Kunming Tap Water History Museum

Chinese Name: 昆明自来水历史博物馆

English Name: Kunming Tap Water History Museum

Address: Green Lake Park, Kunming

Opening Time: Open year-round from Wednesday to Sunday, 09:30 AM to 04:00 PM; closed all day on Mondays and Tuesdays

Ticket: Free Entry

Overview

The Kunming Tap Water History Museum (昆明自来水历史博物馆) is situated in Green Lake Park, housed within the original Kunming Waterworks Pump House, spans approximately 40 square meters. Originally built in 1915, it served as the first water pumping station for the Kunming Water Plant and constructed in 1917 and designed by French engineer Dyar, the facility was equipped with Siemens machinery. It began supplying water to the city on May 2, 1918, with a daily output of 1,034 cubic meters. The equipment has been meticulously preserved to this day. The museum showcases the historical evolution of domestic tap water in China through a collection of original equipment, historical photographs, texts, charts, and other documents from the early pumping station. This collection helps to deepen understanding and appreciation of the development of municipal water systems for future generations.

Related Transportation

• Cuihu East Gate (Bus Stop) (237m): Bus routes 100, Z138, 101, Z5, 124, Z5, 133, 235
• Yunnan University (Cuihu East Road) (Bus Stop) (269m): Bus routes 124, 133

Related Attraction

Cuihu (Green Lake) Park

Kunming Cuihu Park is located in the northern part of Kunming city, beneath Luofeng Mountain, directly across from the main gate of Yunnan University (the picture below shows the right side of Qinglai Hall in Yunnan University’s East Lu Campus). It is one of the most beautiful parks in the city. Although the park is not large, it is very distinctive. It was originally a bay in Dianchi Lake, but later became a clear lake due to a decrease in water level. Since the Ming Dynasty, various Yunnan administrative officials have built pavilions and buildings here. Due to the prominent features of the drooping willows and clear water, it was officially named Cuihu (Emerald Lake) at the beginning of this century. It is famous for "Emerald Embankment in Spring Dawn" and is often referred to as a "green gem embedded in Kunming city."The park is divided into five scenic areas by two embankments: the north-south Yuan Embankment (constructed in 1834 with funding from Governor Yuan Yuan of Yunnan-Guizhou) and the east-west Tang Embankment (constructed in 1919 with funding from Tang Jiyao, the General Commander of the Nationalist Army of Yunnan, Sichuan, and Guizhou under Sun Yat-sen).

The Yunnan Army Military Academy Site

The Yunnan Army Military Academy Site is located in the Cuihu West Chenghuapu area of Kunming City. Founded in 1909, it held a total of 19 sessions until 1928, with over 4,000 graduates. Each session lasted from a year and a half to two years and was divided into four branches: infantry, cavalry, artillery, and engineering. Among the graduates were some who later became outstanding revolutionary leaders, such as Zhu De and Ye Jianying. The 15th session also enrolled returning overseas Chinese and international students from countries such as Korea and Vietnam. Most of the instructors had studied at military academies in Japan, making it one of the earliest schools to train new-style army officers in China.

The main building of the Yunnan Army Military Academy Site is a two-story brick-and-wood structure in a horse-walk corner tower style, with the east, south, west, and north wings symmetrically connected, forming a square courtyard that covers an area of approximately 14,400 square meters. The east and west wings are each about 119 meters long and 10 meters wide; the south and north wings are each about 116 meters long and 7 meters wide, with all wings approximately 12 meters high. The review hall in the center of the south wing is about 115 meters tall and 13 meters wide, presenting an impressive scale.