western shore. Lakesi...

Viewpoints 1

Western Hills Dragon Gate

The Western Hills rise steeply above the western shore of Dianchi Lake, and a path carved into the cliff leads to the Dragon Gate,...

Parks 2

Green Lake Park

Close to the old city centre, Green Lake Park is a series of lakes, islands, bridges and willow-lined causeways where locals dance...

Daguan Park

Facing Dianchi Lake in the southwest of the city, this traditional garden is best known for the Grand View Tower, whose columns ca...

Sacred Sites 3

Yuantong Temple

The city's most important Buddhist temple has a history going back more than a thousand years and sits unusually low, with the hal...

Golden Temple Kunming

On wooded Mingfeng Hill northeast of the city, this Taoist temple is remarkable for its main hall, made almost entirely of bronze...

Qiongzhu Temple

Northwest of the city in the hills, the Bamboo Temple is famed for its 500 lifelike clay arhat statues made in the late 19th centu...

Family 1

Yunnan Nationalities Village

Beside Dianchi Lake, this large cultural park presents the architecture, music, dance and crafts of Yunnan's many ethnic groups th...

Shopping 1

Dounan Flower Market

Yunnan grows a large share of China's cut flowers, and Dounan in Chenggong District is one of the biggest flower markets in Asia....

Museums 1

Yunnan Provincial Museum

The provincial museum's modern building in Guandu District houses a rich collection covering Yunnan's history and cultures, with h...

History 1

Guandu Ancient Town

Close to Dianchi Lake in the south of the city, Guandu is an old town with a long history of temples and trade, now restored with...

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Photo credits

Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Ngguls, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Colin W, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: xiquinhosilva, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

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Photo: Ngguls, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Colin W, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: xiquinhosilva, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Gisling, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Brücke-Osteuropa, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: 董辰兴, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Rolfmueller, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Chinatravelsavvy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: 瑞丽江的河水, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photo: Chinatravelsavvy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photo: Rolfmueller, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0