"City of Eternal Spring" a Kunming Travel Page by Willettsworld

Kunming is the capital of Yunnan province, tucked right down in the far south-west of the country. Its clement weather and floral wealth have earned it the nickname "City of Eternal Spring" and indeed it was just that when I visited at the beginning of April as the weather was lovely, warm and sunny with cherry blossom in full bloom. The city is fairly modern with large high-rise buildings and only a small amount of old character which can be found in its Muslim quarter. Other highlights of the city include two 13-storey Tang dynasty pagodas, two good museums, a lovely lake park and the very picturesque Yuantong Temple. However, most of the main tourist sites lie outside the city. Of these, Lake Dian is the main focus which is located about 15km (9 miles) south of the city centre and is where you find the Western Hills Scenic Area which is home to two nice temples and other attractions such as a cable car and Dragon Gate. A further two temples, (Golden Temple and Bamboo Temple), lie to the north-east and north-west of the city. I came to the city from Nanning on an overnight train and stayed in the city for a few days before taking a bus to Dali.