YUNNAN - CHINA

KUNMING, THE CAPITAL OF YUNNAN
Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, is known as
‘the City of Eternal Spring’ for its pleasant climate
and flowers that bloom all year long. With a history
of more than 2,400 years, it was the gateway to
the celebrated Silk Road that facilitated trade with
Tibet, Sichuan, Myanmar, India and beyond. Today
it is the provincial political, economic and cultural
center of Yunnan, as well as the most popular tourist
destination in southwest China. The city is also the
focal point of Yunnan minority culture.
Kunming boasts a long history. As early as 30,000
years ago, ancient tribes inhabited the area around
Dian Lake. During the 3rd century BC, Zhuangqiao
of the Chu (in the middle reaches of the Yangtze
River led his men to the area around Lake Dian and
established the Dian Kingdom. In 109 BC, during
the reign (141–87 BC) of the Xi (Western) Han
emperor Wudi, the Dian Kingdom became part of
the Han territory and was named Yizhou prefecture,
with Dianchi county as its seat. It was then an
important traffic center, connecting China’s hinterland
with the southern branch of the ancient Silk
Road to the west. Via Yunnan, it also connected
present-day Sichuan to Vietnam. During the Sui
dynasty (581–618), it was renamed Kunzhou.
From the 8th century onward, it was known to the
Chinese as Tuodong city in the independent states
of Nanzhao and Dali. It then came under the control
of the Chinese central government with the Yuan
(Mongol) invasion of the southwest in 1253. In 1276
it was founded as Kunming county and became the
provincial capital of Yunnan.
It is considered by scholars to have been the city
of Yachi, described by the 13th-century Venetian
traveler Marco Polo. During the Ming (1368–1644)
and Qing (1644–1911/12) dynasties, it was the seat
of the superior prefecture of Yunnan. It reverted to
county status in 1912, under the name Kunming,
and became a municipality in 1928.
Kunming’s transformation into a modern city
resulted from the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese
War in 1937. In the face of the advancing Japanese
forces, great numbers of Chinese flooded into
southwestern China and took with them dismantled
industrial plants, which were then re-erected
beyond the range of Japanese bombers. In addition,
a number of universities and institutes of
higher education were evacuated there. When the
Japanese occupied French Indochina in 1940, the
links of Kunming with the west, both via the newly
constructed Burma Road and by air, grew increasingly
vital. Industry became important in Kunming
during World War II. The large state-owned Central
Machine Works was transferred there from Hunan,
while the manufacture of electrical products,
copper, cement, steel, paper and textiles expanded.
After 1949, Kunming developed rapidly into an
industrial metropolis and remained a major cultural
center.
WESTERN HILLS
In the western suburbs of Kunming lies Western
Hills. They are also called ‘Sleeping Buddha Hills’,
for looked at from a distance, they have the appearance
of a giant sleeping Buddha. Here, there are
wonderful scenic spots such as Huating Temple,
Taihua Temple, Sanqing Pavilion, and Dragon Gate.
Huating Temple is one of the largest Buddhist
temples in Yunnan Province.
Daxiong Baodian Hall, Tianwang Hall and Kwan-yin
Hall are some of the features in the temple. In the
temple you can see three golden Buddha figures
with kindly expressions, 500 life-like arhats which
are vivid just like real people, and golden figures
of Laughing Buddha. Besides, there are abundant
colored clay figures depicting vividly various images
of mythical animals. Taihua Temple gained its name
for it is located on Taihua Hill. Originally built in the
Yuan Dynasty (1206 - 1368), the temple is the oldest
one in Western Hills. Daxiong Baodian Hall, Piaomiao
Pavilion, Sizhao Hall are in the temple. The
temple is famous for the beautiful rare flowers on
the grounds.
There is a saying - ‘If you do not visit Western Hills,
you haven’t visited Kunming; if you do not come
to Dragon Gate, you haven’t been to Western Hills.’
Being the outstanding scenic place in Western Hills,
Dragon Gate is a big exquisite stone carved edifice.
The stone paths, stone rooms, stone grottos, and
stone Buddhist figures are all carved with excellent
craftsmanship on a large natural rock. Like Sanqing
Pavilion, Dragon Gate was also built on cliff. You can
stand on the edge of the cliff holding the railing,
looking downward to experience the steepness of
the hill and enjoy the spectacle of Dianchi Lake.
“YUNNAN IMPRESSIONS SHOW” ALSO CALLED
AND “DYNAMIC YUNNAN”
A grand and original ethnic dance musical. It fuses
the beauty of Yunnan’s ethnic minority dances
and songs with the power of modern stage exhibition.
Chinese folk dance first appeared over 5000
years ago and is a by-product of long historical
development and profound artistic culture. All the
performers are genuine Yunnan ethnic minorities
who left their villages to participate in the theater