Kunming

The capital of Yunnan, Kunming is the starting point for any tour in Yunnan. The city has a history of over 2,400 years and was an important stop on the ancient Tea Horse Road and the Silk Road. Kunmingboasts pleasant weather all year. A large number of fantastic sites can be found in Kunming. Sites such as the Stone Forest, Dianchi Lake, and the Western Hills are trulyunforgettable.

Kunming is the capital and largest city of Yunnan province in Southwest China. The city was important during World War II as a Chinese military center, American air base, and transport terminus for the Burma Road. It is located at the northern edge of the large Lake Dian, surrounded by temples and lake-and-limestone hill landscapes.

Kunming consists of an old, previously walled city, a modern commercial district, residential and university areas. The city has an astronomical observatory, and its institutions of higher learning include Yunnan University, Yunnan Normal University and a medical college. On the outskirts is a famed bronze temple, dating from the Ming dynasty.

Its economic importance derives from its geographical position. Positioned near the border with Southeastern Asian countries, serving as a transportation hub in Southwest China, linking by rail to Vietnam and by road to Burma and Laos. This positioning also makes it an important trade center in this region of the nation. It also houses some manufacturing, chiefly copper, though some other chemicals, machinery, textiles, paper and cement take key. Though having a nearly 2,400 year history, its modern prosperity dates only from 1910, when the railway from Hanoi was built. The city has continued to develop rapidly under China's modernization efforts. Kunming's streets have widened while office buildings and housing projects develop at a fast pace. Kunming has been designated a special tourism center and as such sports a proliferation of high-rises and luxury hotels.