Dianchi Lake The Dianchi Lake is the eighth largest lake in China and the largest in the Yunnan Province, covering an area of 370 square kilometers in area. Because of its majestic size and beauty, the lake is also known as the "Sparkling Pearl Imbedded in a Highland ". Gliding across the lake in a boat makes one feel like they are moving across a vast expanse of liquid silver, and it is an enchanting experience, to say the least. At night, when the moon casts a veil over the lake, only the gentle breeze breaks the silence of the scene. Address: Opening Hours:
Nationalities Villages of Yunnan Yunnan Ethnic Villages, a huge theme park, is currently under construction. It is situated six kilometers south of Kunming, between the Dianchi Lake to the south and the Western Mountains Scenic Area to the west. The famous historical and cultural city of Kunming lies to the north of the village.
Each of the 26 ethnic groups in Yunnan will build a village on the premises. A village square will be constructed, to symbolize the unity among the various ethnic groups, as well as a theater for live performances of ethnic songs and dances.
The Villages will also house a folklore museum, a museum of ethnic waxworks, and an immense garden designed in the tradition of southern Chinese horticultural and landscaping practices. When completed, the Yunnan Ethnic Villages will be a unique celebration of Yunnan's unique multi-ethnic province.
Haigeng Park, a National Sport Training Base, is only two kilometers away from the Minority Nationalities Park.
Address: Opening Hours:
Stone Forest Located in Lunan County, 86 km southeast of Kunming, the Stone Forest is known as "the First Wonder of the World" for its natural landscape and a collection of stone pillars that resemble trees. As the local saying goes, "It is wasted trip if you visit Kunming without going to the Stone Forest ".
Wandering through the Stone Forest, one is surrounded by a sea of stone statues. Sculptures such as the "Figure of Ashima", the "Shi Ba Xiang Song" (from the Chinese love story "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai") and the "Lotus Peak", are intriguing, whilst works such as the "Single Thread of Sky", the "Close Call" and the "Sword Peak Pond" are magnificent. Tourists will be fascinated by the amazing scenery that this location has to offer.
Daily tours to the Stone Forest leave from Kunming from 7 to 8 am. The journey takes about 2 hours and costs about 40 Yuan. Admission fee to the Stone Forest is 33 Yuan.
Address: Opening Hours:
Alu Ancient Cave Located 200 kilometers southeast of Kunming, the Alu Ancient Caves is an amazing natural labyrinth formed over a 100 million years ago. The area was originally covered by sea and became a landmass during the formation of the earth's crust. As a result, the rich calcium deposits from the sea turned into lime. Rainwater containing carbon dioxide eroded the lime and formed numerous holes and fractures. Over the time, these holes and fractures expanded, and through millions of years of weathering, they finally turned into caves and passages of varied shapes.
More than 3,000 meters in length, the entire complex is divided into three dry caves and one water cave. These ancient caves share three prominent features. The first one is that there are several springs flowing out of each of the caves, fed through a subterranean stream. Secondly, there is sunlight inside the caves due to natural skylights. The third feature, which is the most amazing one, is that there are caves within caves.
As the caves are located near the county town of Luxi, visitors can enjoy an enchanting trip in a horse-drawn cart or tricycle down to the site. A three-star hotel in the vicinity is available with quality services.
Admission fee: 30 Yuan (all-through ticket)
Contact telephone: (0871) 6621800
Address: Opening Hours:
Zheng He Park Located in Kunyang of Jinning County, Zheng He Park is 60 kilometers south of Kunming. The park, built in 1980, covers an area of 250 hectares. It is a memorial garden built in honor of Zheng He, the great navigator of the Ming Dynasty.
Upon entering the park, there are relief sculptures on both sides of the gate called "The Seven Navigations to the West by Zheng He". Standing firmly in front of a ship, the imposing figure of Zheng leads a large fleet of ships to the West. Other sculptures depict the life of Zheng He and his outstanding achievements. Within the park, there is also the Zheng He Memorial Pavilion, the tomb of Ma Haizi (Zheng He's father) and the tombs of revolutionary martyrs.
Born in Kunming in 1371, Zheng He was originally a Hui minority known as Ma He. Having rendered good services to the Emperor Zhu Di, he was selected to be a eunuch in the Inner Court of the Forbidden City. His nickname, "Three Treasures", was changed to the "Three Treasure Eunuch".
The It is said that Zheng's original family name, Ma, meant "horse", and because no horses were allowed in the Inner Court, the emperor granted him the name Zheng He.
For 28 years (1405-1433) Zheng He was sent on seven diplomatic missions to the West (at that time, the West referred to the areas west of China's South Sea). Leading a massive fleet of 62 ships and 27,800 sailors, he visited 39 countries and regions, including Vietnam, India, Thailand, Iran, South Yemen and Somalia. His journeyed to these lands 80 years before the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus and a 100 years before Ferdinand Magellan circled the globe. During his travels, Zheng He enhanced diplomatic, economic and cultural ties between China and several Asian and African countries. He also contributed greatly to the development of long distance navigation.
Zheng He was a highly respected diplomat, both at home and abroad. Today, in some countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, there are still sites like the Three Treasures Tower and Three Treasures City built in commemoration of his achivements.
Dianchi Lake The Dianchi Lake is the eighth largest lake in China and the largest in the Yunnan Province, covering an area of 370 square kilometers in area. Because of its majestic size and beauty, the lake is also known as the "Sparkling Pearl Imbedded in a Highland ". Gliding across the lake in a boat makes one feel like they are moving across a vast expanse of liquid silver, and it is an enchanting experience, to say the least. At night, when the moon casts a veil over the lake, only the gentle breeze breaks the silence of the scene. Address: Opening Hours:
Nationalities Villages of Yunnan Yunnan Ethnic Villages, a huge theme park, is currently under construction. It is situated six kilometers south of Kunming, between the Dianchi Lake to the south and the Western Mountains Scenic Area to the west. The famous historical and cultural city of Kunming lies to the north of the village.
Each of the 26 ethnic groups in Yunnan will build a village on the premises. A village square will be constructed, to symbolize the unity among the various ethnic groups, as well as a theater for live performances of ethnic songs and dances.
The Villages will also house a folklore museum, a museum of ethnic waxworks, and an immense garden designed in the tradition of southern Chinese horticultural and landscaping practices. When completed, the Yunnan Ethnic Villages will be a unique celebration of Yunnan's unique multi-ethnic province.
Haigeng Park, a National Sport Training Base, is only two kilometers away from the Minority Nationalities Park.
Address: Opening Hours:
Stone Forest Located in Lunan County, 86 km southeast of Kunming, the Stone Forest is known as "the First Wonder of the World" for its natural landscape and a collection of stone pillars that resemble trees. As the local saying goes, "It is wasted trip if you visit Kunming without going to the Stone Forest ".
Wandering through the Stone Forest, one is surrounded by a sea of stone statues. Sculptures such as the "Figure of Ashima", the "Shi Ba Xiang Song" (from the Chinese love story "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai") and the "Lotus Peak", are intriguing, whilst works such as the "Single Thread of Sky", the "Close Call" and the "Sword Peak Pond" are magnificent. Tourists will be fascinated by the amazing scenery that this location has to offer.
Daily tours to the Stone Forest leave from Kunming from 7 to 8 am. The journey takes about 2 hours and costs about 40 Yuan. Admission fee to the Stone Forest is 33 Yuan.
Address: Opening Hours:
Alu Ancient Cave Located 200 kilometers southeast of Kunming, the Alu Ancient Caves is an amazing natural labyrinth formed over a 100 million years ago. The area was originally covered by sea and became a landmass during the formation of the earth's crust. As a result, the rich calcium deposits from the sea turned into lime. Rainwater containing carbon dioxide eroded the lime and formed numerous holes and fractures. Over the time, these holes and fractures expanded, and through millions of years of weathering, they finally turned into caves and passages of varied shapes.
More than 3,000 meters in length, the entire complex is divided into three dry caves and one water cave. These ancient caves share three prominent features. The first one is that there are several springs flowing out of each of the caves, fed through a subterranean stream. Secondly, there is sunlight inside the caves due to natural skylights. The third feature, which is the most amazing one, is that there are caves within caves.
As the caves are located near the county town of Luxi, visitors can enjoy an enchanting trip in a horse-drawn cart or tricycle down to the site. A three-star hotel in the vicinity is available with quality services.
Admission fee: 30 Yuan (all-through ticket)
Contact telephone: (0871) 6621800
Address: Opening Hours:
Zheng He Park Located in Kunyang of Jinning County, Zheng He Park is 60 kilometers south of Kunming. The park, built in 1980, covers an area of 250 hectares. It is a memorial garden built in honor of Zheng He, the great navigator of the Ming Dynasty.
Upon entering the park, there are relief sculptures on both sides of the gate called "The Seven Navigations to the West by Zheng He". Standing firmly in front of a ship, the imposing figure of Zheng leads a large fleet of ships to the West. Other sculptures depict the life of Zheng He and his outstanding achievements. Within the park, there is also the Zheng He Memorial Pavilion, the tomb of Ma Haizi (Zheng He's father) and the tombs of revolutionary martyrs.
Born in Kunming in 1371, Zheng He was originally a Hui minority known as Ma He. Having rendered good services to the Emperor Zhu Di, he was selected to be a eunuch in the Inner Court of the Forbidden City. His nickname, "Three Treasures", was changed to the "Three Treasure Eunuch".
The It is said that Zheng's original family name, Ma, meant "horse", and because no horses were allowed in the Inner Court, the emperor granted him the name Zheng He.
For 28 years (1405-1433) Zheng He was sent on seven diplomatic missions to the West (at that time, the West referred to the areas west of China's South Sea). Leading a massive fleet of 62 ships and 27,800 sailors, he visited 39 countries and regions, including Vietnam, India, Thailand, Iran, South Yemen and Somalia. His journeyed to these lands 80 years before the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus and a 100 years before Ferdinand Magellan circled the globe. During his travels, Zheng He enhanced diplomatic, economic and cultural ties between China and several Asian and African countries. He also contributed greatly to the development of long distance navigation.
Zheng He was a highly respected diplomat, both at home and abroad. Today, in some countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, there are still sites like the Three Treasures Tower and Three Treasures City built in commemoration of his achivements.
