Yunnan province in the Southwest of China, boarders Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos. The province’s capital Kunming, is going through an exciting development period. With improved transportation and award winning urban development plans the city has high hopes for the future. The city itself has earned the title ‘the city of eternal Spring’. This is because the province has a year long mild climate. Making it an ideal location for training throughout the year. This article gives you all the information you will need for not only for traveling to Kunming but it can also help you to explore the city.
Best time to visit Kunming
With a mild climate all year round. Temperatures rarely fall below 8-10°, making the city a perfect place to live. The rainy season runs from May to October, however as the rains are never particularly oppressive nor monsoon like. Indeed the best time for tourism runs right through the rainy season. This is because from March to October many of the local festivals and events take place.
Getting to Kunming
You can get to Kunming by plane, train or long distance bus. As the main transport hub of Yunnan it is well linked and easy to reach.
By Plane
Kunming Airport
The main airport in Kunming is call Changshui International Airport. This airport is an important hub for flights to Southeast Asia. Internal flights from all over China fly in and out of this airport. Plane is currently the most convenient way to reach Kunming City.
Once you arrive at the airport you can take the metro (line 6) for 7 CNY or airport shuttle bus into the city. The metro is open from 6:20am to 10:20pm. The cost of the airport bus is 25 CNY each way. A taxi into the city will take 30 mins and cost approximately 100 CNY. If you are travelling into the Shaolin Temple Kunming the address is (China, Yunnan Sheng, Kunming Shi, Guandu Qu, 官渡古镇) from there you should report to the reception. If you are travelling by metro you can get off at subway station Erji Road on Line 1 then walk to the temple. In Kunming traffic can be particularly bad therefore I highly recommend you to get familiar with the subway system.
Kunming Subway 2019
Arriving by train
Kunming is currently linked to China’s extensive high speed railway network. The high speed railway network runs from Kunming South Railway Station (昆明南站). This mean should you wish to travel to Kunming from Beijing or Shanghai by train you can do so taking as little as 10 hours. If you’d like to buy a train ticket this article will help you.
- from Beijing: the G403 and G405 leave at 8:00 and 10:05 respectively. This will take approximately 10 hours and costs 1.200 CNY.
- from Shanghai: the G1371, G1373, G1377, and G1375 leave at 7:22am, 8:55am, 9:28am and 11:15am. This will take approximately 11 hours and cost 900 CNY.
- from Shenzhen: the G2926 and G2922 leave at 7:58 and 15:25. This takes 6 hours for about 500 CNY.
- from Guangzhou: the G2932, G2926 and G2922 leave at 7:54, 8:36, and 16:07. This takes approximately 6 and a half hours and costs 500 CNY.
Kunming South Railway Station is located on line 1 of the metro system. From there you can easily reach Erji Road Station where you get off if you want to visit the Shaolin Temple Kunming. From the station there are also bus and taxis. However, unless you are ok about getting stuck in heavy traffic these should be avoided.
By long distance bus
You can go to, and from Kunming by using one of its long distant bus services. The coaches are basic, and cheap option for those travelling on a budget. Here you can do a bus search for any city in China.
Kunming 3 main bus stations:
- West Bus Station (西部客运站): has routes to Dali, Yongping (where Rising Dragon Martial Arts school is) Lijiang, Shanghri-la and Deqin
- East Bus Station (东部客运站): has routes to Shilin Fengjing Qu 石林风景区
- South Bus Station (南部客运站): has routes heading South to Puer, Xishuangbanna, Laos and even Burma.
Getting around Kunming
The best way to get around the city is by foot or on bicycle. Traffic congestion is a problem in the city so taking the bus and or taxi can be frustrating. The local government is taking measures to improve this and is in the middle of constructing an extensive subway system along with new highway connections.
Bicycle
Mobike
When it comes to getting around Kunming using the public bicycles is the way to go. Ofo, and Mobike are the biggest and generally the best. Here is a great article to help you get your smart phone set up so that you can rent one of these public bikes. Before you get too excited about this new found freedom you’ll first have to make sure you have weChat wallet set up and bound to your Chinese bank account.
- Ofo’s Yellow Bikes works via an App where you scan the QR code on the bike and it unlocks. It requires a deposit of 100 CNY and confirmation of your identity. Once signed up it costs just 1 CNY to rent a bike for an hour. For Android for iPhone.
- Mobike’s Orange and silver bikes work the same as Ofo, with main difference however is, that mobikes tend to be better, their approval requires longer, the deposit is 300 CNY and not 100 CNY, and the hourly rate is slightly higher. For Android and iPhone.
Bus
When it rains busing around the city is the best option. This is because demand for taxis will be huge. In order to explore tourist sites outside Kunming I recommend using the frequent bus services.
- Jindian (金殿) the Golden Temple: bus 10, 69 or 71, will take you there.
- Xishan Mountain (西山): bus 51 to the head of the line Gao Yao (高峣)
- Bamboo Temple (Qiongzhu Si 筇竹寺): bus C61 and C62;
- Museum of the Ethnic Minorities of Yunnan (云南民族博物馆): bus 73 and A1 (Yunnan Minzucun 云南民族村 stop).
Taxi
Getting around Kunming by taxi on the other hand on rainy days can however be problematic. Traffic in the city is particularly congested. This makes being stuck in traffic inevitable. To make hiring a taxi easy get the DiDi app (Chinese version of uber) for your andrioid or iphone. To use Didi you will need to have wechat wallet working. This means that you will have to open a Chinese bank account and link it to your weChat account. When using a taxi to visit tourist sites don’t be shy, negotiate a good price.
Best things to see in Kunming City
Yuantong Temple
Here is my list of the best things to see and do in Kunming City
- Lake Cui Park (Cuihu gongyuan 翠湖公园) is a beautiful public park that is packed with locals dancing, socialising and staying fit. Here you will get to experience Chinese park life.
- Yuantong Temple (Yuantong Si 圆通寺) is a well restored temple complex which has a vegetarian restaurant inside.
- Flower and bird market (Huaniao Shichang 花鸟市场), is in the old part of Kunming. There you can explore the stalls, and find many a bargain. Explore the markets close to lunch or dinner and enjoy food at Kunming Lao Fangzi (昆明老房子) this allows you a sense of times gone by.
- The East and West Pagodas by night (Xisi and Dongsi, 西寺塔 – 东寺塔), there you can enjoy the mild evenings with the locals.
- Yunnan Provincial Museum (云南省博物馆), is located in Kunming’s south on Guangfu Road in Guandu District, right across the street of Guandu Old Town. Its got lots for history buffs to enjoy and is very close to Guandu Temple.
Outside the City Centre
Outside of the city center, Kunming offers historical sites and landscapes of interest. This allows martial artists and adventure travellers plenty of places to enjoy over the weekend when not training.
- Stone Forest (Shilin 石林) is one of the most popular tourist attraction on the outskirts of the city. The Stone Forest is a world heritage site of rock formations. The part that can be visited is just a small percentage of the entire park, if possible and you’ve time you can explore further afield but don’t get lost.
- Jindian (金殿) the Temple of Gold, is massive bronze Taoist Temple decorated in gold leaf; A visit here can be combined with a day out at the botanical garden (Expo Garden). Great for a first date or relaxing day out.
- Xishan Mountains (西山), west of Kunming, offers good hiking opportunities, and views over Lake Dianchi. Enjoy a full day of hiking and exploring the western mountains.
- Bamboo Temple (Qiongzhu Si 筇竹寺), is a finely decorated Buddhist temple that houses hundreds of statues and sculptures.
- Yunnan Nationalities Museum (Yunnan Nationalities Museum, 云南民族博物馆), Is a living museum and some what of a tourist trap, I would avoid it.
- Dongchuan Red Land (东川区), is best visited between March and June and September and November. The best way to visit Dongchuan is by hired car.
Where to stay in Kunming
The north, northeast of the centre, the Muslim Quarter or Flower and Bird market areas offer some great accommodation options. Two places I really like are the Hump and the Cachet Boutique.
Click here to discover more hotels options Kunming!
What to eat in Kunming
10 Traditional Yunnan Foods
Yunnan food offers food lovers lots of choice, some of my favourite dishes include Yunnan mashed potatoes, roast beef wrapped in mint leaves, and cold chicken salad. Yunnan food is a blend of some of the best southeast Asian flavours, and the Tibetan Plateau. One reason I like this type of food is its freshness, the lightness of many of the dishes and the fact it is cooked with less oil than foods from the north of China. This link is to an article from the Culture Yard and it details 10 Yunnan dishes you need to try.
Shopping
For cheap souvenirs, you can find them at the Flower and Bird Market. For more expensive gifts its best to get some local knowledge and shop with a local.
Nightlife
Nightlife in Kunming
The most popular district for nightlife in Kunming is Kundu. If you’re looking loud music, smoky clubs, beer towers or locals loudly playing dice this is the spot. But watch out for fake alcohol!
For something a bit quieter or for a starting point to a good night out with friends head to Beichen, here you’ll also find some clubs and restaurants. One of the best bars in this area is O’Reilly’s from there you can go further south to the Muslim Quarter, and Moondong.
For western food cravings head to Wenlin Jie, north of the lake, check out Salvador’s Coffee House, the French Café, Prague Café, or Dune Café.
