[New Yunnan Notes] Kunming’s Taxi Drivers: A Warm City Card

Number of days: 4 days
Time: February
Updated: 2025.04.08

[New Yunnan Notes] Kunming Taxi Drivers: The City's Warmth and Charming Emblem

In my series (Yunnan Notes Part 1), I mentioned the chaotic taxi scene in Kunming ten years ago: drivers were reluctant to use the meter and charged exorbitant prices. Even when drivers did use the meter, they often overcharged and refused to give change. For example, a 16.1 yuan fare was charged 17 yuan, and a 13 yuan fare was charged 15 yuan. It was truly a headache.

Ten years have passed. Are Kunming taxi drivers still like this? The answer is no. Today, the number of taxis has increased significantly, providing a wide variety of travel options. The once-popular practice of selectively refusing to pick up passengers is now rare. Coupled with the widespread adoption of mobile payment and transparent payment processing, overcharging and withholding change are now a thing of the past. Even more surprising is the warmth and attentiveness of Kunming taxi drivers. Chatting with them often yields unexpected insights.

Similar to Guangzhou, most taxi drivers in Kunming are from outside the city, with a relatively small number of locals employed. Faced with competition from online ride-hailing services like Didi Chuxing, they're forced to accept it, though reluctantly. During my three days in Kunming, I encountered six or seven taxi drivers, ranging from experienced middle-aged drivers to energetic young men.

On my way to Southwest Associated University, I passed a long street, and the driver kindly reminded me, "When you exit Southwest Associated University, cross the overpass and continue this way. You'll quickly reach Cuihu Park—very convenient." Other places I hadn't originally planned were unexpectedly discovered thanks to the driver's recommendations, such as the Kunming Botanical Garden, Black Dragon Pond Park, and the Zhu De Former Residence Memorial Hall. Honestly, before arriving in Kunming, I had no idea Marshal Zhu De even had a former residence there.

One of the taxi drivers was from Nanchong, Sichuan. He had served in the army and spoke standard Mandarin, so we had no difficulty communicating. He talked to me about the frustrations of life: his whole family came to Kunming, but it was getting harder and harder to make money. He wanted to go back to Nanchong, but the land in the village had already been redistributed, and he didn't have a share. He had no choice but to settle down in Kunming. Before getting off the car, he enthusiastically planned an itinerary for me: "When you come out of Cuihu Lake, take a taxi to Kunming Botanical Garden first, and then go to the nearby Black Dragon Pond Park. The plum blossoms there are in full bloom at this time of year and are breathtakingly beautiful. After that, take a taxi to the Old Street. The night view of the Old Street at night is unique and beautiful!" I followed his advice and took a trip. In Black Dragon Pond, I saw red plum blossoms that were even more beautiful than the white plum blossoms in Guangzhou. I am really grateful to him.

There were many taxis waiting for passengers by Green Lake, and I got into one at random. The driver left a very deep impression on me.

The journey from Green Lake Park to Kunming Botanical Garden was quite long, but we had a great time chatting along the way. Judging from his accent, I guessed he was a local. Sure enough, he said he'd lived in Kunming for decades and knew every corner of the city like the back of his hand. "I know Kunming's history like the temples, what it was like in the past, and what it's like now—I know it all." I joked, "Then you really know everything about Kunming!" He told me an amusing and thought-provoking story: The textbook mentioned a Song Dynasty temple in Kunming, and the teacher asked the students to look for it with their textbooks. A father took his children to the road, but couldn't find any trace of the temple. The child thought his father had lied, the father thought the teacher was wrong, and the teacher thought there was something wrong with the textbook. Later, the teacher wrote a letter to the Education Bureau, which attracted attention. An on-site inspection revealed that the temple had long been demolished. The matter was reported to various levels, all with the intention of rebuilding the historic site. He sighed and said, "What does this prove? It proves that some local officials don't understand history at all! Have you been to the Golden Horse and Jade Rooster Archway?" I shook my head, and he went on, "That was also demolished and then restored." I said: The Kunming government should invite you to be a consultant!

He asked me again: "Have you been to Cuihu Lake?"

I said: "I just took a quick walk around."

He immediately said: "It seems you should go there again. There is Zhu De's former residence next to it. It's worth a visit."

I was puzzled: "Isn't Zhu De from Sichuan? How come he has an old residence in Kunming?"

He smiled and answered: "You've asked the right person. Zhu De was from Sichuan. He came to Yunnan Military Academy to sign up, but the academy only accepted locals. So he went to Mengzi first and signed up for school as a Mengzi native. Later, when he was studying at the Kunming Military Academy, he bought a few houses from his friends. This is his old residence now. After liberation, Marshal Zhu De donated this house to the country."

Then he brought up the topic of online ride-hailing and Didi Chuxing: "Why are there so many online ride-hailing and Didi Chuxing services nowadays? It's all about profit! They look cheaper than taxis, but did you know that insurance companies don't even provide high-value insurance for Didi Chuxing? If something goes wrong, they won't even pay. Unlike us taxi drivers, we have huge insurance policies for our passengers. If something goes wrong, we just call, the insurance company comes right away, and we just have to wait and see. But passengers don't understand this, and the government doesn't promote it. So everyone just takes Didi Chuxing and online ride-hailing services for the cheap prices, making our taxi business increasingly difficult."

I changed the subject to the Kunming Botanical Garden and asked him if it was worth a visit.

He said with certainty: "It is definitely worth going! If it is an ordinary garden, I would not recommend you to go, but there is a botanical research institute. There are many rare plants that are hard to see normally. You must go and see it."

The car drove for nearly an hour before we arrived at Kunming Botanical Garden. When we got off the car, he enthusiastically guided me how to take pictures: "You stand in that position to take the picture. The angle is the best. The picture will look beautiful." With his enthusiasm, it felt that he was not only an know-it-all about Kunming, but also a professional photography master.

Just as I stepped out of the car door, his words almost scared me: "If you meet me as soon as you get off the plane and take my car, I can take you to Myanmar for a tour in three days!"

I was shocked and said quickly: "No, I don't have my passport."

But he didn't care: "Why do you need a passport? Just drive there!"

I was scared and thought this was too unreliable. Is he going to take my liver or my kidney? I got out of the car as if I was escaping, and I was still dealing with it: "It's a pity that I didn't get in your car earlier."

After leaving Heilongtan Park, I took a taxi to the old street I had been thinking about, and I wanted to go to Nie Er's former residence. The taxi driver smiled and said, "We can only take you to the intersection. The old street is pedestrianized, so cars can't enter." On the way, we talked about Nanping Street, and he enthusiastically explained, "Nanping Street and Zhengyi Street are very close, they're in the same area, so it's very convenient for walking." Following the advice of the local Kunming driver, I went to the Green Lake again. After exiting Daguan Park, I hailed a taxi and headed for Zhu De's Former Residence. The driver looked puzzled, "Zhu De's Former Residence? No one has ever taken a taxi there. I need to check the directions." I quickly added, "It's by Green Lake." The driver handed me his phone and asked, "Is that the first search result?" I nodded in confirmation. The car drove for over twenty minutes before arriving at the intersection. The driver pointed to the street and said, "Look, there's a sign. Just walk in from here."

To Guandu Ancient Town, I booked a Didi taxi at a discounted price.

The driver was a handsome young man from Anning, a city near Kunming. Along the way, he proudly boasted that Anning was a National Civilized City.

I asked curiously, "Then why did you come to Kunming to drive a taxi?"

He smiled helplessly and said, "There are too few people in Anning. I can't make much money driving a taxi all day."

He was surprised to learn that I was traveling alone.

I smiled and explained, "It's so much more free to go alone. I can go wherever I want. If we're traveling with someone, we have to discuss any last-minute changes to the itinerary." He nodded repeatedly.

I said, "I had been thinking of joining a tour group to Fuxian Lake. Li Jian's song made Fuxian Lake famous, and the photos online are stunning!"

He quickly said, "Oh, so Li Jian sang about Fuxian Lake. Fuxian Lake is more fun in the summer; it's a bit cold now. Besides, the Yunnan tourism market is a bit chaotic. It's not just scamming tourists from other places, but even us locals are caught off guard. There are traps everywhere."

As we were talking, we arrived at Guandu Ancient Town. He reminded me, "You're here too early. Many shops aren't open yet."

I said, "It's okay. I just like the quiet."

The journey from the Yunnan Provincial Museum to the Grand View Garden was quite long, but fortunately, a taxi was parked quietly by the roadside, as if it had come just for me. I quickly got in and, without mentioning Grand View Park directly, said, "Going to Yu Garden." The driver, perplexed, confirmed, "Is it the Yu Garden near Grand View Park?" After receiving a positive response, the car slowly started and drove towards our destination.

Perhaps due to road construction, or perhaps because taxi drivers rarely pick up passengers heading in the direction of Yu Garden, the car went past the original destination and had to turn back. The driver even charged me 2 yuan less for this.

Kunming's taxi drivers are undoubtedly a shining symbol of the city's hospitality. They answer every question, considerately plan itineraries, and provide warm and attentive service to every passenger. I give a thumbs up to Kunming's taxi drivers, and I hope the city becomes even better because of them!