Kunming: Kunming is the capital of the southern Chinese Province of Yunnan, and sits 1,900 meters (6,200 feet) above sea level, keeping its temperatures cool despite is southerly location. It serves as the economic, commercial and trade center of the region, and is connected to Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam by road and to Vietnam by rail.
Due to its economic importance, Kunming was chosen to host the "China International Travel Mart 2013" (CITM), which is held in a different city within China each year.
The Trip There: In an effort to open up the Chinese market, the company Peep works for decided to take part in CITM. I went along to tour the sites with Peep during her free time and by myself when she was busy. Besides the two of us, two of Peep's coworkers also made the trip, a lady named Pou and a gentleman named Dragon, the latter of which spoke Chinese.
After a layover in Bangkok, we completed our trip to Kunming, where we were met by a friend of Dragon's at the airport. He helped us make arrangements with a driver we met at the airport to get us to our hotel and take us on a sightseeing trip the following day.
Lizijing Stone Forest: On Tuesday, our first full day in Kunming, we left the city not with the driver we met at the airport, but rather with his son. The four of us piled into the car for the ride to Shilin, a city located 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Kunming and site of the Lizijing Stone Forest. This notable set of limestone karst formations are part of the South China Karst, a World Heritage Site. Making up the Lizijing Stone Forest are the Greater and the Lesser Stone Forests. We started by exploring the Lesser Stone Forest first.
Lesser Stone Forest: We hiked along the paved paths, finding small lakes and open areas hidden amongst the towering karst outcroppings dominating the landscape. We took time to examine the natural beauty of the area both from a distance and close up. The intermittent rain that was falling did nothing to dampen our wonderment and awe at what we were experiencing.
Greater Stone Forest: We continued on by walking a short distance down the street and entering the Greater Stone Forest. The rock formations here are much closer together, requiring a tighter squeeze to forge ahead along some of the paths winding along the forest floor. An observation tower sits within the Greater Stone Forest, giving tourists a view not available anywhere else. Upon finishing our trek, we exiting the forest through the main entrance and found our way back to the car and driver for the trip to our next stop.
Jiuxiang Scenic Area: After lunch at a local hotel restaurant, we rode to Yiliang, location of the Jiuxiang Scenic Area. At the southern end of the scenic area is Diehongqiao Park, where we spent our time by first descending from the parking lot and main entrance deep into the Yincui Gorge, formed when the roof of an underground cave collapsed. Once at the bottom, we boarded a boat and were paddled a short way up a calm section the Maitian river running at the bottom of the gorge before turning back.
Fairy Vale & Grand Lion Hall: Heading downstream from the dock we entered Fairy Vale on a boardwalk attached to one side of the sheer rocks faces flanking the river below. It wasn't long until we disappeared into the first cave section of our afternoon journey. The narrow passageway shortly opened up into an immense cavern known as the Grand Lion Hall. On display here were artifacts recovered within the park and a fish tank displaying the blind mackerel inhabiting the river running through the cave network.
Fairy Palace: Our next stop within the park required a steep climb up away from the river and into a second cave system, this one known as the Fairy Palace. Here, a narrow walkway ran around the outside edge of a large cavern illuminated with many spotlights of varying colors. We took our time making our way around the cavern, stopping frequently to take pictures. To my utter delight, there was no prohibition on the use of tripods, an absolute must in the low light of this underground world.
Twin Waterfalls & Divine Field: Heading back down the same steep staircase we ascended to enter Fairy Palace brought us back outside for a short time as we made our way to the third underground section of the trail. Just inside the cave the Maitian river splits in two before tumbling down a pair of twin waterfalls. The water then merges back together at the bottom of the falls and continues to flow past a section of the cave known as the Devine Field. Here, the rock formations curiously resemble tiered rice paddies carved into the side of an underground mountain.
Yi Ethnic Village & Bat Cave: Another short passageway took us to another large, open cavern where a stage was surrounded by seating. We waited a short time before being treated to a brief dance performance by the Yi people, an ethnic minority of China centered in the Jiuxiang region. The trail then turned uphill, but those not willing or able to walk up could choose to hire someone to carry them to the exit of the cave. We decided to head up on foot, and along the way got our last looks at the beautiful landscapes within the caves of Diehongqiao Park.
Tourist Cableway: Having completed our 4 kilometer (2.5 mile) trek through the network of caves, and despite having walked uphill the last section of our journey, we still found ourselves far downstream from where we started. However, we did not need to walk back up as there was a chair lift operating to transport us to the main entrance of the park, the ride replete with vistas of the surrounding mountaintops shrouded in clouds.
Day's End: We spent the next couple of hours on the road making our way back to Kunming and the Longway Hotel, where we had dinner. With the first day in Kunming reserved for setting up the trade fair booth, of which the Lao Tourism Authority, being the renter of the booth, took care of, Peep and her coworkers were left to enjoy the rather soggy day seeing a few of the natural wonders of Yunnan Province.