Kunming | A trip to the South of Yunnan brings a successful end to 2022

Number of days：4 days
Time: December
With whom：a person
Tour kinds：Delicious food, free travel
Updated: 2025.01.26

Fourteen-day solo trip

Using travel to say goodbye and welcome

Preface—A well-considered and well-prepared departure

What does "well-considered" mean? It must be closely related to the prevailing circumstances. Simply put, when I set off, my father had tested positive for the virus for three and a half days, and my mother had tested positive for the virus for two days. Aside from the one night I quarantined in the hotel, we all stayed together. The symptoms of the Tianjin strain were quite severe, with many of my classmates experiencing temperatures reaching 38°C, 39°C, and even 40°C. My parents' symptoms were relatively mild, but they also included fever, body aches, and swallowing razor blades. My plan at the time was that as long as I didn't have a fever on departure day, I could leave and rest in the Kunming hotel. I was confident I could take care of myself, so I prepared ibuprofen (I later discovered I'd packed the wrong amount; I'd brought the sustained-release capsules, which had no fever-reducing effect, but I didn't use them), Lianhua Qingwen, ice packs, a thermometer, and two antigens. The 14th was a truly agonizing stay in the Tianjin hotel. I was terrified of any symptoms. Based on my knowledge at the time, any symptoms during the day would guarantee a fever overnight, and I definitely wouldn't be able to fly to Kunming on the 15th. I'd never been so focused on my body as I was that day: my head, throat, trachea, lungs, stomach, and limbs. I didn't think much of the slight leg pain at the time. On the 15th, luck favored me. I didn't have a fever, just a slight tracheal pain, which didn't affect anything, so I set off.

The journey to the "South of the Colorful Clouds" has officially begun.

The poet Yang Shen once wrote, "The weather is always like February and March, and the blossoms bloom all year round," praising the pleasant climate of Kunming, the City of Spring, with neither scorching summers nor severe winters. Winter has arrived in Tianjin as expected, and I long for Kunming's warmth, so I've decided to make it my first destination.

Continuing from what I mentioned earlier, the flight from Tianjin to Kunming was not comfortable. I felt particularly dizzy, and the extreme weightlessness during landing also upset my stomach. When I got off the plane and collected my luggage, my legs were extremely sore, and I couldn't stand at any time. I felt... I'd been affected too.

Thankfully, we landed safely, thankfully I'd arranged an airport pick-up in advance, and thankfully, upon landing, I was greeted by the long-awaited warmth of the sun.

While talking with the driver, I asked about nucleic acid testing for my upcoming trip (this was a concern I'd been having for the past few days, as I was preparing for my trip to Macau, and it's a long story). I also learned that hotels near Kunming Changshui Airport are generally deserted and seem unsafe. I decided to cancel my hotel near the airport, which I'd booked to catch an early flight, and move to a hotel in the city center, which would also make nucleic acid testing more convenient. I marveled at the lush vegetation here, and she complained that the colors here are the same year-round, and she wanted to experience winter in the north. I learned that the local fruit in season is Chu oranges, and that the symptoms of testing positive here are generally low fevers and more frequent coughs. Later, the driver mentioned his child, who I learned was the same age as me and was studying engineering at a very good university.

This was the first person I met in this unfamiliar city.

The hotel is right on Nanping Pedestrian Street, with large windows and spacious rooms. I requested a high-rise apartment, so I could overlook the pedestrian street and see very few people. It seems Kunming also has a high number of positive cases. My legs still hurt, and I figured recuperating in this room would be a wonderful thing.

It was dinner time, and although the temperature in Kunming had begun to drop, it wasn't freezing. While ordering takeout would have been convenient, I decided to go out for dinner at a nearby, well-known restaurant. (I have a high tolerance for pain, so compared to my appetite and curiosity, leg pain was nothing.)

Compared to the northwest wind in Tianjin, the wind in Kunming was mild and light. Although it's not wild mushroom season, I still wanted to try mushroom hotpot for my first meal here. The chicken broth was delicious. I regretted not ordering the mixed mushroom hotpot (I was afraid I wouldn't be able to finish it all by myself). I ordered bamboo fungus and glazed tofu. I asked the waiter to prepare a local side dish, which was a perfect complement. It was my first time having glazed tofu, which fell apart after cooking and needed a spoon to scoop up. It was incredibly tender, with a very subtle beany flavor, unlike the delicate texture of soft tofu. Instead, the tofu had pockets of air that absorbed the freshness of the chicken broth and mushrooms.

It's said online that in Yunnan, hotpot isn't served with chopsticks. This is usually because someone ordered undercooked or poisonous mushrooms. My order wasn't poisonous, so I felt reassured. The waiter did take a small sample of the broth.

Since the warm chicken broth was sipping, the pain subsided considerably. I even wandered around the area on the way back.

After washing up and video chatting with my parents and my boyfriend, I felt the pain worsen, and my entire body felt heavy and hot.

Okay... sleep, let my immune system do its thing! I kept plenty of water, ibuprofen (the one I brought by mistake), and a thermometer within easy reach.

12:00, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00. I woke up every two hours, feeling a bit warm and my legs aching. I'd thought the injury from the fall had healed, but it was surprisingly more painful than my legs. So, I took my temperature this morning, and it was 37.9°C...

It was my second day in Kunming, and I woke up with a temperature of 37.8°C. While I had a fever and body aches, my head didn't hurt, and I felt alert. I decided to go to the hotel's breakfast buffet. Considering my condition, I chose a window seat and wore my N95 mask the whole time, except when eating. Perhaps because of the pandemic, the hotel was sparsely populated, and the breakfast area was also sparsely populated.

After breakfast, I didn't take my temperature, but I felt fine, so I went to a popular farmers' market.

Coordinates: Daguan Zhuanxin Farmers' Market

Before going to bed, my fever had subsided and my body aches weren't as bad.

The next morning, I felt noticeably more relaxed and my fever was gone. My throat didn't hurt and I didn't cough that day. However, the cold front arrived as expected. They say Kunming has "no cold rain in all seasons, but once it rains, it becomes winter." A little rain didn't have much impact on travel. The temperature dropped to around 5°C. Yesterday's warm sunshine disappeared, leaving behind a faint gloom on a rainy day.

My mood wasn't affected, and I felt great after the fever subsided. After breakfast in the morning, I bought some freshly baked flower cakes and sent them to my parents and T. However, because the couriers were all out, even express delivery by plane couldn't guarantee delivery time!

The Simao fried chicken with pig kuai, the old Kunming spicy cold white pork, and the ham skin and red bean soup are all very distinctive. The fried chicken is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, while the pig kuai is sticky and chewy, making for an interesting combination. The soup is spicy, and the red beans have a crunchy and soft texture. The ham skin is cleanly degreased, without any porky smell, and the two ingredients work together seamlessly. The mint flavor of the white meat is quite different from the garlic-mashed white meat in Sichuan. Later, we strolled over to the Golden Horse and Jade Rooster Archways. I've heard of a remarkable sight: as the sun sets, its afterglow shines from the west on the Jade Rooster Archway, casting its shadow onto the street to the east. Simultaneously, the moon rises from the east, its silvery light illuminating the Golden Horse Archway and casting its own shadow onto the west side. The shadows of the two archways gradually approach, eventually intersecting. This is the "golden and jade interplay" spectacle, which occurs only once every 60 years. Legend has it that this spectacle occurred once, during the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty. If you're passing by, taking photos is enough; you won't be able to see the spectacle! And for the same reason, many ancient Chinese buildings are made of wood and have been rebuilt numerous times through dynasties. The ones you see today are modern, faithful reconstructions.

We moved to a villa on the Dianchi Lake. The room was very large, but it was a bit cold to stay on the balcony in winter. The panoramic view of the mountains and rivers was very satisfying!

A promise between seagulls and Dianchi Lake in winter

Location: Dian Man Lou

The ritualistic Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles, a warming treat! Start with the rich, delicious broth, and the rice noodles are smooth. Let the rainy chill stay outside the window!

It was still a yangkang day, but my throat was starting to hurt. In Kunming in winter, heating relies solely on heaters, so the house felt quite dry. Add to that the lingering COVID-19 virus, and it was a real pain.

The next morning, my throat was even more sore. I drank plenty of water and, following my parents' advice, didn't take any medicine.

After dinner, my throat felt less sore; it was truly miraculous.

I bought tickets for the Ethnic Village, but when I got to the entrance, something felt off. I contacted China-TravelNote, and after some trouble, I learned that the village was closed. There was an A4-sized notice at the main entrance, which was quite speechless.

I suddenly changed my plans and headed to the Yunnan Provincial Museum with my luggage. After that, I went straight to Dali.

Museums aren't just a collection and juxtaposition of cultural relics; they're also a spiritual experience. To quickly understand a place, museums and wet markets are my go-to places. They offer a glimpse into the local customs and rich cultural heritage. These things deeply captivated me and kept me going.

You can guess what it was used for.

Many of the bronze artifacts in the Yunnan Provincial Museum have ethnic minority characteristics, with more vivid and detailed depictions of animals, quite different from artifacts from the Central Plains. There are also many Buddhist artifacts, especially musical instruments, drums. The museum layout is standard, but the artifacts are worth seeing.

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