Kunming, a city of eternal spring, give me two days and I'll show you around this Spring City! Kunming Travel Guide!!!

After a hard week of work, the most comfortable thing is to sleep at home on the weekend. However, you will find that you still wake up at the same time as usual, and then you can't fall asleep again for long. So why not go somewhere else for the weekend to eat, drink, and have fun, relaxing your tense nerves from the week. So I made plans with a friend for a spontaneous trip. After work, dragging my luggage, I flew from Chongqing to Kunming, arriving at Kunming Changshui International Airport in about 1.5 hours. After landing, I took a taxi directly to the hotel. Around 8:30 PM, I arrived at the hotel strongly recommended by my friend: Deting Garden Hotel.

Accommodation: Deting Garden Hotel

The hotel is located near the Xichengtimes commercial district in the High-tech Zone. It has a large area, and there are gardens everywhere. When entering the hotel, you pass through a maze garden, with white walls, fountains, and paths that shut out the city's noise. Here, you feel like you're returning to nature, hidden away from the world.

When checking in, the front desk lady told us that free late-night snacks were available from 8:00 PM to 10:30 PM. Tired from the journey, we could first go to the restaurant to enjoy the snacks, fill our stomachs, and then go to our rooms for a good night's sleep.

Before coming to Kunming, several friends had mentioned this hotel. They often travel to various places, and Kunming's Deting Garden Hotel always left a deep impression on them. Besides the delicious late-night snacks we experienced upon check-in, the hotel also offers free breakfast and lunch. The dishes are all exquisite, with both Chinese and cold dishes prepared, and the overall atmosphere of the restaurant is very comfortable. The key point is that besides the room rate, there are no other charges—free breakfast and lunch, free snacks, free laundry, no deposit, no room inspection, etc. What surprised me even more was the service here, which was really great. Wherever we went, the staff greeted us warmly or asked if we needed anything. In short, it felt very warm, like coming home.

Next, the room experience was excellent. They provided disposable bathtub liners, perfect for a relaxing soak after the journey. There was also a small fridge in the room with complimentary drinks. The mattress was not too soft, just comfortable. If you're visiting Kunming, don't miss this hotel!

First Stop: Dianchi Lake – Western Hill One-Day Tour

The next day, after waking up, we had a hearty breakfast at the hotel's buffet restaurant (the food was very rich, and the taste of the rice noodles still lingers in my memory). Then, we set off energetically on our two-day, two-night journey in Kunming, Yunnan. First, we left the hotel and took about 20 minutes to reach the foot of Western Hill. Why did we choose Western Hill as our first stop? Known as the "Number One Scenic Spot in Central Yunnan," Western Hill lies beside the 800-li Dianchi Lake, its shape resembling a young girl looking at herself in a mirror, giving rise to the legend of the "Sleeping Beauty Mountain." It is a natural and cultural symbol of Kunming.

We took the cable car at Western Hill Park, crossing over the 500-li Dianchi Lake in the air, overlooking the vast blue waves and taking in the national-level scenic area. Next to Dahui Temple in Western Hill Park, there is an ancient ginkgo tree personally planted by Emperor Jianwen, and occasionally you can see squirrels in the tree. After getting off the cable car, we arrived at the entrance of the Western Hill Longmen Grottoes. The Western Hill Longmen Grottoes are at the end of the Western Hill Scenic Area, starting from Sanqing Pavilion in the north and ending at Datiange in the south. They are the largest and most exquisite Taoist grottoes in Yunnan. Then we returned to Longmen, located halfway up Western Hill, and looked down at the panoramic view of Kunming, feeling the grandeur of the 500-li Dianchi Lake rushing into view. No wonder people say that if you come to Kunming and haven't climbed Western Hill, you haven't really been to Kunming.

Second Stop: 1903 Park

In the afternoon, we visited 1903 Park (Kunming's little France), stepping into a European town in a second and rekindling our childlike hearts. First, we enjoyed the long-awaited Yunnan cross-bridge rice noodles at Dianmanlou, a Dian-style rice noodle restaurant directly opposite the park's "Arc de Triomphe." We pushed more than a dozen ingredients into the soup bowl, and it was indeed very fresh. After the meal, we began our exploration of 1903 Park.

Arc de Triomphe: The main gate building of the park is a 1:1 replica of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. You can take photos with a European flair without leaving Kunming.

Yanji You Bookstore: By the side of Yun Lake, we ordered afternoon tea and read some books. It was very pleasant.

Gospel Church: A pure white Gothic church. When I went, there was even a wedding taking place! Perfect for couples to visit.

Dream Federal Paradise: The magical fairyland of my dreams made me feel like I was back in childhood, strolling through an amusement park.

Hutaoli Music Restaurant & Bar: Hutaoli is almost everywhere, but at 1903, sitting by the lake, listening to music, watching the fountain show, and drinking a little wine—this feeling is just wonderful.

Besides these attractions, there are tons of food options and various shopping districts. It's absolutely great!

After wandering around Kunming for a day, we looked at the street scenes and walked from Jinbi Square all the way to Nanqiang Street to experience Yunnan's nightlife. While eating street snacks like grilled tofu, fried potatoes, and pounded chicken feet, we ducked into a small bar, sat down for some drinks, and listened to a live house performance.

Third Stop: Yunnan Nationalities Village

On the last day of our trip, as planned, after breakfast we left the hotel and took a taxi for less than half an hour to reach Yunnan Nationalities Village, to experience the impact of the culture of Yunnan's 26 ethnic minority villages.

Yunnan Nationalities Village is located on Dianchi Road in Xishan District, Kunming. Entering through the village's memorial archway gate is free. Once inside, you'll find it very similar to the ancient towns of Lijiang and Dali. In fact, this is the commercial street in front of the ethnic village. To enter the actual ethnic villages, you need a ticket. Buying at the ticket office is a bit more expensive, so it's recommended to book online in advance. We followed the route recommended by our friend: (East Gate of Yunnan Nationalities Village – Kunming Ancient City – Jingpo Village – Hani Village – Dai Village – Yunyan Village – Shui Village – White Pagoda Group – Miao Village – Pumi Village – Nu Village – Lisu Village – Dianchi Grand Stage – Manchu Court – Hui Village – Lahu Village – Mongol Village – Bai Village – Zhuang Village – Naxi Village – Bai Three Pagodas). We found that each village holds its own ethnic performances in its square.

This is a Hani building, but what attracted me was the tofu. Tired from walking, we sat down by the fire, grilled some fire, and ate a serving of Hani-style charcoal-grilled Jianshui tofu.

In the Dai village, we saw the Dai mascot—the peacock.

For a small fee, we could also take a close-up photo with an elephant.

Most importantly, we could watch the Dai girls dance, with their graceful figures and smiling faces. If you bring your girlfriend, be careful, because the ethnic minority girls are really beautiful—don't let it affect your relationship.

There are many photo spots here: a water suspension bridge, a dragon boat by Dianchi Lake, the auspicious Dai white pagoda. When tired, you can find a pavilion to feel the autumn atmosphere of Yunnan.

In just a few hours, we exchanged cultures with 25 ethnic groups of Yunnan. This was a wonderful encounter on the journey of life. Thank you to this small village on the shores of Dianchi Lake, where I felt a different ethnic culture, a comfortable time accompanied by songs and dances, men farming and women weaving, living in peace away from the world. Happiness should be this simple.

Kunming has so much more food and beautiful scenery. My friend's guide was a long list, but unfortunately, we only had two short days and couldn't experience everything. Looking forward to the next reunion.