Kunming--Spring in the Land of the South Wind

Author: Zhong Guohua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: In central Yunnan, there is a vast expanse of shimmering lake, like a dazzling and crystal-clear pearl embedded in the plateau. This is the ancient "Diannan Zhe," also known as "Kunyang Lake" due to its proximity to Kunyang City, and the familiar "Five Hundred Li Dianchi." Poets have described it thus: "Kunchi's thousand acres of vast waters, soaking the sun with immense vigor, reflecting peaks in its mirror-like surface, boldly swallowing six rivers into its embrace." The city nestled by this beautiful plateau lake is Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province. Located in the central part of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Kunming is surrounded by mountains on all sides, with Dianchi to the south and six rivers crisscrossing its landscape, forming the fertile Kunming Plain in the center.
Kunming is situated in the central part of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, with the city center at an altitude of 1,891 meters. It borders Dianchi to the south and is surrounded by mountains on three sides. The city enjoys a low-latitude plateau mountain monsoon climate, influenced by the warm and humid southwest monsoon from the Indian Ocean. It has long daylight hours, short frost periods, and an average annual temperature of 15°C. The climate is mild, with no extreme heat in summer or cold in winter, making it a renowned "Spring City." As a poem once described its characteristics: "In Kunming's twelfth month, no heavy coats are needed; light cotton in the dog days leaves sweat untroubled. Plum blossoms scent the winter cold, willow leaves thicken with the new year's dawn."
From December to March each year, flocks of red-beaked gulls, fleeing the cold winds of northern seas, travel thousands of miles to settle in Kunming. Kunming is also a gathering place for natural and cultural landscapes. Its long history and unique geological structure have left behind numerous cultural relics, historic sites, and scenic spots. As an international tourist city in development, Kunming has now become a multifunctional, all-season destination centered around the World Expo, blending natural beauty and ethnic culture.
Kunming spans an elevation of 746 to 4,247 meters and covers an area of 15,942 square kilometers, with a built-up area of 98 square kilometers. It administers four districts—Panlong, Wuhua, Xishan, and Guandu—and eight counties—Chenggong, Jinning, Anning, Fumin, Songming, Yiliang, Lunan, and Luchuan. The city has a population of 3,635,212, including 25 ethnic groups such as Han, Yi, Hui, Bai, Miao, and Mongolian. The minority population accounts for 12.6%, with 1,611,969 people living in the urban area.