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 Kunming © Flickr: Philou.cn Kunming is known as the 'city of eternal spring' due to its
pleasant climate and attractive setting. The capital of the Yunnan
province in southern China, the city of over three million
encompasses an ancient city, a modern commercial district, a
university, and residential areas. It is one of China's major
tourism cities, with over two million people annually choosing a
holiday in Kunming.
Kunming has been rapidly modernised in the last few decades, in
places to the detriment of traditional sights and interesting
cultural locations. Nonetheless, Kunming has many sights and
cultural attractions worth visiting, including temples, museums,
parks and gardens, and the fascinating Stone Forest. Jiuxiang
Scenic Area also has a number of caves and waterfalls that are
popular attractions.
Kunming is a relatively safe city, but there are warnings of
pickpockets and increased cons and scams involving tourists.
Attractions  Jiuxiang Scenic Area © Sylvain Kalache Jiuxiang Scenic Area
The Jiuxiang Scenic Area near Kunming is only 7.7 square miles
(20km sq) but packs a big punch in terms of important sights with
five popular tourist attractions. Diehong Bridge, Alu Long, Dasha
Dam, Mingyue Lake, and Sanjiao Cave. Diehong Bridge, Dasha Dam and
Sanjiao Cave all have picturesque 'stone forests' with China's
distinctive karst limestone formations, while Diehong Bridge also
has twin waterfalls with a large natural stone dam cluster, and
Dasha Dam has lush green forest. Jiuxiang is the home of the
aboriginal Yi people, and Alu Long is home to the excavated Yi
cliff paintings of the Qin (221BC-206BC) and Han (206BC-220AD)
dynasties. Yi customs and culture are still evident today in the
many legends and folk stories. Jiuxiang Scenic Area is located 55.9
miles (90km) from Kunming, and makes an excellent day trip.
Visitors should bring warm clothes, as the interior of the caves
can be quite cool.
Address: Yiliang County;
Opening time: 8am-6pm;
Admission: ¥50
 Stone Forest © Ken Wang Stone Forest
The stone forest, about two hours' drive from Kunming, is a
UNESCO-listed site, with many limestone pillars and stalagmites
poking out of the green hillsides. Its distinctive landscape is
worth seeing, but can be crowded with tourists at peak times as
over three million people visit every year. You can avoid the
masses by going in the morning or early evening, and avoiding
weekends and Chinese public holidays.
Opening time: 9am to 6pm
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