Kunming – where it’s spring all year round

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A panorama from the overlooking-sky bridge at Western Hills.

A panorama from the overlooking-sky bridge at Western Hills.

THE people of Kunming the capital of Yunnan say they never feel hot and very seldom feel cold because where they live spring occurs all year round!

In summer, the warmest temperature is only 29 C while snow is extremely rare in the city although the temperature could occasionally drop to -3 C in winter.

In this capital of Yunan province which has an area of 300 sq km and three million people air-conditioners is a rarity – who needs them in Spring City?

Yunnan, the eighth largest province in China has an area of 390,000 sq km, is home to a population of 46 million.

In Chinese, Yun means cloud and nan refers to south. Hence, a literal translation of Yunnan would be ‘South of the Cloud’.

Zoe our guide in Kunming during our media tour of China last month claimed that the local people love their city so much they do not wish to live in any other place.

“Most of my friends who pursued studies in Beijing chose to return to Yunnan upon graduation.”

It was easy to believe her because I found it hard not to fall in love with Kunming myself during my brief stay there.

The city is also sometimes known as Flower City as the mild weather allows flowering plants to bloom all year round.

“Thanks to the pleasant weather Kunming is also known as Flower City as flowers are planted all around,” Zoe told us.

Another appropriate moniker for Kunming surprisingly could be ‘Golf City.’

The city planners cashed in on its mild weather which allows golfers to tee off all year round by building five world class golf courses within the city area.

As a result golf has become a main tourist draw for the city as its courses attract golfers from all over the world especially Japan.

Two Chinese characters ‘Shi Lin’ engraved on the rock wall.

Two Chinese characters ‘Shi Lin’ engraved on the rock wall.

Stone Forest (Shilin)

The biggest tourism attractions of Kunming are its natural wonders which rank among the best in the world. The crown jewel of Kunming’s tourism industry is the Stone Forest (Shilin) one of the world’s most stunning natural creations – a must for tourists to Kunming.

Much to our chagrin it was raining when we visited Shilin but our grumbling about the weather soon gave way awe struck wonder.

‘It would be a shame to give the visit a pass just because of the downpour.’ I thought to myself.”

Our guide Zoe told us looking at the rock formations of Shilin is like looking at clouds as you have to use our imagination to see the different form among them.

The entire stone forest covers more than 300 sq km with countless densely-clustered rock pillars and you might spot a tiger, an elephant or a woman looking forlornly into the distance among them.

In the major Shilin area, the assemblage of rock peaks and pillars rise high amidst flowers and trees and the underground rivers and deep pools with their superlative natural beauty.

The trail through the stone forest was full of surprises as some stretches are not just winding and zigzagging but were so narrow we literally had to squeeze through the crevices.

It is difficult to imagine that the whole area was once under the sea but fossils of marine organism including corals revealed about 270 million years ago the Stone Forest was a marine world.

The Sword Peak Pond is the lowest point in Shilin. Here, groundwater outcrops and accumulates to form deep ponds.

Our walk through Shilin reminds me of quote from Helen Keller: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.”

Indeed to appreciate the beauty of the Stone Forest you have to see it with your heart.

Colourfully lit Fairy Palace at Jiu Xiang.

Colourfully lit Fairy Palace at Jiu Xiang.

Jiu Xiang Scenic Area

Besides the Stone Forest the Jiu Xiang caves are another natural wonder of Kunming that you should not miss.

It took us a couple of minutes to get from the car park to inside the caves of  one of the most beautiful tourist spots in Kunming.

As we were headed for the destination we saw billboards telling us Jackie Chan filmed his movie ‘The Myth’ in the caves we were heading into.

Located in Yiliang county, Jiu Xiang is home to striking natural landscapes and magnificent underground karst caves – over 100 of them. A local saying goes, ‘If one is to spend his/her life counting the caves in Jiu Xiang, he/she may not be able to finish the job in a lifetime’.

Jiu Xiang covers an area of about 200 sq km, and the main cave is Fairy Palace – typical view of underground karst scenery.

Zoe said it usually took about 15 minutes to stroll through Fairy Palace but with too many people busy taking photographs and selfies, I felt that the simple walk took much longer.

Free professional photo-taking is provided for tourists but they will only be given small sized ones of 2 inches. If they want standard size such as 4R or slightly bigger, they will have to pay RMB20 per print.

The karst caves in Jiu Xiang were formed over a long period of time by the intermittent movement of the earth crust, which created pre-history wonders in the area.

These wonders include a variety of hydrological and geological phenomena such as ancient micro-biological fossils, curved stones, caves with whirlpools inside, stereoscopic caves and multi-layered caves.

As the karst caves are undergound you have to be reasonably fit to go through it especially the part where you have to climb a 300-step stairway to get out.

If you decide that you could not get to the top on your own, men are at  the site to carry you up in a wooden chair, a service which costs one RMB60 per trip.

People throng the highest temple at Western Hills.

People throng the highest temple at Western Hills.

Western Hills Scenic Area

While the Stone Forest and Jiu Xiang caves offer spectacular natural wonders The Western Hills stretch along the west bank of Dianchi (Dian Lake) give those who climb it a spectacular view of Kunming city.

The hills are also steeped in mysticism as cut into of the side of a precipitous cliff, the Loong men (Dragon Gate) that sits at 2,600 metres above sea level, is the highest temple in China.

The temple is made up of a group of grottoes, sculptures, corridors and pavilions that were hacked into the cliff between 1781 and 1835 by a Taoist monk and his co-workers.

A stone archway was constructed at the entrance with the inscription Loong Men (Dragon Gate) in Chinese at the top. Taking in the spectacular panoramic view from the temple, I could not help but wonder how the monk and his co-workers accomplished such an impossible task way back in the 18th century.

The stone path along the outer cliff edge is so narrow that only two persons can squeeze through.

Before making our exit, Zoe called upon us to touch the pearl sealed to the top of the gate for prosperity.

While going down the hills, we came across a stone turtle with a snake and a statue of the God of Fortune and out guide told us if we touch the turtle and pray for fortune.

We all touched the turtle and prayed but so far I have yet to strike the lottery!

The Yi people of Kunming

Yi is the native group of Kunming, and there are more than four million of Yi people in Yunnan.

Zoe told us there was no Chinese character for the word Yi so the people asked Chairman Mao Tse Tung gave them a character to mean their race.

“From the Chinese character, you can tell the Yi people have a good life. Chairman Mao said the top component symbolises houses to live in, the left indicates having rice to eat, the right – having clothes to wear and the bottom says about having land for burial,” Zoe explained.

Yi people call single ladies ‘Ashima’ which means beautiful country girl in their native language and young men ‘Ahei ker’ (Mr Black) because they believe black signifies strength.

The Borneo Post editor Francis Chan touching the turtle and wishing for good luck.

The Borneo Post editor Francis Chan touching the turtle and wishing for good luck.