Kunming
From BuggitGuides
Kunming (昆明) is the capital of Yunnan Province, China.
Contents |
Get in
By plane
Kunming International Airport (KMG) has flights from South-East Asian capitals like Bangkok and Singapore, as well as plenty of connections through China.
You can book Air tickets form Air China Office, Wallton Building, 448 Baoshan Jie,(0871)3159171 or any number of travel agents in the King World Hotel a few blocks north of the train station on Beijing Lu. Tickets to Beijing are usually about 1600 to 2000 RMB, to Hong Kong about 1200 to 1500 RMB.
By train
The South train station has recently been refurbished and has a ticket office on its lower level. The station serves destinations throughout China including Nanning, Guilin, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi'an. The train service to destinations inside of Yunnan is poor except for an overnight sleeper train to Xiaguan (Dali New Town).
By bus
Kunming has several bus stations. In general, the most useful is on Beijing Lu (next to the train station). It serves destinations in Yunnan including Jinghong, Dali, Lijiang, Zhongdian and Ruili. It also has international departures to Laos and Vietnam, though these services are not always running.
Get around
- Bicycles can be rented at most hostels and hotels for about 20 RMB a day.
- City Buses are 1 RMB apiece and cover most of the city. Especially useful is the number 5 bus which runs along Dongfeng lu, and passes the Camelia Hotel, Government Square, and the Provincial Museum.
- Taxis start at 6 RMB and usually have reliable meters. As usual, care should be taken when travelling at night or long distances (agree on a price ahead of time), but Kunming's cabbies are comparatively honest.
See
- Provincial Museum (currently closed)
- Kunming Botanical Gardens
- Karst Topography
- Dianchi Lake
- Cuihu Lake
- Village of Ethnic Culture
- Jindian (Golden Temple) Park
- Western Mountain Forest Reserve
- Stone Forest
- Jiuxiang Scenic Belt
- Yuantong Mountain
- the Grand View Pavilion
- The Qiongzhu Temple.
- Local Muslim culture and food
Do
Buy
As elsewhere in bigger cities close to mountainous regions, you can buy fairly good quality Outdoor and Camping gear in Kunming. Prices are about a third compared to Europe or America, and some of the equipment is actually the stuff you'll buy there, since it is produced in China. Shops can be found in a courtyard at 20 Dongfeng Donglu and on Baoshan Jie close to the central square.
The flower and bird market in Kunming is a good place to look for local minority souvenirs, jade, and Chinese games.
Eat
- Over-the-Bridge Rice Noodles (过桥米线 guoqiao mixian)
- Wild Mushrooms (菌子 junzi)
- Old lady potatoes with peppers and fennel (老奶洋芋 laonai yangyu)
- Fried goats cheese (rubing), sometimes served with sugar or black pepper and salt. Occasionally mixed in with green beans.
In the Kunming flower and bird market, there is a great pizzeria set in a qing dynasty courtyard house. The prices are more expensive than eating local dishes, but the atmosphere and quality of the food are outstanding. To find it, head to the flower and bird market and as you walk round, keep your eyes peeled for their sign above the stalls.
Drink
- Freedom Bar on Renmin Donglu a few blocks West of Beijing lu, is a club and bar with dance music, a small dance floor, and plenty of alcohol. During happy hours foreigners are allowed three free drinks: either 3 whiskeys or 3 beers.
Sleep
- Camelia Hotel is a long standing relatively cheap hotel/hostel. It is located on Dongfeng Donglu a few blocks east of Beijing Lu. Dorms are 30 RMB, discounts are rarely if ever given. Rooms are clean, staff is polite and mostly English speaking. Showers, laundry, and internet/business services are available.
- City Cafe is a cafe, bar, and erstwhile guesthouse off Dongfeng Donglu, a block West of Camelia Hotel on the North side of the street. Upon last inspection it was still renting rooms, however it has occasionally shut down for unknown reasons in the past. Doubles should go for about 20 to 30 RMB and vary in cleanliness. The staff is very nice, though very little English is spoken. There have been a couple complaints of dishonest behavior by the owner concerning the cafe.
Get out
- Visit the hot springs at Anning - 34 kms from Kunming.
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