Short visit of Kunming (Yunnan - China)
(EN)
Kunming is the capital and largest city of
Yunnan Province in
Southwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of
Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government. It is also home to several universities, museums, galleries and other important economic, cultural, and educational institutions. The headquarters of many of Yunnan's large businesses are in Kunming as well. It was important during
World War II as a
Chinese military center,
American air base, and transport terminus for the
Burma Road. Located in the middle of the
Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Kunming is located at an altitude of 1,900 m above sea level and at a latitude just north of the
Tropic of Cancer. It covers an area of 21,473 km2}} and its urban area covers 2,081 km². Kunming has population of 6,432,
2120 including 3,055,
000 in the urban area and is located at the northern edge of the large
Lake Dian, surrounded by temples and lake-and-limestone hill landscapes.
Kunming consists of an old, previously walled city, a modern commercial district, residential and university areas. The city has an astronomical observatory, and its institutions of higher learning include
Yunnan University,
Yunnan Normal University and a medical college. On the outskirts is a famed bronze temple, dating from the
Ming dynasty. Kunming was formerly called
Yunnanfu (云南府; literally meaning "Yunnan
Capital") until the
1920s.
Its economic importance derives from its geographical position. Positioned near the border with
Southeastern Asian countries, serving as a transportation hub in Southwest China, linking by rail to
Vietnam and by road to
Burma and
Laos. This positioning also makes it an important trade center in this region of the nation. It also houses some manufacturing, chiefly copper, though some other chemicals, machinery, textiles, paper and cement take key. Though having a nearly 2,400 year history, its modern prosperity dates only from 1910, when the railroad from
Hanoi was built. The city has continued to develop rapidly under
China's modernization efforts. Kunming's streets have widened while office buildings and housing projects develop at a fast pace. Kunming has been designated a special tourism center and as such sports a proliferation of high-rises and luxury hotels. (wikipedia)
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