Explore Kunming, the captivating capital of Yunnan Province, known as the “City of Eternal Spring.” Nestled at 2000 meters, it enjoys a temperate climate with occasional winter snow. With almost 10 million residents, Kunming maintains a relatively clean urban environment. It serves as both a destination and a gateway to Yunnan’s wonders, blending an ancient walled city, a dynamic commercial district, and university zones.
Discover the city’s charms, from the astronomical observatory to esteemed institutions like Yunnan University. Venture to the northeast outskirts to find a Ming dynasty bronze temple. Kunming’s allure extends beyond history; it’s a hub connecting to Southeast Asian countries with rail links to Vietnam and road connections to Burma, Laos, and Thailand.
Shaped by rapid development since the Hanoi railway in 1910, Kunming boasts economic significance beyond its historical legacy. Engaging in manufacturing, including copper processing, chemicals, machinery, textiles, paper, and cement, the city has evolved into a bustling metropolis with widened streets and contemporary buildings.
For travelers, Kunming beckons with its status as a tourism center, offering a skyline adorned with high-rises and hotels. Whether you’re fascinated by ancient history or drawn to modern vibrancy, Kunming promises a unique experience. Pack your bags and explore the multifaceted charm of this City of Eternal Spring.
MY EXPERIENCE. There was my second trip, or rather flight to Kunming. The first was at the end of 2014, a short trip for two days, with one overnight stay there. We flew with a group of artists to perform. And I was a photographer.
This time I was in the role of an actor, as I initially thought. Or rather, how this work was presented to me. Like, filming a movie. You need to play the role of athletes of teams that represented different countries. Since we took care of ourselves, due to the fact that we always kept ourselves in shape and went to the gym, we were approved for this job based on our photos and videos.
Upon arrival there and check-in at the hotel, two people in one room, and the very next day training began. Moreover, there were no cameras, as we are used to see around us when it came to filming a video advertisement or a film, there was none of this.
There was some guy who, together with our agent, explained us what we should do. We were driven to a stadium where Chinese athletes or military personnel were training. In general, we were simply told to train and run, do laps. Well, we started running, although some doubts began to creep in. Moreover, they said that the day of training does not go on the day of payment.
In general, it was already possible to turn around, pack your things and leave for the airport. But no, we expected something adequate further. But something adequate never came.
Then we were driven to another stadium with training grounds. With various barriers, stairs, pits and obstacles. We tried to do something there, and even somehow treated everything with humor.
The next day they finally explained us what it should be. That this gonna be a sporting event that will be broadcast on television, and that the competition will be for real with the Chinese team, and they just need other teams under different flags that will supposedly compete with them. And therefore, you really need to be as prepared as possible for the competition, and do everything for real!
I continued to do everything through laughter, because I could hardly do anything.
And according to the example videos we watched, trained athletes overcome these obstacles without noticing them at all, sometimes flying by, and generally doing everything at crazy speed!
In general, it was obvious to me that this was definitely not for me. Some acrobat guys did a good job, and they were happy about how cool they were compared to people like me))
In general, my agent told me that it would be better for me to be like a “coach” of the team. That is, they made my life easier, eliminating the need to run, jump, and the risk of getting some kind of injury. And all the guys have already started to collect some injuries. Some pulled a muscle, some twisted their leg, and so on.
It was the third or fourth day, but filming still hadn’t started. Then the agent said that the filming of “coaches” could be even later, and we had to wait. In the meantime, they won’t pay me while I wait. I said then I prefer to cancel it and fly back to Shenzhen. They bought me a ticket, paid me some ridiculous penalty, and I happily flew home to my beloved Shenzhen.
And one of the positive moments that I managed to catch in Kunming was the blossoming of lilacs throughout the city. That is, all the streets, all the trees, and the lilac petals that fell on the road – everything was painted lilac in those days! And I managed to capture it and take a lot of photos, several of which I’m adding to this post! 😉
