KUNMING
Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province with a population
of nearly 2 million, is known as the "city of eternal
spring." Located in the middle of the Yunan Plateau
of 6,300 feet above the sea level, the city enjoys the
subtropical climate and 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 with flowers
blooming in most year round. 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 |
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Mongols in1374.
A small group of Mongols still exists at Tonghai, about 75
miles south of Kunming. The city becomes famous to  the
tourists not only for its nice climate and beautiful scenery,
but also a society of multi-minority nationalities with 26
ethnic groups including the Han. Therefore, the minority singing
and dance show can be seen everywhere.
While in Kunming, one should also try to catch a glimpse of
the various costumes of the many ethnic groups. The best chance
is probably during the Water Splashing Festival, a traditional
gala held in mid of April to celebrate the minority new year
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.
Western Hill,
The West Hill, located in the city suburbs adjacent the
famous lake Dianchi, 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 the West Hill is also called
a sleeping beauty mountain with the Dragon Gate as the
most famous place that one has to climb up. 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.
On top of the West Hill you can get a fantastic view of
Lake Dianchi, which covers area of 130 square miles and
was formed by a geological fault in the central Yunnan
Plateau. |
Stone
Forest
The Stone Forest, one of China's most famous scenic spots
and located in the Lunan Yi Nationality Autonomous County,
is
about 75 miles southeast of Kunming. It is a massive collection
of limestone pillars, split by raindrops and eroded to
their present fanciful forms. Covering a total area of
350 square km, it stands with the big and small stone
forests, and other scenic spots such as the "Moon
Lake", "Dadie Waterfall", and "Subterranean
Stone Forest in Zhiyun Cave". Since the Ming dynasty,
Stone Forest has long been one of the most famous scenic
spots in China. Taking the shapes of pagodas, pillars,
swords or animals, a huge number of vertically carved,
fantastically shaped limestone pillars scattered here
and there, in which one of them is engraved with two big
words "Stone Forest", forming a marvelous landscape.
Range from 2 meters to 33 meters in height, these pillars
look like a dense forest. Major scenic spots in Stone
Forest include Sword Peak Pond, Jade Lake, Lotus Blossom
Peak, Naigu Stone Forest, Dadie Waterfall, Zhiyun Cave,
Moon Lake, and Peak View Pavilion etc. As soon as the
visitors enter the forest, one can enjoy the peculiar
sight of the countless stone peaks assuming a thousand
different shapes, all fanciful and picturesque, and the
goldfish leisurely wagging the tail in the pond.
The splendor of this place is enhanced by another feature,
that is, the custom of the local Sani people, which is
a branch of the Yi nationality. Sani people are industrious,
unconstrained and hospitable and all Sani girls are experts
at spinning, weaving and embroidering. The Sani people,
especially the young people, are very good at singing
and dancing. Each day at sunset, boys and girls would
gather at the village platform and colorful programs would
be held there. The boys play the three-stringed plucked
instruments while the girls dance enthusiastically with
the drumbeats. All visitors are welcome to join their
lovely dances. |
Golden
Temple
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The Golden Temple is located on Mingfeng Hill, 11km northeast
of Kunming. The temple was originally built in 1604 during
the Ming dynasty. Chen Yongbin, the governor of Yunnan
at the time, launched the construction to honor the Daoist
hero Zishi, who was supposed to live at the northern extremity
of the universe. They built a copper temple to represent
his palace there, which gleams like the gold under sunshine,
hence the name. However the temple was destroyed during
the Yunnan Muslim rebellion in the mid of 19 century and
rebuilt in 1890 with 250 tons of solid bronze. The present
temple, 6.7 meters in height and 7.8 meters in width,
is reputed as the largest bronze hall in China. Except
staircases and balustrades, which are made of marble,
the walls, columns, rafters, roof-tiles, altars, Buddha
statues, wall decorations, even the banner near the gate
tower, were all made of copper. Up to now, the Golden
Temple is still preserved a double-edged sword with the
pattern of the Big Dipper, which weighs more than 20 kilograms
and is thought to be a magic weapon of Zhen Wu, a Daoist
deity, to guard the hill. With natural scenery mingled
with sites of historical interest, here became a large
scenic resort in Kunming. |
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