Kunming Favorites

Favorite thing: Kunmingnites eat a lot of interesting stuff. While I am quite adventurous with their veges (they eat almost all plants), I can only be optically curious with their meat source.

I didn't eat that, but when I first saw it I thought that was a lotus bud.

Fondest memory: I definitely do not miss the larvae. It is an interesting sight though.

Favorite thing: China is such a huge country when I mentioned I was coming to Kunming to my friends back home, they ask "Is Kunming a region, a province, or a city ? "

It is easier if you get to know china region by region, then province by province, then city by city...then learn about the self-administration zones.

The South (Provinces and capitals)
1. Guangdong - guangchou
2. Guangxi - nanning
3. Hainan - haikou
4. (Self-administered) Hongkong, Taiwan, Macao

The North
1. Hebei - chengde
2. Shanxi - taiyuan
3. Inner Mongolia - huerhaote
4. (Self-administered)Beijing, Tianjin

The Central
1. Hunan - changsha
2. Hubei - wuhan
3. Henan - chenchou

The East
1. Jiangshu - nanjing
2. Zhejiang - hangchou
3. Anhui - he fei
4. Shangdong - qingdao
5. Jiangxi - nanchang
6. Fujian - fuchou

The Northeast
1. Heilongjiang - harbin
2. Jilin - changchun
3. Liaoning - shenyang

The Northwest
1. Shaanxi - xian
2. Qinghai - xining
3. Ningxia - yinchuan
4. Xinjiang - urumqhi

The Southwest
1. Yunnan - kunming
2. Sichuan - chengdu
3. Guichou - guiyang
4. Xizhang - lahsa
5. (self-administered) - Chongqing.

Fondest memory: Nan - south
Bei - north

A lot of the provinces eg Henan, Hebei literally means North of the (Yellow) River, South of the River.

Dong - east
Xi - west

So Shanxi and Shandong simply means west of the mountain, east of the mountain.

Favorite thing: I was so used to cans of coke until I stumbled upon glass bottles of them in Kunming.

They are available at newstands. After a whole day's walk, it's nice to have one opened for you and drink it all at the same place so that the bottle can be returned to the vendor (yes, they sell only the drink, not the bottle)

Fondest memory: The thing is Kunming has such a cool weather I normally missed a cup of hot tea when I am tired, and not a bottle of iced-cold coke.

...But this is not true, Kunming is HOT in June.

Favorite thing: If you are at a local restaurant, don't forget to order a dish of li(2) hao(1). Just simply stir-fry with garlic is enough to bring out its unique flavour. Alternatively you can stir-fry it with some dried chillis (as yunnannese love to eat everything with chillie)

Li(2) Hao(1) has a distinct smell, a little minty (but it is not mint), and a little of the water cress.

Fondest memory: I haven't figured out exactly what plant this is. But it seems Kunmingnites eat every thing of a plant, from the flowers of pumpkin to the bulbs of lilies.

Favorite thing: Tea, Tobacco, Flowers, Yunnannese ham are the 4 great things to shop (and bring home) in Kunming. But what about other things in life, so listed below are the prices of "normal" stuff:

1) Tea mug with filter - RMB 15 in a teashop near Cui Hu

2) Ning Xia hawthorn seeds (for chicken soup) - RMB 7 per 250g at a tea shop. RMB 5.50 per 200g at a local supermarket.

3) Can of coke (375ml) - RMB 1.50 at hypermarket, RMB 2 at a tuckshop.

4) Bottle of coke - RMB 1. This is standard. You have to drink it on the spot and return the bottle.

5) Bananas - RMB 3 per KG at the wet market

6) Redbull drink - RMB 4.90 at Walmart; RMB 5.40 at a tuckshop

7) Pamelo (big ones) - RMB 3 each at wet market

8) Quei Ling Gao - RMB 2.50 ea at hypermarket

9) Carton of milk (1 L) - RMB 4 - 5 at hypermarket

10) Oranges - RMB 3.50 per KG in winter time.

11) Pine nuts (this is a must in Yunnan, stir fry the nuts with vege, or eat as a snack, you should use a nutcracker or very strong teeth) - RMB 20 per KG at wet market; RMB 13 per KG at hypermarket.

12) A slice of cake - RMB 3.00 - RMB 8 at a bakery in Kundu.

13) To rent a badminton court - RMB 5 per hour at Yunnan Normal University.

14) Longan fruit - RMB 12 per KG.

15) Wooden doll - RMB 8

16) Minorities figurines - RMB 38

17) Bowl of noodles (mi xian or er si) - from RMB 2

18) Kunming cherries - RMB 1 per 100g. They are the size of fresh sultanas, reddish orange in colour. Very attractive. Sourish. Available in March - April.

19) soya bean milk - fresh (unsweetened) from supermarket soyabean section, about 60c for a big bag of probably 500ml.

20) paracetamol - about RM 3 for a whole bottle of generic brand.

21) peanut butter - 500g for RMB 14.

22) yogurt - the local ones are usually sweetened at RMB 1 - 1.50 each. Danone at RMB 2.50 to RMB 4 (depending on whether there are fruit pieces of just fruit flavour).

Fondest memory: The weather, especially when the sun is hidden by the mist. It is very condusive to physical activities. You can walk for miles without feeling tired. Which means you can shop for days without feeling tired.

Favorite thing: It starts with a chinese character for Yunnan's Yun, followed by a letter.

Letter A stands for Kunming.
Letter B is for the 2nd largest town in Yunnan.
And so on and so forth.

Fondest memory: Taxis are all light blue colour.

Favorite thing: 1. Dali - the most common (and by the way, this company has recently been taken over by Carlsberg for USD26 mil)

2. Lan Chang Jiang - this beer production technology has recently been improved to not use a certain chemical (sorry no idea what that chinese char is in English)

3. Feng Hua Shue Yue - this is famed for its champagne colour.

Fondest memory: Beer is inexpensive in Yunnan. If you visit a local eatery, a 600ml beer costs only RMB3. Of course, the price goes up in the more expensive restaurants.

Favorite thing: As a malaysian, I have always thought fruit season means Durian / Mangoesteen / Rambutan season.

In Kunming, you find
Winter (Oct to Jan) : strawberries, navel oranges, grapefruit.

Spring (March, April) : cherries, mulberries, chinese cherries.

Spring - summer (May onwards) : pipa, chinese peaches (yum yum), mangoes, yangmei (this is another yum yum found only in China), li (go for the green ones they are very sweet, absolutely fabulous).

Fondest memory: Try the yangmei (about RMB 1.50 per 100g). I have only eaten the preserved ones at home, but over here, the fresh ones are quite something to eat.

Note: you can't eat too much because it contains an acid that will make your teeth feel soft, and yangmei does not keep well even in the fridge.