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Kunming
Where spring stays all year round
Much of the land in the country is covered with snow or ice from December to March, while thousands of red-beaked gulls, flying over ten thousand miles (16,000km) from afar, settle down in Kunming. This is the city where spring stays all year.
In fact, Kunming has neither a hot summer nor a cold winter. Thanks to its unique climate and geology, the World Horticulture Exposition was held here in 1999.
It is evident that the World Horticulture Garden is something that visitors to Kunming must see. As professional displays, the World Horticulture Expositions fall into four grades. The exposition held in Kunming was of the highest grade, and it has left behind the World Horticulture Garden as a permanent theme park in the city.
Lying in the Jindian scenic area in the northeast suburb of the city, the garden covers an area of 539 acres (218 hectares), among which 297 acres (120 hectares) are slopes planted with luxuriant bushes and about 69 acres (28 hectares) are covered with water. Its green cover amounts to as high as 76.7 percent of the total area.
In the World Horticulture Garden, nine countries and international organisations have set up their own exhibition areas, and numerous provinces and cities throughout the country have also built special gardens to show off their horticulture. There is no doubt that this is a superb park, a collection of much of the world's horticultural practices today.
Dianchi Lake, which is said to extend over 140 square miles (370 square kilometres), is a typical attraction in Kunming. Perched on the Yungui Plateau, the lake is a pearl. White sails drift over the expansive blue water circled with wooded mountains. It is a spectacular view!
What is more, Dianchi Lake boasts a long history. Originally, a tribe called Dian lived around the lake. In the Warring Period (770-256 BC) the lake witnessed the culture of the kingdom of Dian. During the reign of Emperor Wudi (140-88 BC) in the Han dynasty, the prefecture was established in this area. In the Yuan dynasty (1206-1368) it was named Kunming after Yunnan province had been set up.
Consequently, many historical sites are related to Dianchi Lake. The well-known places include the Huating Temple, the Taihua Temple, the Sanqingge Tower, and the Daguan Tower. The high mountains around the lake serve as a backdrop. The extensive fertile soil and the plentiful yearly rainfall have worked together to make Kunming a famous producer of rice and milk in Yunnan province.
Another attraction in the city is the limestone forest- a miracle of nature's engineering. This is the result of unique karst geology. Covering an area of 150 square miles (400 square kilometres), the limestone forest is filled with more than a hundred groups of huge stones, each group like a grove in a black forest. Some stones form part of the view on their own, while others seem to be interwoven with each other. Some stones stand high into the sky, and others reveal intricate patterns.
He Tanyun, a poet of the Qing dynasty, presented an ode to the stone forest of Kunming. His lines go as follows: "Extending into the far distance, at the first glance the forest seems grey and mysterious. The high stone seems to pierce the sky. Its foundation is like the blue jade planting into the land."
Liziqing Forest is the highlight in this scenic area. It has the biggest collection of limestone with the most beautiful views of the stone landscape. At the Torch Festival, which falls on June 24th, the local people of the Han and the Yi will hurry to gather at the stone forest to celebrate this great day. In the daytime they are wild with excitement, joining in many recreational activities such as wrestling, pole climbing, and bullfighting. At night they usually perform the dragon dance and the lion dance, and sing folk songs around a big bonfire.
Location
The capital city of Yunnan province, Kunming is situated in the middle of the Yungui Plateau.
Climate
Lying in the plateau’s monsoon zone and benefiting from warm and humid currents from the Indian Ocean, Kunming is a pleasant city without an over-hot summer of cold winter.
Of Special Interest
Kunming is a good tourist city, with a perfect combination of natural scenery. It has the World Horticulture Garden at its core and local customs of various ethnic groups abound.
Main Attractions
The Yunnan Village of Ethnic Groups, Kunming Museum, Yuantong Temple, Woyun Mountain, Heilong Pool, Xishan scenic area, and Jindian scenic area.
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