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The Glossary
True to its name as the "City of Eternal Spring," Kunming springs with natural, historical, and artistic pleasers that might satiate travelers' yen for variety. In between the city's World Heritage-listed karst forest and winding mountains are ancient temples with mythological murals, museums with dinosaur relics, and thousand-year-old gardens featuring flora and fauna unique to Yunnan Province.
Like in many of China's cities, high-rises and heavy traffic are common in Kunming. Unlike most Chinese cities, however, Kunming boasts of some of China's cleanest air. The city's temperature might be temperate all-year-round, except in December and January when the city gets packed with snow.
On brighter days, Tanhua Temple becomes one of Kunming's most scenic spots for its flowers and epiphyllum trees that made it earn the nickname "Flower City of the Southern Frontier." Ming Dynasty scholar, Shi Shiqiao, is said to have buried himself with books in where the temple now stands. Among Kunming's other scenic places include the camellia-studded Kunming Botanical Gardens; the ornate 300-year-old Daguan Pavillion; and the restaurant-filled Green Lake Park, where many visitors indulge in feeding seagulls and gold fish. A peacock and butterfly garden with over 300 species, Kunming Zoo blushes with many cherry trees and ‘weeping' crabapple trees.
Buddhists from all over the world gather twice a year at the 1200-year-old Yuantong Temple, Yunnan Province's grandest and most important shrine where the entrance is on the rooftop. The temple contains mixed architectural styles from the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, as well as ancient inscriptions and artworks considered as Kunming's most important historical relics. Life-size figures of monks riding a gold fish and a man with eyebrows reaching the floor are also in Qionzhu Temple.
Dinosaur fossils and an indoor rainforest are among the highlights of Kunming Zoological Museum. Western Song Dynasty remains are also in Kunming City Museum, 2500-year-old relics are in Yunnan Provincial Museum, while Yunnan Railway Museum has artifacts of China's many locomotives.
Kunming's largest lake is Dianchi, where ferries take trekkers to the Western Mountain Reserve, a chain of three mountains filled with ancient foliage and streams. Every March, the locals gather here to celebrate Spring Touring with lively singing and dancing. As the birthplace of the Yi people, Jiuxiang is also the site of many ethnic festivals such as Worship the White Dragon Festival, which includes Sanxian dancing, rattle stick dancing, bullfighting, and wrestling. A museum of karst caves, Jiuxiang has twin waterfalls, a natural stone dam, and clusters of Yi cliff paintings from the Qin and Han dynasties.
A World Heritage Site for its remarkable karst topography, Stone Forest is also a backpacker nation for its cheap accommodations and street fare. A national forest reserve, Jindian Park is home to manmade gardens and the Golden Temple, the largest bronze hall in China.
Kunming Landmarks:
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User blogs:
Cheaper galactic spaceliner unveiled
News from http://news.ph.msn.com/top-stories/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3737940 Richard Branson unveiled Monday a commercial spaceliner offering tourists a cheaper chance to experience the thrill of weightlessness and view the splendor of the Earth from space. The British billionaire hopes to offer tickets aboard his spacecraft at a cost of 200,000 dollars each, giving adventurous ... Read full Blog post
Indonesia Eco Tourism
Tour Itenaray Day 01 BALI - LABUAN BAJO – RINCA ISLAND – KOMODO ISLAND (L.D) Pick up from your hotel in Bali and transfer to the airport, for flight to Labuan Bajo (West Flores) for approximately one and half hours. On arrival in Labuan Bajo airport, will be welcomed and met with our local representative or tour guide. Than transfer to the harbour to catch a boat cross to Rinca ... Read full Blog post
San Gimignano and San Pellegrino
Night falls on the flourishing and industrious San Gimignano, its 72 towers stand on the low roofs of the houses lit by the moon. This is not a luxury travel spot but is something you don't see every day. In the distance the clatter of hooves echoed tired in the Via Francigena. The hand of the blacksmith stops beating, the frame of the weaver becomes silent, the streets of the tank only a concert ... Read full Blog post
An Aerial fiesta in Clark Pampanga
Its a party in the sky as multi colored hot air balloons piloted ny different pilots from various partso of the world participated in this annual gathering. As early as 5am, the 2,500 hectare aviation complex at Clar Economic Zone in Pampanga was already crammedi with excitement. Clusters of hot air balloon participants busily prepare their own balloons for liftoff as they need to take advantage of ... Read full Blog post
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