The City of Eternal Spring: Kunming

The Centre for Performing Arts, near the Green Lake. Photo: Azizul Jalil

The capital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, boasts spring around the year with flowers and charming scenery. Once the name of an ethnic group, it later evolved into the name of a city. It is a bright pearl in the lakeside of the Dianchi Lake and since spring never seems to leave it, it is known as the "Spring City" in the world. It has access to Thailand and Laos in the South, and meeting Myanmar to reach Bangladesh and India in the west. With a history of 2400 years, it was once the gateway to the celebrated Silk Road that facilitated trade with Tibet, Myanmar and India.                                  

It is quite close–only a two hour's China Eastern Airlines' direct flight from Dhaka. Naturally, Bangladeshis are visiting the city in increasing numbers, many, as we found on arrival at the huge and impressive airport, doing hotel, restaurant and other small businesses there. It is essential to know at least rudimentary Chinese or hire an English speaking guide who would interpret you to Chinese language. We had booked our hotel by Internet but at the Taxi stand at the airport we were frustrated for half an hour to explain our destination and address to the Taxi drivers or the policemen on duty. In the end, we were put in a taxi without air conditioning for an hour's drive through congested traffic and high pollution. After driving at high speed in the early nighttime, I was not sure whether the taxi driver knew where to take us and where in fact he was driving to. I wanted very much to stop in a coffee shop or gas station to buy water or coffee and ask for direction to our hotel. My repeated requests in English had no influence on the driver who only increased his speed. My wife and I were in a helpless state when the driver mercifully and suddenly stopped at an ATM booth, where fortunately we found an English-speaking student, who soon solved our problem by using Google map and explaining the direction to the driver. Luckily, we were within a thousand yards from our hotel.  Thus we learnt our lesson the hard way immediately after arrival in the garden city of Kunming.

Chinese Girls in traditional dress in the Stone Forest near Kunming. Photo: Star File

When next morning we were at the hotel reception area thinking of a better way to navigate in the city and go on sightseeing, we met a friendly Australian couple who were about to go on a privately arranged tour of the Ethnic village. When I asked them whether they knew any Chinese or whether they would be accompanied by an English speaking interpreter, they said no. When I narrated to them our experience the night before and expressed some frustration in a tourist city, the Australian lady rightly told me that when she did not speak any Chinese either, there was no reason to expect the Chinese to speak English. That indeed was a good attitude, which would promote international friendship and respect for each other but hardly a practical way to get around the city.                                                     

We then, with the help of the hotel staff who themselves were struggling to understand our questions and to provide intelligent replies, arranged an air conditioned car to see the Stone Forest. It is considered a must for tourists- situated in about a 90 minutes drive from our hotel. The driver had strict instructions in Chinese from the hotel staff where to drop us, for how long and the exact meeting points. It was a scenic drive and the Stone Forest, as the name implies, is a forest and lake area with innumerable mid and large-sized boulder pieces, standing up, often in a menacing army-like manner. The Stone Forest is one of the world's natural heritages. The amazing Forest is breathtaking with numerous stone peaks irregularly scattered like a sea full of power and grandeur. I have only seen pictures of the Stonehenge near London where in ancient times the huge stones were formed as inexplicable shapes, apparently in a design to please the Gods. While the origin and purpose of the Stonehenge have yet to be deciphered, I would not be surprised if similar is the case in respect of the Kunming Stone Forest.

The Forest area is very well maintained and reception areas, rest facilities, motor carriages for short journeys are adequately provided. There are of course tickets to buy at some price but the whole experience is worthwhile. Here I should mention that the cleanliness of the public areas like the airports, Banks, parks etc are exemplary. The Chinese provide excellent and adequate wash room facilities everywhere and the staff are constantly wiping and cleaning the marble and tile floors and even picking up every hour cigarette butts and paper trash from public areas and streets. The Chinese of course have the manpower but so have the Indians and the Bangladeshis. But the dedication to work and the discipline maintained by the workers apparently without constant supervision is something other countries might emulate.   

We spent the most of the next day in visiting the Ethnic Village, about five miles from downtown Kunming through a fine straight road with beautiful plants and flowers of many colours and kinds. Known as the 'Museum of Ethnicities', it celebrates the lifestyles of ethnic minorities of China. Amidst lakes and gardens and beautiful pavilions, gates and other unique structures over an area of 133acres, ethnic minorities of China are represented. To cover every part and enjoy all the facilities was a difficult feat for us. We did the best we could on foot and even spent some time in the area where peacocks were gracefully walking around within fenced areas. We saw in some cottages, in room filled with incense and smoke, people reciting ancient hymns and beating slowly on drums. For the entry fee to the Village, students, military personnel and the elderly get concessional rates. The whole atmosphere was serene and peaceful and the lake sides with flowering Hibiscus and Bougainvillea were particularly attractive. A visit to it should be a must for tourists interested in natural beauty and native culture.

A street taxi took us at 10 am next morning to the old town and the local flower, birds, jewelry and handicrafts market, all in close proximity with each other. The various individually owned small shops were just opening their shutters or doors and trying to display their wares. Being in the centre of the town, one could see the large number of modern skyscrapers, each building with its distinctive, shall I say, modern Chinese design and architecture. There were signs of building and expanding in a hurry. Yet the city was remarkably clean, well-managed with adequate security arrangements and the squares with its many green lawns and flower beds were adequately maintained. My wife had Chinese design embroidered table linen in mind so we spent most of the time looking for it at as reasonable a price as we could. Our shopping and bargain hunting was satisfying. As we were told by our wise friends who had left their footprints in Kunming, one must begin by offering  about a third of the asking price of any item and then see where both sides end up but never more than half of the original price. The Chinese are helpful people, In one department store a sales lady, seeing our difficulties in communication, took off her store name tag , held my wife's hand and took us to our destination-a ten-minutes' walk. It happened again when we were escorted during our return to the hotel in the evening. Those who helped us would not accept any financial payment from us for their kind services. When we tried to force some money in their hands, they promptly returned it. From our limited experience, we found the Chinese people  proud and dignified, irrespective of their socio-economic status. The gratuity (tips) system, universally prevalent elsewhere, is not in practice here- the Chinese do not seem to expect it.

In the evening, we walked a short distance from our hotel to the Green Lake area, which seemed to be in a festive mood. The weather was pleasant and people with family were enjoying the Lake area and dining in the nearby restaurants. The Green Lake is known as the "emerald in the city". It has the United University, the Yunnan Military Academy, Opera House on the fashionable, tree-lined Culture Lane. We spent the evening there strolling around and happily watching the lake, the colourful boats, people playing musical instruments and dancing while others watched and enjoyed themselves –relaxing on a Sunday with their families.

At the airports and during our air journeys to and from Kunming, we saw a large number of Chinese workers, who are employed in various projects and factories in Bangladesh. We also met a few Bangladeshi business men, mostly textile and garment merchants, in the plane. One of them told me that the Chinese textile prices were lower than India's and they were ready to quickly provide designs and quality to suit Bangladeshi needs. They are also able to deliver goods on time. One Chinese co-traveler told me that he represents a Chinese firm, which makes and supplies at short notice spare parts for Indian bicycles and motorcycles used in Bangladesh. China has indeed become the factory of the world, even for the developing countries and it was another example of globalisation.