Kunming, the capital of Yunnan is often called the city of eternal Spring, and for good reason. This beautiful city sees lovely, moderate weather all year long. The sun encourages a stunning array of vegetation and many of the world's most popular flowers originated in this region. We arrived early one morning after a long train ride, hungry and craving steamed buns like mad. Things don't open up until around seven, so we walked about and watching the sun illuminate the city streets.
Kunming holds many parts of China in its borders. As the origin of many of the world's most beautiful flowers, giant potters of yellow, reds, and purples dotted the street, sharing room with belching busses and noodle stands. At night strips of the city fill with young people who flock to the club scene, spinning their shirts around their heads to the thumping music and bright lights.
Dali
Traveling in China brings to mind so many devilishly early mornings. We again arrived in Dali from a stinky overnight bus, much earlier than the town was awake. Dali, like many tourist attractions in China, is separated into the pleasant, older-styled (but not necessarily old) part of town, with cobble-stoned streets, minorities in native dress hawking pony rides or drugs (in Chinese "ride horses" and "smoke marijuana" is said nearly the same), old men slaughtering pigs and cleaning them in the canal water before strapping the carcass to his bike, and the sound which rings around China - construction.
How ironic to see Old China being built before your very eyes, minority cultures being commercially represented by Han merchants...
LiJiang
Declared a World Heritage site, LiJiang is a picturesque ancient Chinese town with traditional architecture which dates to as long ago as 1997. Many beautiful Chinese artifacts, nicely imitated by Han merchants in the style of local arts and crafts, can be bought in the sprawling outdoor shopping mall that is the Old Town. Minorities seen in the Old Town outside of their native dress are fined by the police, so you are sure to see authentic Chinese culture represented in an authentic Chinese minority sort of way.
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Click on thumbnails for larger image.
