Three Days in Kunming | Experiencing the Cold in Kunming, a City Where Spring Is Every Season

Number of days: 4 days
Time: January
Average cost: 2400 yuan
With whom: and friends
Updated: 2022.01.27

As we all know, Kunming is like spring all year round. In winter, either Sanya or Kunming become the two cities that people most want to escape the winter. However, during our three-day trip to Kunming, in addition to avoiding the winter, we even specifically sought out a very cold tourist attraction - Jiaozi Snow Mountain. Seeing the snow-capped mountains in Kunming turned out to be the most beautiful start to my early 2022.

Before departure, we first booked a Teana from a certain Hi and picked it up at Kunming Station, so that we could travel more efficiently in the next three days. By the way, when I was ordering the car, I found that a certain Hi actually had used cars for sale. I feel that there is hope for buying a car in 2022, haha.

The beauty of Jiaozi Snow Mountain

I first learned about Jiaozi Snow Mountain from a classmate in Kunming. When we talked about Kunming's four-season spring-like weather, he said, "There are actually colder areas in Kunming." I asked, and he said that the area around Jiaozi Snow Mountain is very cold from November to March, and the snow-capped mountains here are a place that many people yearn for. Since then, I've also longed for this place.

So, I decided to start this snow mountain trip with my friends. Jiaozi Snow Mountain is absolutely stunning this season, blanketed in silver and offering a breathtaking view. This kind of scenery is so captivating you can feel its beauty even before you even enter the area. The sky looks incredibly blue and high, captivating.

We arrived at Jiaozi Snow Mountain a little after 10 AM. I'd been wearing a light jacket when I left downtown Kunming, but by the time I reached the foot of the mountain, I was already wearing my thickest down jacket. My friend told me that at the summit, many people were wearing thick cotton-padded jackets or military coats.

Note: You have to take the cable car to reach Jiaozi Snow Mountain. There are probably hiking options, but given the cold weather and the steepness of the mountain, I strongly recommend taking the cable car. There is still some distance to walk after getting off the cable car. There are two options: one that goes directly to the top of the cable car, and the other that goes to the icefall. We chose the route that went to the top of the cable car and then to the icefall. The climb to the top of the cable car is not easy, and it took us over two hours. So, don't assume that everything will be fine after taking the cable car. We stayed for a long time at a viewing platform near Jingguai Pond, where we could see a particularly beautiful world. A thick layer of ice formed on the water, and the distant sky was also foggy, as if a fairy could suddenly appear from this fairyland on earth.

Beautiful snowflakes could be seen on the distant mountain peaks. It must be said that nature, the creator, has indeed created a variety of scenery in the world. What shocked me the most was the waterfall. I have seen cascading waterfalls before, but this is the first time I have seen such a beautiful icefall. If I hadn't known it was winter, I might have thought the waterfall had frozen in time. I'm curious what the last frozen drop of water looks like. Seeing it is truly unforgettable.

Afterwards, we passed by Huaxi. Right now, Huaxi looks just like any other place. However, my friend told me that when the snow melts, azaleas will bloom all over the mountain, and you'll even see various mushrooms popping up (don't eat them, though). At that time, Huaxi will transform into another kind of beautiful scene.

After a full day at Jiaozi Snow Mountain, we were all exhausted. So, after returning to downtown Kunming, we didn't explore much and went to bed early.

A Day of Free and Leisure

After seeing the breathtaking snow-capped mountains, ordinary scenery wasn't so appealing to us anymore. So, we woke up quite late that day. After breakfast at around 10 o'clock, we went to the Yunnan Nationalities Village. The main purpose of coming here was to experience the different customs and practices of the ethnic minorities. Due to the epidemic, many performances in the ethnic village have been cancelled, mainly because the number of tourists here is indeed visibly decreasing. We only saw two performances there. After leaving the ethnic village, we headed straight to Dianchi Lake. The biggest highlight of Dianchi Park is probably the seagulls. Seagulls are usually found on the water, but seeing them here made it feel like the ocean itself. Haha.

Dianchi Lake may look like just a large pool of water, but I'm captivated by its beauty. So, we spent just over two hours there, then visited the city known for its South Asian charm. While many people flocked to destinations like Thailand, Nepal, and Singapore before the pandemic, Yunnan's architecture and language are actually similar to those of many other Asian countries.

A Compact Day Trip

On day three, we had more time planned. We first visited Xishan Mountain. To save time, we took the cable car directly up the mountain from Haigeng Park. We went to Xishan Mountain specifically to experience the Dragon Gate climb. The cable car was under maintenance when we arrived, so our journey ended up being from Xishan Mountain to Dianchi Lake. However, since I have already climbed the Dragon Gate, I don’t have anything else to worry about.

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Sitting on the Dianchi Lake cable car, I overlooked the entire Dianchi Lake. The scenery was truly stunning.

After arriving at the Xishan Scenic Area and climbing the Dragon Gate, I felt like my worth had increased significantly. A friend told me that I needed to work harder in the second half of the year, otherwise I would be compared to the Dragon Gate climb I had made.

Before arriving, I thought the highlight was just the Dragon Gate climbing. But after actually exploring, I discovered that wasn't the case. There's even Nie Er's tomb here. I imagine every student knows about Nie Er.

We saw a wreath in front of Nie Er's tomb. Being remembered by future generations is perhaps a comfort to these people.

Then we checked in at the former site of the Yunnan Army Military Academy. Due to the pandemic, the number of visitors here is also limited. When visiting, you must distinguish between time periods, and there are staff members scanning the code at the door. In short, because of the pandemic, it feels like the whole world has changed.

Then we went to the Kunming World Expo Park. The scenery here is completely different from the snow-capped mountains we saw a few days ago. At the Kunming World Expo Park, you can see all kinds of flowers, colorful and beautiful. My best friend said that this is the meaning of the existence of the Spring City. Everywhere is beautiful.

Besides the flowers, I was more interested in the architecture at the Expo Park. The various bizarre buildings were simply eye-catching, and several of us took photos in front of them.

Afterwards, we dived into the Kunming night. The night here is bustling and beautiful.

We had hot pot several times during our stay in Kunming. The most distinctive feature of Yunnan is the mushroom hot pot here. The restaurant has a variety of mushrooms that can be freely combined.