The City of Eternal Spring-Kunming

  Kunming, Yunnan, China
Monday, May 5, 2008

Camellia hotel in Kunming is a perfect address: they have it all under one roof : spacious private rooms or youth hostel style bunker beds, delicious breakfast buffets, the consulate of  Laos, a travel agency, a Tibet travel office (its a little quiet in his office, as tourists are still banned from visiting Lhasa at the moment..), a business center with internet and phone service, luggage storage, a sauna with body and foot massage, a bicycle rental service, a bank to change foreign money into renminbi, a laundry service, an office to buy bus and train tickets, and last but not least a wonderfully decorated bar to have a cold beer in the evening.

Restaurant at the entrance of Camilla Hotel

The "other option" to meet fellow travellers is the "Hump" (hostel, restaurant and bar) with its top location, nice terrace, its a cool  place to relax, or have a pingpong game.
My first stop is the Yunnan provincial museum, thats already "standard procedure"!Some of them are open, some closed, but this one in Kunming has just had some major renovations, and works are still ongoing.It exists since 1951,  opened shortly after the liberation.

Provincial Museum, Kunming

It contains interesting bronze figure collections, more than 2000 years old, and precious pieces of art from the Dian high culture in Yunnan.Modern presentation, very high standards,and explanations also in english.
Kunming has a very pleasant climate-whole year around-that's why it is called the "city of eternal spring"!and indeed, there is very  good weather here, just perfect for a stroll around downtown, searching for some historical buildings, wooden houses, the flower market..well, francly, there is not much left of  that, Kunming is in a construction boom right now, and most of the old quarters have already been demolished.But there are the towers of the West and the East pagoda, a wonderful relict from the Tang dynasty. And there is a  "bijou" of a restaurant, the "1910 Gare du Sud",  in the premises of the former South Train station, a few original tracks are still laying idle besides the tables, but it is difficult to find the place, hidden in a small alley,   not too far though from the East pagoda, but dont ask the taxi driver to bring you to the train station..! It looks like Kunming is one of the most pleasant cities in China, extremely clean, and well organized with the traffic system , seperate lanes for buses and even bicycles, just like Bogota in Columbia, or some cities in Europe!