Kunming Activities - Top things to do in Kunming
The most fabulous of all Yunnan food is Yunnan rice noodles (Guoqiao mixian,
literally "Crossing the bridge rice noodles"). This tasty noodle
dish made with chicken broth and super thin slices of meat is famous throughout
all of China and you can try this typical Yunnan dish at the "Jixin
Yunnan Flavor Restaurant" and the Guoqiaodu Restaurant. Other Yunnan
treats to look for are the Yunnan Eight Pastries and also Xuanwei Ham
(as a common Yunnan ingredient).
For a taste of ethnic cuisine, such as Dai or Bai, there are many good
restaurants in Kunming. Laozhiqing Restaurant is well known for its authentic,
delicious Dai food. While not Yunnanese or minority food, if your looking
for something different after too much rice noodles, then try Kunming's
Beijing restaurant near Dongfeng Lu and the Shanghainese Restaurant in
the King World Hotel.
Foreign travelers are not likely to feel very far away from home in Kunming
because of the numerous Western restaurants. Try near the Green Lake (Cuihu)
area or around Yunnan University where lots of restaurants cater to the
foreign exchange students who flock to Kunming to study Chinese. Among
these restaurants are Face to Face, Journey To the East, Blue Bird and
Teresa Pizza. The Thai Kitchen located in the center of the city, while
not Western food per se, is another of Kunming's BEST non-Chinese restaurants.
and Jack In The Box, a local fast food burger chain, are also located
nearby.
After dark, street peddlers are all around the city selling noodles,
snacks and other "street food". While street food can be lacking
in the hygiene department on occasion, it is also GOOD and CHEAP! If you
are brave (or completely insane!) enough, try snake, grilled rat or even
fried bee!
Yunnan has one of the most complicated ethnic and religious situations
in all of China's provinces.
The interaction and collision of different cultures, religions and lifestyles
gives visitors to this beautiful and colorful province lots to see, and
to buy! Kunming, as the cultural and economic center of Yunnan, is an
ideal place to dig up some great souvenirs of your trip to Yunnan!
While jade and marble arts and crafts items are plentiful, there are
plenty of items that are even more special and unique to Yunnan. Among
the top choices of Kunming specialties to decorate your living room are
bronzeware, Dai brocade and wax dyed cloth all of which epitomize Yunnan
ethnic style. Yunnan is also famous for its tobacco.
The city boasts a lot of famous shops and markets, many of them are really
worth visiting for being mirrors of the local life. The Flower and Bird
Market, The Yunnan Antique City, the Nanyao Market, the Golden Horse and
Phoenix Memorial Archway Jewelry Market and the Flower Street are all
worth a look.
There are some good, big department stores here, since Kunming is the
biggest city in the Province, these shops are an ideal place to stock
up on supplies for your excursions throughout Yunnan. The biggest department
stores in Kunming are the Southwestern Commercial Building, the Qiancun
Department Store and the Kunming Department Store.
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