Kunming
Gateway to China's captivating and wild Yunnan Province, Kunming is best explored at a leisurely pace. Wander the markets for local handicrafts and herbs, sip fragrant Yunnan tea in a relaxed teahouse, fill up on delicious snacks, and bike through the city and surrounding countryside. Visit temples, lakes (the deep blue Dian Chi is worth at least a day alone) and nearby mountains and forests (including the Shilin "stone forest" rock formation).
Kunming and the surrounding countryside can keep you busy, but the city's also a great place to simply hang out, relax and experience something of China's cultural diversity: Significant populations of ethnic minority Yi, Hui, Bai and Miao peoples live in and around the city. When you're ready to move on, Kunming makes a great jumping-off point for further explorations of Yunnan and beyond—Tibet, Sichuan, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam are all within striking distance.
History
Early settlements in the area date back to Neolithic times but it wasn't until the eighth century AD that the Dian Kingdom city of Tuodong took shape on the site of present-day Kunming. The Han Dynasty (205 BC - 220 AD), seeking control over the Southern Silk Road running to Burma and India, brought much of Yunnan into China's orbit, though subsequent dynasties could do little to tame what was then a remote and wild borderland.
Kublai Khan and the Mongol Yuan Dynasty changed that in 1252, overthrowing the Dali Kingdom and renaming the city Kunming in 1276. As China's borders and influence expanded, Kunming became a strategic Western outpost, playing a key role in China's military history. The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) defeated the Mongols in Kunming in the fourteenth century and officials constructed the city wall, part of which exists to this day. Ming General Wu Sangui defeated Manchu invaders 300 years later and held the city until his death in 1678, long after the rest of China had fallen under Manchu rule.
Kunming also played an important part in the fight against the Japanese during the 1940s, serving as a base for defending the legendary Burma Road and hosting Chinese and American military detachments, including the famous Flying Tigers. The war also brought a number of urban Chinese fleeing the Japanese to the east, which helped lead to the development of Kunming's industrial capacity. After 1949, the city's fortunes rose and fell with those of China at large. The Cultural Revolution saw the destruction of many religiously and culturally significant buildings and an influx of residents "sent down" from eastern China, many of whom chose to stay because of the pleasant climate and way of life. During the 1979 war between China and Vietnam and subsequent tensions in the 1980s, Kunming experienced another round of conflict-fueled growth. This was slowly supplemented and then replaced by growth in tourism.
Today, Kunming is a thoroughly modern Chinese city with large retail and residential blocks dominating downtown. Nonetheless, despite the scars and erasures of history, the provincial capital retains its laid-back atmosphere, cultural diversity and much of its natural beauty.
Climate
Known as "the City of Eternal Spring," Kunming experiences sunny dry summers and temperate winters. Annual temperatures average 15º C (59º F), peaking at 20º C (68º F) during the summer and 7.5º C (45.5º F) in the winter. The rainy season lasts from May to October, delivering daily cloudbursts. At 1,890 meters (about 6,000 feet) above sea level, the area's strong sunlight can come as a surprise, so remember to pack sunscreen. Despite the temperate weather, you should also pack a sweater or jacket; nights can cool down significantly, especially in the summer.
