Lily Lee: Kunming, Yunnan

Our first trip to China, Yunnan Kunming.

Awaiting my first holiday for 2026 at the SATs lounge in Terminal 3 which was quite packed today. Wide range of food, including laksa and congee availableat the buffet counter. Just took some salad and the coffee hazelnut cake is so nice! However the green bean soup and orange juice pales. Love Krisflyer lounge which has cocktail but this was not too bad.

Nice shower suites. You can ask reception for a towel. The hairdryer is also available.

Walked to the gate which was so far away from the lounge. Think 10 to 15 mins walk.

I ordered the Chinese dim sum onboard but given the Western set instead.

The seat is wide but could not recline so it wasn't as comfortable.

Drink menu on the plane. Didn't get any at the end.

Given 2 packs of mixed nuts.

The sky is already bright at 6am as we approached Yunnan.

Day 1 Kunming

Arrived in Yunnan. We needed to fill up the arrival card online to obtain the QR code. The queue through the immigration was almost an hour! Jing Jing 昌昌 waited for us at exit 5 and gave us a rose each.

We were picked up from the airport and checked into Howard Johnson Life Guandu. I signed the contract with the tour agent Shi Jie 施杰 and paid him the balance. The room was quite comfortable but didnt like the location as there aren't many eateries around.

We booked our very first Didi ride accessed from Wechat. I am really impressed with Wechat. Not only for chat but also payment and private car hire. A must app to install in China.

The rose biscuits and the ham biscuits were so good from the 2 shops. Bought from Jiahua the original rose and ham. Still pipping hot. From the second shop assorted ham biscuits. Pine seeds with ham, rose with ham, mushroom with ham and the original. I would said i still Jiahua biscuits more. Very crispy and love the ham! The ham biscuits were sold out when I tried to go back to Jiahua to get more.

Arrived at the Yunnan Ethnic Village and saw many beautiful flowers.

Love the ham biscuits.

The rose and Jasmine coffee from this 4 cats cafe is good too!

Hubby had this korean rice. A bit shocked he wanted to eat Korean food in Yunnan on our first day.

Yunnan Ethnic Village showcases the culture and customs of 26 ethnic minorities in Yunnan, including the Dai, Bai, Yi, Naxi, Wa, Bulang, Jino, Lahu, Tibetan, Jingpo, Hani, De'ang, Zhuang, Miao, Shui, Nu, Mongolian, Buyi, Dulong, Lisu, Pumi, Manchu, Hui, Yao, and Achang. Visitors can experience unique exotic customs and learn about different ethnic cultures.

We were lucky to engage Anna, from the Dai ethnic group, as our in-house guide. She actually studied in the university training teachers but would like to venture into tourism as a guide.

The children house were built around the mother's house.

Look at how the woods are joined without the use of nails.

The beautiful architecture of the Bai tribe.

Really marvel at the marble used and craftsmanship of the Bai. There are even paintings on the ceilings.

Went through a tea appreciation session. The tea is not acidic at all. It can be brew many times and came from old trees and not shrub. The leaves are compacted into stone like and we love the taste. However, it is rather expensive at 800 RMB (around S$150) half a kilo.

Display of the Wa ethnic group's real water buffalo skulls, showing off their wealth as well as seekimg protection. The drumming is really nice. The wooden drum (known as Sigang) is not just an instrument, but represent the legendary birthplace and savior of the Wa people.

I waa so impressed by this artist from Bai tribe that I bought one of her wood craft. Her carvings are so awesome. Bought the carving with the word family for 480 RMB (around S$90). So amazing to see her work!，It took her 3 days to finish this carving. There are the words 'peace with the family in harmony' (家和万事兴) within the word family (家).

A replica of a well being protected.

Me and our in-house guide, Anna, in her Dai ethnic village.

Lovely performance.

Lunch at 桥香园林 tryimg out the famous Cross the bridge noodle. Nice chicken soup base boiled for 4 hours with big bones

We went back to the hotel to get some sleep as we could not do so on the plane. Next stop Guan Du Anxient town.

Bought the flower head garland from the street vendor at only 5RMB.

Another meat biscuit. Still feel that the ham biscuit from Jia hua was nicer.

Tried out their icee cream, butterly!

We went for a 1.5 hr foot and shoulder massage.

The massage parlour is located on the second floor

We took a Didi ride to Shuangqiao Night Market.

Day 2 Kunming

Breakfast items were not as nice except the noodle station. The only plus for this hotel recommended by my tour agent was the early check-in as we arrived in the morning yesterday. Bed was comfortable and place is clean. Looking forward to all the other hotels I had requested and booked.

Our driver cum Lo picked up up at 9.30am to the Stone Forest.

At stone forest we engaged a Yi ethnic group in-house guide, A ShiMa (beautiful girl in the Yi language)，to bring us around. We also changed into the Yi ethnic costume for 100 RMB each. Learned from her how the Tectonics uplifted the area, release of the pressure results in the formation of the cracks and eventually carbonation leads to the formation of this karst landscape. The Yi is one of the biggest ethnic minorities here. The place is so big and a guide is really needed. Paid 160 RMB for her service.

Can you see the fossilised shell? Evidence that this area used to be at sea level or below and uplifted by tectonicmovements.

Some photos by the photographer and we manged to get 32 digital copies for 300 yuan.

The story of Ashima and the rock that resembles her. The Yi ethnic group addresses young pretty girls as Ashima and handsome boys as Xiao Hei Ge.

Took the very cute flower train to the museum. So amazed by the geological display. Fossils, fossilised dinosaur eggs and many of the crystals.

Skull of a monkey wrapped in calcite.

Dinosaur eggs

Dinosaur skeletons.

Went up to the 4th level medical hall. Bought the deer musk ointment as I had motion sickness.

Bought some fruits from a stall.

The plums were so juicy and sweet.

Best duck ever at Yiliang 学成饭店。 Going to miss this. The skin was so crisp and the meat so fresh. Ate with the sauce and spring onion or dipped in the salt and pepper powder. The chicken soup was also very good as you can really taste the essence of the chicken though it looks clear. The 牛肝菌 Porcini fried rice and vegetables were nice but I really love the duck a lot more!

Checked into our hotel 昆明梦景望月精品酒店Mengjing Wangyue Boutique Hotel. It is a lovely boutique locqted right in the ancient town. There is a well that is chained up as it is believed that the black dragon needed to be let out in between the 2 pagodas. The hotel is just next to the east gate and a fort. Very historical. However, cars cannot drive in and is a short walk from the intersection with the main road.

There is a chained well in the hotel. Legend has it that in ancient Kunming, a black dragon caused frequent droughts and floods due to its mischievous influence. In the third year of the Taihe reign of Emperor Wenzong of Tang (829 AD), Wang Cuodian, then the military governor of Kaijian, oversaw the construction of the East and West Pagodas. At each of the four corners of the pagodas stood a bronze Garuda—one of the eight classes of celestial beings in Buddhism—to suppress the evil dragon causing the floods and to bless the people with abundant harvests and favorable weather. However, the black dragon beneath the pagodas was too powerful, and even the two pagodas could not subdue it. To appease the dragon, the people dug a well between the two pagodas, opening the well cover when necessary to allow the dragon to breathe and for sacrificial rites. From then on, this well was known as "Locked Dragon Ascent."

The room is very spacious on the 3rd floor. The only con is that there is no lift. Luckily the staff helped us carry our luggage up.

You can borrow the dress and hair accessories for photo taking.

Very nice afternoon tea with biscuits and fruits which you can request from 4 to 6pm.

We walked to the nearby Nanping walking street.

I managed to get a necklace made by a Dai tribe lady. Very artistic display of work at the booth.

Gotten the coffee from a local shop who freshly grind the coffee beans.

We ate our dinner,BBQ meat, from a restaurant named Bandit, near the hotel. We would be back as the meat is good and they open till 2am and we would be taking the night train from lijiang and will only reach Kunming at 9 plus on the last second day of this trip.

The hotel is so nice to offer red bean congee for supper. Similar to our red bean soup minus the sugar.

Day 3

A little too anxious to get to the train station. Thought they mentioned 90 mins before train depart? Seemed like there is no need to be that early. The hotel packed for us a packet of milk, egg and bread for us at 5am. Our driver picked us up at 5.35am and said we were too early. 😅 it rained in the middle of the night so the floor is wet.