Capital of China’s sprawling, ethnically diverse Yunnan province, Kunming has a laid-back, college city feel—even though it’s home to roughly the population of New York City. Things to do in Kunming span the gamut from sampling local dishes like crossing-the-bridge noodles to perusing Jingxing Bird and Flower Market and touring the Golden Temple and the mountainside Dragon Gate complex. Nearby attractions include the Stone Forest karst landscape. Kunming is also a great jump-off point for tours of greater Yunnan, with Lijiang, Dali, and Tiger Leaping Gorge being popular destinations.
The Chinese call Kunming “the city of eternal spring” for its mellow, subtropical climate. June through August see a lot of rain but May is a good month to visit, with warm weather, blooming flowers, and Dongchuan Red Land in full color; avoid the first week of the month when the May Day holiday sees the city crowded with domestic tourists.
Yunnan lies in southwest China, bordering Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Like most large Chinese cities, Kunming has fast, efficient public transit, as well as extensive high-speed rail connections. The metro system will be your first port of call for many journeys, and the MetroMan app is a great way to navigate it. For ride-hailing services, use DiDi. While there are metered taxis, most drivers speak only Mandarin.
Yunnan is China’s largest producer of flowers, and a visit to a market is a must when in Kunming. The Dounan International Flowers Industrial Park is one of Asia’s biggest floral markets—in fact, it’s so big it even has a computerized trading floor. The province also boasts a wide diversity of cuisine, with foods like yak’s milk cheese and edible flowers. Discover it at Shiping Huiguan, an upscale eatery in a heritage courtyard building.
