Dianchi Lake
Dianchi Lake, also known as Kunming Lake, is the largest freshwater lake in Yunnan Province, adjacent to Daguan Park and facing Xishan Forest Park and Yunnan Ethnic Village across the water. Willows sway gently, with a slight breeze brushing the shore. Walking along the scenic road on the eastern shore of Dianchi Lake, during winter, you can see people feeding red-billed gulls here. The time period for red-billed gulls in Kunming is from late October to mid-March of the following year. After completing the scenic road, you can also visit Yunnan Ethnic Village on the north side of Haigeng Park and experience the customs of the various ethnic groups in Yunnan Province along the way. In addition, in Daguan Park at the northern end of Dianchi Lake, you can take a boat tour to enjoy the scenery of Dianchi Lake. There are many types of boats available, with prices ranging from around several tens of yuan.
In Yunnan Nationalities Village, the main architectural style is natural village-style residential buildings, integrating garden landscapes and beautiful waters and green trees. There are 25 ethnic villages of Dai, Bai, Yi, Jingpo, and other ethnic groups, each with different folk customs and craft performances. Among them, the Dai village and Yi village are the most worth seeing, with unique Yi-style adobe houses, distilleries, cultural buildings, etc. During ethnic festivals such as the Water-Splashing Festival and Torch Festival, lively celebratory activities are held in the scenic area.
Kunming Green Lake Park was once a bay in Dianchi Lake, but it became a clear lake due to the water level drop. It is one of the most beautiful parks in the city and is known as the "beautiful jade in the city". Ruantan dyke and Tang dyke divide the Green Lake into five scenic areas: the heart of the lake island area, mainly featuring Qing Dynasty buildings such as the Heart Pavilion and Fish-watching Tower; the southeast area with Water and Moon Pavilion and Goldfish Island; the northeast area with Bamboo Forest Island and Nine Dragon Pool; the south area with Bottle Gourd Island and Jiudu Bridge; the west area with Hain Xin Pavilion. Every winter, tens of thousands of migratory red-billed gulls from the north come to Green Lake to spend the winter. They play and frolic in the water, competing for food, adding infinite fun to the Green Lake.
The scenery of Yunda is beautiful, Huize Courtyard, Yingqiu Courtyard and other landscapes are worth a visit, especially the famous Ginkgo Avenue, which is one of the most beautiful scenes on the Yunda campus. After entering the campus from the south gate, there are 95 steps, implying the meaning of 'the respect of 95'. Behind the Huize Courtyard is the Zhigong Hall, which is a typical Chinese-style building with large red pillars, carved beams and painted rafters. It is currently the grand auditorium of Yunda. On the east side, there is a row of relatively low houses, which were the examination rooms during the imperial examination period, known as the 'Gongyuan'.
Yunnan Army War College
The old site of the Yunnan Military Academy
Jinma Green Chicken Square is located at the intersection of Sanshi Street and Jinbi Road in Kunming City. It was built during the Xuanzong period of the Ming Dynasty and is now a landmark and center of Kunming, as well as one of its symbols. The majority of tourists visiting Kunming will visit here, take photos with the archway, and casually stroll around the surrounding area. At night, there is often a lively night market on the surrounding streets, where you can choose items from small vendors or indulge in delicious snacks at various food stalls.
Dounan flower market
Kunming Dounan stands near the east bank of Dianchi Lake and is known as the "Golden Dounan". The Dounan Flower Market has now developed into the "largest fresh-cut flower trading market in China and even Asia" and is famous for its flowers. The flower trade in the Dounan Flower Market occupies more than 70% of the market share in over 80 large and medium-sized cities in China, and exports to 46 countries and regions. It is said that "7 out of 10 fresh-cut flowers in China come from Yunnan". With hundreds of varieties of flowers filling the aisles, it is a paradise for flower enthusiasts.
Guandu Ancient Town is one of the famous historical and cultural ancient towns in Kunming. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was a prosperous market town with developed commerce and craftsmanship. "Wodong" (Guandu) in the Tang Dynasty was a preferred stopping place for the nobles of the Nanzhao Kingdom and Dali Kingdom when they visited Lake Dian. The ancient town has a rich cultural landscape, with five mountains, six temples, seven pavilions, and eight temples, and various shops are bustling with activity. Whether it is the base of the pagoda, the carvings, or the Buddha statues in the Buddhist shrines, the craftsmanship is delicate and realistic. The signature food of Guandu is "Guandu Baba," which is known as "Mai Baba" by the locals. The most famous is the "Yanjing Baba" in Jinguangta Commercial Street, which has two best-selling fillings: sesame and peanut.
stone forest
The geological relics in the Stone Forest World Geological Park are mainly karst landforms, which is a karst geological park mainly featuring the stone forest landscape. The Stone Forest preserves and displays the most diverse karst forms, with towering limestone pillars in the shapes of swords, columns, mushrooms, and towers as typical representatives. In addition, there are also caves, stalactites, karst lakes, natural bridges, cliff waterfalls, and conical peaks, almost all the karst forms in the world are concentrated here, forming a panoramic view of karst geological landscapes.
Red earth of Dongchuan
The Red Land of Dongchuan
Changchong Mountain Ecological Park
The Long Insect Mountain, also known as Snake Mountain, is one of the 'Eight Scenic Spots of Ancient Kunming' and is located on the northern side of Kunming. In ancient times, it was situated on the shore of Dianchi Lake, with the lake stretching for five hundred miles along the base of the mountain. The name 'Long Insect Mountain' comes from its resemblance to a winding snake. The reflection of the mountain in the lake was one of the 'Eight Scenic Spots of Ancient Kunming'.
The Grand View Park is located on the north side of Dianchi Lake. It is a beautiful park with lush vegetation and elegant pavilions, including the Huapu and Daguanlou areas. The park is built by the water, with lake embankments, lotus ponds, and exquisite pavilions and towers, all very elegant. The Daguanlou in the park was built during the Kangxi period and offers views of the Western Hills and Dianchi Lake. It was once known as one of the top ten famous towers in ancient times. During festivals, there are often park gatherings and traditional lantern festivals, attracting a constant stream of visitors and creating a lively atmosphere.
Jiuxiang karst cave group
Located in Jiuxiang Yi and Hui Autonomous Town, Yiliang County, Yunnan Province, it is a scenic spot mainly composed of cave groups and is a national key scenic area. Yunnan has a widely spread local saying: "View stone forests above ground, explore Jiuxiang's caves below." The beauty of Jiuxiang lies in its valleys. There are over a hundred caves in total, making it known as the hometown of caves. Jiuxiang is known as the hometown of caves and has the largest, most abundant, and most diverse cave system in Yunnan Province, with a scenic area of over 200 square kilometers. Over 90 caves have been discovered so far, and new caves are being developed. The caves in Jiuxiang are characterized by grandeur, danger, uniqueness, and beauty.
Xishan Scenic Spot
The Xishan Mountain is located 15 kilometers west of Kunming City, Yunnan Province. It is composed of Huating Mountain, Taihua Mountain, Luohan Mountain, etc. The mountain range stretches for more than 40 kilometers with an elevation ranging from 1900 meters to 2350 meters. According to legend, there was a phoenix perching on the mountain in ancient times. As people did not recognize it, they called it the "Green Chicken". Therefore, it is also known as the Green Chicken Mountain. It is also called the Sleeping Buddha Mountain because its shape resembles a reclining Buddha. Xishan Mountain is densely forested, with abundant flowers and plants, and beautiful and tranquil scenery. It has been praised as the "top scenic spot in central Yunnan" since ancient times.
