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Kunming,
the capital of Yunnan Province, is known as the “city of eternal
spring.”
Located in the middle of the Yunan Plateau 6,300 feet above sea level,
subtropical Kunming is skirted by mountains to the north, east, and
west, while to the south lies a large lake called Dianchi. Kunming has a
mild climate and flowers bloom most of the year round. But its
association with eternal spring can be misleading, because there are
sometimes cold winds in winter, chilly days in spring, and heavy rains
in summer. Generally speaking, though, the city's climate is kind to
travelers most of the time.
Lake Park, Kunming, Yunnan
Kunming
has a history spanning more than 3,000 years. It is known to have been a
small settlement as early as 109 B.C., trading in salt, silver, gold,
silk and lumber. Through the eighth to the 13th centuries, it was the
secondary capital of a small kingdom in the region, before falling to
the Mongols in 1374. A small group of Mongols still exists at Tonghai,
about 75 miles south of Kunming.
Yunnan
Province, so named because of its location to the south of the Yun
Mountains, is the home of 33 ethnic groups including the Han.
Xishan,
or West Hill, is a 30-minute bus ride from kunming. It is really made up
of four hills,
which form a contour resembling a sleeping beauty, whose hair
flows down to the water. For this reason Xishan is also called a
sleeping beauty mountain. A forest stretches for several miles,
containing ancient buildings such as the Huating Temple, the Taihua
Temple, and the Sanqing Pavilion, nestling almost unseen, among the
thick foliage. From Xishan you can get a fantastic view of Lake Dianchi.
Dianchi,
also known as Kunming Lake, covers 130 square miles and was formed by a
geological fault in the central Yunnan Plateau. It has long been famous
for its fish. Indeed, Marco Polo praised the variety and bounty of
catches in his 13th century account of his travels in the region. Now
the blue lake is dotted with many white sails of long flat boats.
Dianchi
Lake, Kunming, Yunnan
The
famous Stone Forest is located 73 miles southeast of Kunming within the
boundaries of Lunan County. It is also known as the Stone Forest of
Lunan.
About
330 million years ago, the area where the Stone Forest now stands was
submerged beneath the sea, and deposits of limestone built up there. As
a result of countless earthquakes and movements in the Earth's crust,
the ground was thrust up and the sea subsided to give way to a
tableland. The constant seeping of rain water containing carbonic acid
through the cracks in the limestone, gradually dissolved much of the
stone pillars remained --a most enchanting formation, which, from a
distance, resembles a forest of pines. Scattered through this strange
landscape are natural and artificial ponds, tiny bridges and classical
pavilions. The tallest stone pillar towers 99 feet. The most interesting
sights are the "Sword Peak Pond", "Lotus Blossom
Peak", "Jade Lake in the Stone Forest", and the
"Peak View Pavilion".
Stone
Forest, Yunnan Tourist Attraction
While
in Kunming, one should also try to
catch
a glimpse of the various
costumes of the many ethnic groups in Yunnan. The best chance is
probably during
the Water Splashing Festival, a traditional gala held every April to
celebrate the new year on the calendar of the Dai, Blang, Benglong,
Achang and Wa peoples.
At the festival, people splash water on each other as a symbol of best
wishes for a long life and a good harvest. The biggest celebration is
usually held in Xishuangbanna, a fertile tropical area about 400 miles
south of Kunming.
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