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Date : Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Title : Yunnan - History and Geography of the province and capital, Kunming
 Yunnan is a boarder province of China. It contains more variety than any other province, with towering, icy mountains adjoining Tibet and Burma in the northwest and west and lush tropical jungles bordering Laos and Vietnam in the south where wild elephants still roam. Yunnan is a part of the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau where the average elevation is 2,000 meters above sea level. From north to south, the height gradually drops from 6,700 meters at the peak of Meili Snow Mountain to 76 meters in the south close to Vietnam. Yunnan is the source of the Mekong River. It is planned to open the river for navigation sometime in the future. If this should happen cruise boats will arrive in Yunnan from ports on the Mekong River in Viet Nam, Laos and Kampuchea. Link to research: http://gaox.tripod.com/YG.html
Yunnan used to be an independent kingdom which was occupied by a large number of non-Chinese aboriginal peoples who lacked any strong political organization during the Qin and Han Dynasties (201BC-263AD). During the Tang Dynasty (618-906), the local minority Bai established a powerful kingdom, Nanzhao, south of Dali. It took control of a large slice of the south-west and established itself as a fully independent entity, dominating the trade routes from China to India and Burna. The Nanzhao kingdom fell in the Song Dynasty (960-1279)and was replaced by the kingdom of Dali (the name Dali has been used until today for the Bai Autonormas Prefecture). During the Yuan Dynasty (1280-1368), Khubla Khan conquered the area. This part of the south-west was finally integrated into the empire as the province of Yunnan. During the Second World War Yunnan was the strong point of defense against the Japanese invaders. The "Burma Road" ended in Yunnan and the "Flying Tigers" earned their reputation flying military supplies and equipment into this province. After World War II Yunnan was largely spared the fierce fighting between the Communists and Nationalist/Imperialists with only a few small skirmishes taking place on Yunnan soil. Link to research: http://gaox.tripod.com/YH.html
 Kunming belongs to a low-latitude monsoon climate, does not have bitter cold in winter or extreme heat in summer. The annual temperature averages around 14.5  C (about 58.1F), and foliage remains green all year thus obtain its name of the 'Spring City'. January is the coldest season at about 8C(about 46.4F) while July is the hottest month with an average temperature of 18 C.Link to research: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/climate/kunming.htm
Kunming has a long history. Its present name "Kunming" was the sound of the title of an ethnic group residing in southwest China in ancient times. This group lived a nomadic life in west Yunnan and moved to settle in the area around the Dianchi Lake during the period from the Han to the Tang dynasties. At the outset of the Yuan Dynasty, the administration "Kunming Two Thousand Households" was established near the lake and the title of the group was first used to designate the place, a tradition which has lasted up to now. Link to research: http://www.yunnaninfo.com/en/city/kunming/geography.htm Labels: Kunming, Yunnan - History and Geography of the province and capital |