Kunming in China
‘The City of Eternal Spring’ is not only an appropriate name for Kunming because of its excellent weather, but also because of its location in the center of one of China’s most beautiful provinces. It certainly seems that the flowers are always blooming in this picturesque city, which is located at the northern edge of Lake Dian. Kunming is the provincial capital of the Yunnan Province and the city has long enjoyed an excellent reputation for a pleasant climate and an easy-going and friendly people.
When it comes to trade in Kunming, things have been somewhat up and down for decades for this busy little corner of the world. In 1992, Kunming’s economy was strong enough to have it ranked 12th in China. This was largely due to the salt and phosphate mines near the city, which are some of the best in the country. Unfortunately, because the city is located in a somewhat remote corner of China, much of the progress and expansion that the rest of China enjoyed in the 1990s was never experienced in Kunming. Fortunately, Kunming in China has slowly started to receive renewed attention with massive effort being put forth to see that Kunming is not left off the map completely. In fact, the situation has seen a bit of a reversal. Whereas in the past Kunming was a small, obscure little city on the Chinese border, today it is an international hub between China and Southeast Asia. A series of railroads have been built to connect Kunming to several other countries such as Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. The effort is certainly paying off as Kunming is now experiencing growth like never before, while trade with nearby Asian countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam is reaching never-before-seen highs.
Of course, not everything in Kunming is about business. In a city with a history that is more than 2400 years old, you can expect to find oodles of interesting historical attractions. Centuries ago Kunming served as China’s gateway to the Silk Road, which made trade with Tibet, Myanmar, India and Sichuan possible. Today there are a few places associated with this ancient trade route nearby the city. Certainly, Kunming serves as the perfect place to gain access to the beautiful Yunnan province. So why not visit the ‘City of Eternal Spring’ and discover the new and old face of this great city for yourself? You may be surprised at what you find.
