The best way to understand a city is to explore its museums, and to understand Dianchi Lake (滇池), the Dianchi Museum is the ideal starting point!
Located in Xishan District (西山区) of Kunming City, Yunnan Province, Dianchi Museum is a state-owned museum under the cultural relics system. It offers a comprehensive look at the history of Dianchi Lake and the vibrant culture that has developed around it.
Only a 15-minute bike ride from downtown Kunming, this hidden gem awaits your visit!
Highlights of Dianchi Museum
A Unique and Underrated Museum
While Kunming boasts many museums, the Dianchi Museum滇池博物馆 stands out as the best representation of ancient Dian culture. It specifically showcases the history of Dianchi Lake and the rich cultural heritage of the surrounding region.
This museum may not be widely known, but it promises a fresh and immersive experience with its modern and engaging displays. Forget about dim lighting and dull descriptions—the Dianchi Museum uses vibrant designs, detailed images, and interactive multimedia to bring its exhibits to life.
Each artifact is accompanied by tailored lighting effects, offering an immersive way to experience the history of Dianchi Lake.
Exhibits and Stories
Entrance Hall
Upon entering, visitors are greeted by a large map of Yunnan’s water systems and comparison charts of Dianchi Lake’s transformations over time. This sets the stage for understanding the lake’s historical significance.
Natural Dianchi Section
This section delves into the natural environment of Dianchi Lake, showcasing its:
Geographical and climatic changes
Rich natural resources
Ecological evolution
Cultural Highlights
Dianchi Museum preserves Kunming’s memories through its diverse exhibits, including:
China’s first cable
The first Chinese-made ZB-26 light machine gun
China’s first military binoculars
These items, produced or used in Xishan District, reflect the area’s technological advancements.
The museum also features an impressive collection of bronze artifacts and a variety of tools and everyday items that showcase the agricultural and domestic life of ancient times.
Treasured Artifacts
Two of the museum’s most prized exhibits are:
The Golden Rooster from the East and West Temple Pagodas (东西寺塔金鸡)
A German Siemens electric motor
These treasures highlight the craftsmanship and cultural exchange of their respective eras.
Life-Sized Dioramas
The museum recreates scenes of daily life around Dianchi Lake through:
Life-size models depicting ancient activities such as farming and fishing
Lighting effects that enhance the artistic appeal and intimacy of the exhibits
The Wall of “Ode to Dianchi” (《滇池赋》)
A massive wall is dedicated to the poem “Ode to Dianchi” in both Chinese and its English translation:
滇池涟涟,古今美名传;
山水相依,渔歌处处闻。
This poetic tribute serves as a cultural anchor, connecting the lake’s past and present.
Bridging the Past and Future
Dianchi Museum doesn’t just showcase history; it encourages reflection on the balance between urban growth and environmental preservation.
In the 20th century, Kunming’s rapid industrial expansion strained Dianchi Lake’s ecosystem. However, significant restoration efforts since 2018 have yielded remarkable results:
Water quality: Maintained at Class IV for six consecutive years
Wildlife: The return of fish species, birds, and wetland plants
Scenery: Dianchi Lake now boasts clear waters, thriving golden-line barbs, and blooming water caltrop flowers.
Today, Dianchi Lake is a testament to harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. Protecting the lake remains a collective responsibility:
“When Dianchi is clear, Kunming flourishes.”
Practical Information
Location
Dianchi Museum (滇池博物馆)
Inside Longjiang Park (龙江公园), Xishan District, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, China.
Opening Hours
Open daily except Mondays (closed for maintenance).
Free entry for all visitors.
Key Details
Opened: January 28, 2011
Exhibition Area: 1,700 square meters
How to Get There
By Public Transport
Bus: Take buses to Longjiang Park (龙江公园站) in Xishan District.
By Bike
A 15-minute bike ride from downtown Kunming.
By Taxi or Rideshare
Use local taxi or rideshare apps to directly reach the museum.
Travel Tips
Plan Your Visit: Allocate 1–2 hours to explore the exhibits thoroughly.
Photography: Check for restrictions; flash photography may not be allowed.
Nearby Attractions: Combine your visit with a trip to Dianchi Lake (滇池) or Western Hills (西山).
Local Insights: Visit early to avoid crowds and enjoy a quieter experience.
Language Support: Most signs are in Chinese; bring a translation app if needed.
Understanding Dianchi Through the Museum
A Treasure Trove of Local History
Dianchi Museum stands out among Kunming’s many museums for its specialized focus on the rich history and vibrant culture of the Dianchi region. A short 15-minute bike ride from the city center, this hidden gem provides an immersive experience that combines vivid displays with innovative storytelling techniques.
Far from the traditional, dimly lit museum ambiance, Dianchi Museum uses bright colors, multimedia exhibits, and interactive elements to bring the history of Dianchi to life. With individual lighting for each exhibit and detailed yet engaging explanations, visitors are drawn into the unique stories behind each artifact.
Exhibits and Highlights
A Dynamic Overview of Dianchi’s Natural and Human History
The museum is carefully organized into sections that explore both the natural evolution of Dianchi and its cultural significance:
Natural Dianchi
Visitors are introduced to the geological and ecological changes of the Dianchi Basin, its climate, and its abundant natural resources. Exhibits highlight the region’s diverse flora and fauna, the ecological transformations over millennia, and the significant impact of these changes on the lake’s surroundings.
Cultural Treasures
The museum showcases a rich collection of items that narrate the region’s human history. Among the key artifacts are:
China’s First Cable (中国第一根电缆): Symbolizing technological advancement in Kunming’s industrial history.
China’s First Czech-Style Light Machine Gun (中国第一挺仿捷克式轻机枪): Manufactured in the region and reflecting its military significance.
China’s First Military Binoculars (中国第一个军用望远镜): Developed and used in Xishan District.
Featured Highlights
Golden Roosters from East and West Pagodas (东西寺塔金鸡): These iconic relics represent the architectural and cultural heritage of ancient Dianchi civilization.
Siemens Electric Motor (德国西门子电动机): A testament to the industrial development in the Dianchi area.
The museum also houses an array of wooden agricultural tools, daily-use artifacts, and bronze relics that offer a glimpse into the daily lives of ancient Dianchi inhabitants.
Immersive Displays
The museum creatively replicates historical and cultural scenes, allowing visitors to visualize the lives of people who once thrived near Dianchi. Detailed models of individuals engaged in farming, crafting, and trade, illuminated by special lighting, bring these stories to life.
A prominent feature of the museum is the “Ode to Dianchi” (滇池赋), an evocative poetic tribute that stretches across an entire wall, celebrating the profound historical and cultural significance of the lake.
Dianchi’s Connection to the Future
The Transformation of Dianchi
The museum reflects on Dianchi’s turbulent history, including the environmental degradation caused by urban and industrial expansion during the 20th century. It also highlights the recent successes in environmental restoration:
Since 2018, Dianchi’s water quality has consistently remained at Class IV standards, signifying notable ecological improvement.
Native fish species, migratory birds, and aquatic plants like the Goldline Barb (金线鲃) and Waterweed Flowers (海菜花) have returned, signaling a revival of the lake’s biodiversity.
Dianchi Museum stands as a call to action, urging visitors to appreciate and protect this vital natural resource.
Practical Information
General Details
Location: Longjiang Park (龙江公园), Xishan District, Kunming City, Yunnan Province.
Opening Date: January 28, 2011.
Operating Hours: Open daily, except Mondays, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Admission: Free of charge.
Building Layout
The museum spans an area of 1,700 square meters, with its exhibits housed in a thoughtfully designed space adjacent to Daguan Park (大观公园) in the former Xiaodao Village (小岛村).
How to Get There
By Public Transport:
Take a local bus or metro to Xishan District and disembark at Longjiang Park Station. The museum is a short walk from there.
By Bicycle:
The museum is only a 15-minute bike ride from Kunming’s city center, making it an eco-friendly travel option.
By Taxi:
A taxi ride from downtown Kunming takes approximately 10–20 minutes, depending on traffic.
Travel Tips
Best Time to Visit: Morning hours offer a quieter experience, allowing you to explore at a leisurely pace.
Nearby Attractions: Combine your trip with a visit to Daguan Park (大观公园) or a stroll along Dianchi Lake.
Photography: Visitors are allowed to take photographs, but flash photography may be restricted in certain areas.
Amenities: On-site facilities include rest areas and a small café offering refreshments.
Guided Tours: Check for availability of guided tours or multimedia guides at the entrance.
Dianchi Museum offers a profound insight into the past, present, and future of one of Yunnan’s most treasured landmarks. It’s a must-visit for anyone eager to delve into the fascinating history of Kunming and its iconic lake.
Fengqing Dianhong Tea Museum
The Fengqing Dianhong Tea Museum is a state-owned institution under the Fengqing County Institutions Registration Bureau. Officially opened on September 19, 2019, the museum is located at Wenmiao Square in Fengqing, occupying 1,033.5 square meters with a total building area of 2,726.9 square meters. The museum’s main exhibition hall covers 1,371.6 square meters, with a total project investment of 32 million yuan.
As the first museum in China dedicated to the evolution of Dianhong Tea, it highlights Fengqing’s transition from an agricultural society to modern civilization while showcasing the county’s rich cultural heritage. The museum houses over 400 exhibits, spanning from the Neolithic era to modern times.
Exhibitions
The museum’s exhibits are arranged chronologically across three floors:
First Floor: Temporary Exhibition Hall.
Second and Third Floors: Main Exhibition Halls.
In total, 405 sets of exhibits are on display, including:
Prehistoric Era: Fossilized tea urns from Magnolia macrophylla and stone tools.
Pre-Qin Period: Bronze ware.
Ming and Qing Dynasties: Ceramics, gold and silver objects, furniture, and tea specimens.
Modern Era: Replicas of ancient buildings, tools, and utensils related to tea production, the Tea Horse Road, and the tea industry.
The museum also incorporates modern technology to present Fengqing’s history and a vision for the future of the tea industry.
Historical Background
Fengqing has a rich history, originally inhabited by the Puman people, with nearly 700 years of county establishment. Officially named Fengqing in 1954, the county has been a significant center for tea production, especially for Dianhong Tea. The museum encapsulates this history, reflecting the development of tea culture and its impact on local civilization.
Architectural Layout
The museum consists of a single building on the north side of Wenmiao Square. The structure covers an area of 1,033.5 square meters, with a total building area of 2,726.9 square meters. The main exhibition hall is the centerpiece, occupying 1,371.6 square meters.
This reorganization presents the essential details in a clear and structured manner, making it easy to understand the significance and layout of the Fengqing Dianhong Tea Museum.
Introduction
Yunnan Nationalities Museum is located on the east bank of Dianchi Lake next to Yunnan Nationalities Village in Kunming City, China. Completed in 1995, it is a comprehensive ethnology museum. Covering an area of over 200 mu, the museum has a building area of 130,000 square meters. It consists of various exhibition halls, office building, report hall, storage and workshops. The ecological environment, religious customs, culture and arts and ethnic relics of the ethnic groups of Yunnan are collected in it.
The structure of Yunnan Nationalities Museum
The whole architecture looks like a courtyard with winding corridors featuring the local and minority nationalities’ styles.
Including 17 nationalities, Yunnan Nationalities Museum assembled 23 assistant research fellows and 28 lecturers. It consists of 5 sections: Administration Department, Exhibition Department, Cultural Relics Department, Research Department, Scientific Education Department, Development Department. The whole collection of the museum reached to over20,000. The museum has a exhibitions focusing on specific subjects.
In addition, the museum is not only a hall for showing the nationalities cultures, but also a beautiful scenic spot and ideal conference center. It has multi-function conference hall which is equipped with simultaneous interpretation system. Book store, handicraft shop, tea house and Artist studios or galleries are available for entertainment. Wish you a good time in Yunnan Nationalities Museum. It extends warm welcome to the visitors from all over the world.
Exhibition of Yunnan Nationalities Museum
Basic Exhibition
1.Ethnic Costumes and Its Processing Skill: The exhibition is composed of two parts: “Traditional costumes” and “Costume processing skills”. Taking a main route of the history of costume development, the part of “Traditional costumes” presents the ethnic costumes made with various materials, rich styles, exquisite skills and of cultural meaning in different periods. The part of “Costume processing skills” presents the cloth including Dai brocade and Zhuang brocade, cloth processing tools, including spinning wheels, spinning tools, waist looms, horizontal looms, costume techniques and processes such as Tie-dye of Bai people, Batik of Miao people; various decorative ornaments and their processing tools, which display excellent skills level and unique aesthetic interests of Yunnan ethnic groups.
2.Ethnic Writing Characters and Ancient Books: The exhibition is composed of three parts:“Primitive Recording”, “Ethnic Ancient Books”, “Working Achievement”. The part of “Primitive Recording” displays those primitive information exchange ways before the invention o writing characters, such as wood carving and rode-tie, knitting, character patterns, objects endorsement, cliff painting. The part of “Ethnic Ancient Books” presents extensively ethnic writing characters and ancient books of various recording types, including inscriptions cliff, signature, stamps, ancient archives. The part of “Working Achievement” focus on the field work collecting, research and exhibition, interpretation and publishing works to show the fruits of ethnic ancient books and facing opportunities and challenge.
3.Traditional Producing and Life Skill: The exhibition is composed of “Traditional Producing Skill” and “Traditional Life Skill”. “Traditional Producing Skill” including two units of “Collecting, Fishing and Hunting Skill” and “Traditional Agriculture Skill”, presents Yunnan ethnic producing skill such as collecting, fishing, hunting, slash-and-burn cultivation, sowing and irrigation, hoe farming and plough farming, harvest and threshing. “Traditional Life Skill”, including three parts: “Folk dwelling house architecture”, “life utensils” and “life skill”, displays typical ethnic dwelling house in Yunnan, utensils for daily life and skills such as pottery-making, paper processing, sugar and oil press, rice processing, etc.
Temporary Exhibition
1.Culture on Fabrics – Canadian Aboriginal Textile Art
2.Zheng He, the Great Navigator, Diplomat and Envoy of Peace
3.Living by the Same River: The Greater Mekong Documentary Photography Exhibition
Domestic Exhibition Tour
1.A Fairyland of Seven Colors – Yunnan Ethnic Folk
2.The Charm of Yunnan – Yunnan Ethnic Folk Customs Exhibition
3.The South of Colourful Clouds – Yunnan Ethnic Folk Customs Exhibition
Exhibition Abroad
1.China’s Ethnic Clothing & Accessories Exhibition (2003, China-France Culture Year)
2.Lotus and Dragon – China’s Ethnic Clothing & Accessories Exhibition (2004, Finland)
3.Splendid China – China’s Ethnic Clothing and Handicrafts Exhibition (2007, Russia’s Year of China)
Departments of Yunnan Nationalities Museum
Executive Office:
Responsible for secretarial, personnel, financial and foreign affairs, coordination between departments and public relations
Administrator: Du Yunhong, Associate Research Fellow of Museology.
Tel: 0871 – 4311389
Fax: 0871 – 4311394
Cultural Relics Department:
Responsible for the storage, maintenance and collection of cultural relics.
Administrator: Jiang Zhen, Associate Research Fellow of Museology
Deputy Administrator: Li Jin, Museologist
Tel: 0871 – 4312097
Exhibition Department:
Responsible for planning and implementation of exhibitions, multimedia research and development of exhibitions, management of pictures and data, etc.
Administrator: Yang Li, Associate Research Fellow of Museology
Deputy Administrator: Li Xiaobin, Associate Research Fellow of Museology
Tel: 0871 – 4312090
Research Department:
Responsible for scientific research, website construction, books and data, video resources, etc.
Administrator: Wang Guoliang, Associate Research Fellow of Museology
Deputy Administrator: Yang Xiaobing, Associate Research Fellow of Museology
Tel: 0871 – 4312091
Scientific Education Department:
Responsible for management of exhibition halls, visitors, volunteers, social education, etc.
Administrator: Hei Shaorong, Associate Research Fellow of Museology
Deputy Administrator: Qiu Wenfa, Associate Research Fellow of Museology
Tel: 0871 – 431138, 0871 – 4311216
Development:
Responsible for development, operation, logistics, water and electricity, environmental sanitation, etc.
Deputy Administrator: Ji Zhimei, Museologist
Deputy Administrator: Luo Zhicheng
Tel: 0871 – 4311215
Security Department:
Responsible for security, fire prevention, monitoring, management of security guards, etc.
Chief: Pu Zongde
Tel: 0871 – 4311317
Education of Yunnan Nationalities Museum
The Yunnan Nationalities Museum, adhering to the core value of museum education and the tenet of serving the general public and building China into a strong nation of socialist culture, has attracted more than 6 million visitors with various exhibitions, extracurricular activities for high school students, thematic lectures, community-based family education sessions, school-museum and inter-museum cooperation, construction of patriotism and popular science bases, public services, thematic education programmes, volunteer team building efforts and museum membership since its establishment. The Chinese and foreign state leaders that have visited our museum include NPC Chairman Qiao Shi (1999), Vice Premier Wu Bangguo (1995), NPC Vice Chairman Bu He (1998), CPPCC Vice Chairman Yang Rudai, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand and Prince Akishino Miyafumihito of Japan. The Yunnan Nationalities Museum, as an important window open to the outside world and a spiritual home of all ethnic groups in Yunnan, is now playing an important role in publicizing the outstanding Chinese cultural heritage and promoting the national unity.
How to Get there?
Yunnan Nationalities Museum is located at 1503 Dianchi Road, Kunming, conveniently accessible via the buses A1, A9, 44, 73, 24, and 135. Please get off at Yunnan Nationalities Village and we are right across the road.
Travel Tips:
1. Yunnan Nationalities Museum offers free admission for the general public since January 1, 2011, and you are warmly welcome to visit us with your family and friends.
2. Admission: If you visit us as an individual visitor, you are supposed to show the reception a valid identity document of yours and get a ticket for a free tour of our Museum. Group visitors are advised to call and make an appointment with us the day before you come.
3. Circuit of Visits: Upon entering our Museum lobby, you can either follow the suggested circuit of visits through all showrooms or choose what to see at your own discretion .
4.Museum Policy:
• Visitors must follow the instructions and guidance of our staff during the visit.
• Visitors must keep the noise level down, respect public facilities and never touch the exhibits.
• Visitors must not litter or smoke on these premises.
• Visitors must never bring state-controlled items or pets into our Museum.
• Visitors must be free from the influence of alcohol and properly dressed, and persons with no or limited capacity for civil conduct must be accompanied by their guardians.
• Picture taking or filming is subject to prior Museum consent.
The Kunming City Museum is a historical museum and one of the popular tourist attractions in Kunming City, which is encompassed by the Yunnan Province in China. The museum is quite comprehensive for a local museum; all in all, it occupies an area of 5,000 square meters.
Although smaller than the Yunnan Provincial Museum, it attracts a lot of visitors thanks to its many notable exhibits. Some of these are repeats of what can be found in the provincial museum, but it has several unique offers of its own, including a historical exhibit offering a glimpse of the city’s history.
The Dali Sutra Pillar – The Highlight of the Museum
The Kunming City Museum is also the home of the Dali Sutra Pillar. Found on the ground floor, this pillar is an astounding pagoda-like sculpture from the Song dynasty. It is 6.5 meters high and is made with pink sandstone. The pillar is made up of seven tiers full of images of Buddha and statues of guardian gods perched on subjugated demons. The pillar is then filled with a mixture of Chinese and Tibetan script, including what is known as the ‘Dharani Mantra’. On top of it is a ring of Buddhas carrying a ball above them; this ball is believed to symbolize the universe. At the bottom, the pillar is supported by an octagonal base.
The Dali Sutra Pillar was originally erected by the Dali regent, Yuan Duoguang, who dedicated it to the memory of his general Gao Ming. It used to be part of the now defunct Dizang temple. It is considered as a powerful work that reflects much of the authentic energy that used to surround ancient Chinese sculptures.
Notable Exhibits in Kunming City Museum
Kunming City Museum covering an area of 20,000 square meters is a local comprehensive museum. Completed and opened on Sept. 29, 1997, the museum has an exhibition area of 5,000 square meters, consisting of five fixed exhibition halls and one flexible exhibition hall. The five fixed exhibition halls are:
1. Bronze Culture Exhibition
A brilliant branch of Chinese civilization of bronze, the Yunnan Bronze Culture is famous for its unique style, which was initiated in B.C. 12th century in late Shang Dynasty (1600B.C.-1100B.C.) and ended up in A.D. 1st century in late Western Han Dynasty (206B.C.-24A.D.) In academic circles, the bronze culture of Yunnan Province is divided into four parts on the basis of the features of unearthed bronze wares, that is, bronze of Dianchi Lake area, bronze of Erhai Lake area, bronze of northwest Yunnan and bronze of south Yunnan. Kunming Museum exhibits gracefully-shaped bronze wares of Dianchi Lake area, which were excavated in Dianchi Lake and its peripheral region. Bronze articles include bronze drum, bronze pot for keeping money, bronze pillows, bronze button ornaments, and so on. And all the pieces come from the tombs of nobles.
2. Ancient Jingchuang (Dhvaja) Exhibition of Dizang Temple
Dhvaja, or Jingchuang in Chinese, is a Buddhism ornament architecture in the temples which is generally carved with lections and Buddhas. Named after the Temple, the Ancient Jingchuang Exhibition of Dizang Temple was built on the former site of the Temple to protect the Dhvaja, which was inscribed as a key national protected site in 1982. Dizang Temple, in memory of the highest military-political official of the Kunming, was built during the period of the Kingdom of Dali (1096-1253). Its Jingchuang, caved from five red sandstones, is a pagoda-shaped building with 7 storeys and eight faces in a height of 6.5 meters. On the Jingchuang, there are totally 300 caved Buddhas, of which the highest is 1 meter high and smallest is less than 3 centimeters high. All of these Buddhas are vividly caved in elegant shape with fluent lines and fine proportions. In addition, kinds of Buddhism sutras are also caved on the Jingchuang in both Chinese and Sanskrit. The Jingchuang of Dizang Temple is praised by experts as the art exquisite that none other can not be found by its delicate carvings and the large number of sutras.
3. Dinosaur Fossil Exhibition
As a hometown of dinosaur which lived more than 100 millions years ago, the Yunnan Province unearthed dinosaur fossils of Saurischia in 1938, and Dilophosaurus sinensis fossils and a large amount of dinosaur skeleton and footprint fossils in Xiyang Town in 1987 and 1993. In Kunming Museum, there are 3 dinosaurs fossils found in Yunnan, 2 models of dinosaurs found in Sichuan, and more than 60 skeleton fossils and nearly 30 footprint fossils found in Xiyang Town.
4. Exhibition of the Historical and Cultural City of Kunming
Displayed in the two exhibition halls of History and New Look, the exhibition displays the time-honored historical culture, glorious revolutionary tradition, picturesque natural landscape and the great achievement made since the reform and opening up.
5. Temporary Exhibitions in Kunming Museum
The two temporary exhibition halls of Kunming Museum play a key part and have sponsored over 130 exhibitions which have won the praises from both the exhibitors and the public. The important exhibitions include Relics Exhibition of Chairman Mao, Treasures of Imperial Families of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), art exhibitions of Xiong Bingming (a famous Chinese French artist), Ding Shaoguang, Zhang Jianzhong, Calligraphies and Paintings of Ming and Qing dynasties of Yunnan, Ethnic Formative Arts Exhibition of China and Korea, Peasants’ Paintings Exhibition of Yunnan, Ethnic Costume Exhibition of Yunnan, Calligraphies and Paintings of Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou in Qing Dynasty, etc.
6. Exhibition Hall for Flying Tigers
A small but important part of that complex story has found a modest home in Kunming. The Flying Tigers Museum (昆明飞虎队纪念馆) is housed in a wing of the Kunming Museum on Tuodong Road.
Structural Establishment
1. Office (办公室): Assist library leaders in handling daily affairs in the library, coordinate the work of various departments, organize and hold office meetings of curators, library affairs associations and staff meetings of the whole library, etc.
2.Exhibition Department (展览部): Responsible for the compilation, design, production of long-term exhibition outline, drawing up the exhibition plan, project application and so on.
3.Department of Human Services (公共服务部): Responsible for exhibition promotion, publicity, audience organization and explanation, contact, introduction, temporary exhibition, exhibition industry and so on.
4.Custody Department (保管部): Responsible for drawing up the collection plan and budget, providing the collection information, organizing the appraisal, evaluation, grading and so on.
5.Archaeological Work Department (考古工作部): Responsible for cultural relic investigation, archaeological investigation, excavation and research, relationship between unit and engineering unit, archaeological theory research and so on.
6.Research department (研究部): To be responsible for the research of history, museology, archaeology and so on, to draft the articles of association and daily work of the academic committee, and to report and organize the implementation of social science projects.
7.Science and Technology Protection Department (科技保护部): Responsible for formulating the work plan for the protection and restoration of cultural relics collection, organizing and implementing, planning, declaring, evaluating, establishing and arranging scientific research projects, as well as the supervision of scientific research projects, the review of achievements, etc.
8.Defend Department (保卫部): Responsible for safety and security management, guidance, supervision, inspection and punishment, safety education and organization of fire safety exercises, formulation and implementation of various emergency plans.
Kunming Botanical Garden (KBG) was established in 1938. It is affiliated to the Kunming Institute of Botany under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It has an area of 44 hectares. The Garden is a comprehensive institution with the main task of ex-situ conserving and sustainably utilising the rare and endangered plants, endemic taxa, and economically important plant species in the Hengduan Mountains and in the Yunnan Plateau. The Camellia Garden is one the oldest and most important specialized gardens within KBG.
How to Get there?
Kunming City Museum is located at No. 93, Tuodong Road of Panlong Diatrict.
By Bus: You can take bus No.1, 62, 109, 117 145, 213 and A1 and all stop near the entrance at the City Museum bus stop (市博物馆) on Tuodong Road.
By Taxi: It takes tourists about 8 minutes to Kunming City Museum from downtown of Kunming by taxi.
Travel Tips
The museum houses a series of shops that sell fake fossils and minerals, Chinese paintings, textiles, porcelains, and furniture. If you’re looking for souvenirs from your China trip, you may want to check them out.
Chinese Name:云南陆军讲武堂历史博物馆
English Name: History Museum of Yunnan Military Academy and School, Kunming
Why is Yunnan Military Academy and School so special?
Yunnan Military Academy and School is a famous military academy school in modern history of China. In 1983, it was listed as the provincial key cultural relics conservation units. In 1988, the State Council announced it as the national key cultural relics protection units.
Introduction
the History of Yunnan Military Academy and School
Auguste François (1857-1935), who served as French consul in south China between 1896 and 1904, during which he spent several years in Kunming. The photos have been provided by Kunming resident and private collector Yinxiao Jun. Go Kunming thanks Yin Xiaojun for providing us a glimpse of Yunnan at the beginning of the 20th Century.
13 students were from the first graduating class of the Wubei Xuetang, Kunming’s first military academy, which was founded in 1899. The students, who completed three years of training, are centered around an unidentified teacher from the academy.
By the end of the 19th Century, a little over a decade before the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, Kunming had become more than just a place to exile disgraced officials, it had become a strategically important outpost at the crossroads of China, Tibet and Southeast Asia. Creating a strong local military force had become a necessity, prompting the establishment of the Wubei Xuetang on the west side of present-day Cuihu Park.
The curriculum at the Wubei Xuetang featured four main subjects: Chinese language, mathematics, cannons and the military drill book (²Ùµä). The drill book used at the academy was a book of German military drills.
Shortly after the demise of the Qing, a new military academy, the Jiangwutang, was built where the Wubei Xuetang had once been located. Today, the Jiangwutang is still standing. A large mustard yellow building from another era, the building is one of the most recognizable architectural works in Kunming.
In Yunnan, there used to be two famous educational establishments. One is the National South-West Associated University, called the “civil” (wen in Chinese) school. In 1937, the Japanese soldiers began to attack Beijing (called Peking at that time). In order to save the education, three universities, Qinghua University, Beijing University and Nankai University were moved to Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province. The temporary university moved again to Kunming in April, 1938, and an associated university, called the National South-West Associated University, was established. After the Anti-Japanese War (1937-1945) was over, the three universities moved back to Beijing and Tianjing (Nankai). During the eight years in Kunming, the National South-West Associated University nurtured several outstanding scientists and educationist.
The other educational establishment is Yunnan Southern Army Military School (Jiangwutang), called the “military” (wu in Chinese) school. This school nurtured many militarist and revolutionist, for example, Zhude (1886-1976) and Ye Jianying (1897-1986), who were two PRC heroes.
Yunnan Southern Army Military School (Jiangwutang means “hall of emphasizing military affairs”)was built in the 1909. It was one of the earliest Western-style military academies in China. Most of its students were members of Sun Yat-sen’s fraternal organization, and the school played an important role in the 1911 uprising that overthrew Qing Dynasty (1616-1911) rule as well as the “Protect the Nation” movement several years later.
Until 1928, altogether 19 sessions of military classes were held, with 4,000 graduates. Every session lasted one and a half years to two years and included four kinds of the arms of services, infantry, cavalry, artillery and military engineer. The 15th session received returned overseas Chinese and students from North Korea and Vietnam. The main part of the remained school building is a two-storey post panel structure, with the four buildings in the four directions joining together and forming a courtyard dwelling. The school is 14,400 sq meters in area. The east and west buildings are both 119 meters long and 10 meters wide; while the north and south buildings are both 116 meters long and 12 meters wide. The grand Drilling Viewing Building, which is located in the middle of the south building, is 115 meters long and 13 meters wide.
All of the works exhibited there were installations having to do with the idea of the classroom, looking to interrogate the changes in both Chinese traditional education and the Western educational model, and thinking about reactions to the process of modernization.
How to Get There
take No. 100/ 124/133/235/Z5 bus and get off at Science and Technology Museum Station
take No.139 bus and get off at Ranbu Alley Station
take No.100/124/133/139/235/Z5 bus and get off at North of Cuihu Road Station
take No.125/133 bus and get off at Provincial Library Station
Nearby Attractions
Green Lake (翠湖)
Green lake is near the Yunnan Military Academy and School. Enjoying elegant sightseeing of trees, flowers, lakes, and animals, etc. make Green Lake very shining jasper, and that is why it gets the honorable name of the “Jade of Kunming City”. To provide a better place for visitors to enjoy the beautiful sightseeing, the Green Lake Kunming has been built as a garden with many charming natural sceneries, and it is being a great place to go for visitors in Kunming.
Introduction
Yunnan Provincial Museum is located in the east section of Guangfu Road in Guandu District. As a comprehensive museum, it has rich collections of more than 200,000 pieces. For tourists, the museum can help them to know Yunnan’s history and the rich ethnic culture; for history lovers, its rich collections give them the opportunity to better understand Yunnan and the ancient Dian Kingdom’s (278 – 115BC) historical features as well as bronze culture.
History of Yunnan Provincial Museum
Founded in 1951, the Yunnan Provincial Museum is a comprehensive museum. Since that year it has collected various kinds of special items with historical and ethnic features from archaeological excavations, purchases from collectors and has been the recipient of donations from organizations. With more that 190 thousand pieces of art works ranging from bronze wares, ancient moneys, porcelains, old Chinese paintings, stone tablet rubbings to stamps, the museum ranks first in terms of the volume of collected items. Among these items, more than 1000 are categorized as first class cultural relics at state level.
From 1955 to 1960, an extensive tomb excavation was conducted in the ancient tomb clusters of Jingning Shizaishan in Yuxi city, Yunnan. The large amount of bronze wares from this excavation unveiled the mysterious legend of the Ancient Dian Kingdom recorded in ancient Chinese historical literature back to more 2000 years ago. Later on these were regarded as Shi Zai Shan (Stone Village Mountain) Culture.
In 1972, the tomb excavation in Li Jia Shan in Jiang Chuan County made it another important archaeological site for Shi Zai Shan Culture. The excavated items presented more evidence for people to understand the Ancient Dian Kingdom, enabling people to understand this long lost civilization on China’s frontier.
From 1975 to 1976, there was another archeological dig at Wang Jia Ba in Chuxiong. About 1245 items were found which are believed to belong to the period of Spring and Autumn of the West Han Dynasty in ancient China (around 770 BC to second century AD). Among these important unearthed art works there are five bronze drums that could be dated back to the Spring and Autumn Period. They are believed to be the earliest of their kind in the world up to now.
Major Exhibitions
1. Bronze Vessels of the Dian Kingdom: Bronze vessels here maintain a high artistic level and have rich social & cultural meanings. The related collections mainly include Bronze Oxhead Ornaments, Chime of the King of the Dian Kingdom, Bronze Lantern with Three Branches, Gilding Horsewoman Ornaments, Ox-shaped Bronze Reed-pipes, etc. Those bronze vessels reveal people’s daily lives of that time period vividly.
2. Buddhism Relics: Yunnan is a place that Buddhism shines everywhere. Numbers of Buddhism relics have been inherited from history and preserved in the Yunnan Provincial Museum. The representative collections include a Golden Kwanyin Statue unearthed in Dali and a Five-colored Model Dagoba.
3. Intangible Cultural Heritage: Yunnan is a province that inhabited by many minority nationalities which have different life styles and habits, and whose culture is very colorful. Yunnan Provincial Museum exhibits rich intangible cultural heritages of the local ethnic minorities such as manual dyeing, batik, metal crafts and handmade Pu’er tea.
4. Metalwork: Bronze Drum In addition to the bronze vessels, metal crafts showed in the Yunnan Provincial Museum include gold vessels and silver vessels, all of which came from the Han (202BC – 220AD) and Ming Dynasty. Those came from the Han Dynasty are mostly golden decorations, such as golden earrings inlaid with jewels, and the golden tuinga. Silver vessels are mostly from the local minorities. Each exhibition reflects different cultural backgrounds and different understandings of beauty.
5. Jewelry and Jade Articles: They mainly include jade, amber, carnelian and crystal. Most of the selected items are made from superb material and by excellent carving. Among them, the most distinctive collection is jade articles of the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911 AD), including a blue jade Bitian (a tool used to wipe writing brush), and Jadite Bed-curtain Hook. They are made of exquisite workmanship, which fully indicate the wisdom of the ancient Chinese.
6. Carving Craft: There are about ten pieces of carving crafts of different shapes in Yunnan Provincial Museum, which are made from different material like bamboo, wood, ivory, stone, horn, bone, etc. Among them, the Ivory Carving of Cursive Wall Hangings is the highlight; with a height of 198 cm (6.5 feet) and a width of 58 cm (2 feet), all of the twelve paintings are painted by famous Yunnan local sculptors.
7. Yunnan Minority Customs and Ornaments Exhibition: This exhibit displays the dress and ornamentation of some 22 national minorities living in Yunnan, including Dai, Bai, Naxi, Hani, Lahu, Jingpo, Blang, De’ang, Lisu, Pumi, Va, Nu, Drung, Achang, and Jino.
Highlighted Cultural Relics of Yunnan Provincial Museum
There are 1,000 Grade One relics among over 400,000 pieces of cultural relics in the museum, including a cloud and thunder-vein bronze drum of the Spring and Autumn Period, a bronze coffin (being 200 centimeters long, 62 centimeters wide, 64 centimeters tall and 257 kilograms in weight)and a bronze ware of “Two Tigers Devouring a Bull” of the Warring States Period,a “Knight Pasturing a Cattle”seashell container of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-9 AD), a gold statue of Kwan-yin (the Goddess of Mercy), the painting of Traveling Amid Mountains and Streams by Guo Xi of the Northern Song Dynasty(960-1127), the painting of Wugao Mountain by Shi Dandang of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)and the painting of Du Fu Riding a Horse by Qian Feng of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
In addition, there are bronze wares of the Dian Culture, Buddhist relics of the periods of Nanzhao (738-902)and the Dali Kingdom (937-1254),as well as various exquisite ethnic relics of modern times in Yunnan Provincial Museum.
How to get there?
1. Take bus no. 169, 252, A12, or D28 to Xin Bao Xiang He Qiao, and then walk southeast for about 270 meters (300 yards) to reach there.
2. Take bus no. 31, 165, 185, 186, 253, 255, 259, 908, C85, C142, C143, K15, K15 Express, or K42 and get off at Puzi Village, and then walk northwest for about 550 meters (600 yards) to get there.
Travel Tips:
1. There is a maximum of no more than 1500 tourists every day, including 500 tourists in the morning, 500 tourists in the afternoon, 500 tourists from other provinces.
2. Tourists should protect public facilities, or they must pay the full price for anything damaged.
3. No smoking and No spitting.
Introduction
The Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology is located in the campus of Kunming Institute of Zoology (KIZ), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The museum occupies 7 350 square meters, including a research specimen library, a science awareness hall and a multi-functional reference room. The museum is currently housing the most substantial collections of zoological specimens in southwest China.
So far, the Museum have 700 000 individual specimens in storage, including 200 000 fish specimens, 40 000 amphibian and reptile specimens, 24 000 bird specimens, 19 000 mammal specimens and 400 000 insect specimens, and among them, 6 000 specimens are on display. The collections focus on the southern fauna in China, encompassing the diverse and unique animal resources of the “animal kingdom”-Yunnan province.
Architectural Layout
The museum consists of two floors, east and west. The main floor guide is composed of Science Popularization Hall, Scientific Research Specimen Library, Multi-function Academic Lecture Hall and so on. The exhibition is mainly concentrated on the first to third floors.
The First Floor: Preface Hall, Biodiversity Exhibition Hall, Asian Elephant Hall, Dinosaur and Fossil Exhibition Hall, Skeletal Exhibition Hall, Amphibious and Reptile Habitat Counter and Fish, Two Crawler Bottled Specimens Exhibition Hall.
The Second Floor: The exhibition of bird specimen and its habitat, insect resources and its habitat, human and nature, panda and wetland.
The Third Floor: There are aquatic organisms (including freshwater fish and marine organisms) and their living environment, microcosm of the cold temperate habitat of the habitat in northwest Yunnan and a large scale indoor ecological landscape of tropical and subtropical simulated nature.
Subcategories
This category has the following 6 subcategories, out of 6 total:
1. Fossils in the Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology;
2. Insects in the Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology ;
3. Preserved specimens in the Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology;
4. Reptiles in the Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology;
5. Skeletons in the Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology;
6. Taxidermy in the Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology.
Media in Category
1.Elephants – Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology
2.Entrance – Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology
3.Ground floor – Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology
4.Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology
Activities
1. Since 2007, the Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology has launched the “Member Club” service, which is aimed at people from all walks of life who are interested in natural science and are enthusiastic about museum undertakings, providing unique concessions and services, and rich and colorful participation activities;
2. Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology organizes a themed activity with family as the unit before each holiday, and selects 5-6 families from the registered families to participate in the activities;
3. On September 19, 2015, Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology launched a wealth of popular science activities with the theme of “Mass Innovation to Embrace Intelligent Life”.
The Value and Function
1. Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology has the largest collection of animal collections in southwest China. The collection covers the “Animal Kingdom” of Yunnan and almost all animal specimens of ecological types in neighboring provinces. With its strong regional characteristics, the museum highlights the importance of collecting rich biodiversity specimens from Southwest China, a hotspot region of biodiversity in the world.
2. Kunming Animal Museum Herbarium provides free collection service for relevant institutions and individuals at home and abroad, and provides service platform for related scientific research personnel.
Related Institute
Kunming Institute of Zoology: October 1958, an application to establish the Kunming Institute of Zoology (KIZ) was submitted to the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
How to Get there?
Take bus No. 115, No. 139, No. 146 and bus No. 92 and get off at Baiyun Road Station.
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.
Introduction
The Yunnan Puer Tea Culture Museum (云南省茶文化博物馆) is a non-governmental museum established in 2013. According to information from the National Cultural Heritage Administration in 2022, the museum boasts a collection of 1,215 cultural relics and receives approximately 34,500 visitors annually.
The Yunnan Puer Tea Culture Museum is the provincial-level tea culture museum of Yunnan and serves as a public platform for promoting Yunnan’s tea culture to the outside world. The museum offers exhibitions of Puer tea (普洱茶), teaware (茶具), and old tea collections while providing visitors with tea art performances, tea culture education, and hands-on tea experiences.
This is an essential cultural destination for visitors seeking authentic Yunnan Puer tea tasting, knowledge sharing, and cultural interaction. The museum also offers free tastings to guests and organizes educational and interactive exhibits on ancient tea varieties, tea history, and tea culture.
History
The Yunnan Puer Tea Culture Museum was approved by the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism (云南省文化旅游厅) and the Yunnan Provincial Department of Civil Affairs (云南省民政厅). It is a state-level museum and is a member of the Chinese Museum Association. It has been recognized as a level-3 national museum by the government.
The museum’s establishment highlights efforts to promote and preserve tea culture while offering a platform for public education and cultural outreach related to Puer tea (普洱茶) and the historical traditions of tea consumption in Yunnan.
Exhibitions and Collection
The museum houses over 1,000 valuable items, including tea products, teaware, cultural relics, rare samples of Puer tea, and ancient tea utensils. Key highlights include:
Main Exhibits Include:
Rare Puer Tea Samples (稀有种类普洱茶样本)
Includes samples of ancient trees and old tea varieties.
Historic Puer Tea (老茶)
Tea from the Republic of China period and other historical eras.
Cultural Exhibits from International Events
Exhibits linked to international events like the 2008 Beijing Olympics (北京奥运会), the 2010 Shanghai Expo (上海世博会), and the 2015 Milan Expo (米兰世博会).
National Gifts Featuring Ancient Tree Tea (古树茶)
Representations of the non-material cultural heritage in tea varieties from Yunnan’s ancient forests.
Ancient Teaware (普洱茶用具)
Various ancient tools and utensils used in brewing and serving tea over centuries.
The museum has three hundred or more rare Puer tea varieties, including ancient teas and ancient arbor teas with roots that extend back to the 1920s, spanning a century of history and providing significant historical value.
Cultural Activities
The Yunnan Puer Tea Culture Museum frequently hosts over 30 events annually, including exhibitions and cultural performances. These include:
Puer Tea Heritage Exhibits (非物质文化遗产展览): Featuring traditional tea-making processes and tea art performances.
Tea Competitions (茶艺比赛): Competitions showcasing traditional Yunnan minority tea arts.
Tree Tea Tastings and Experiences: Offering visitors free access to ancient tea tastings and sharing Yunnan’s unique tea history.
International cultural events and exchanges through platforms like the Beijing Olympics, Shanghai Expo, and Milan Expo.
These events make the museum a hub for cultural exchange, social education, and a venue to experience traditional tea culture. Visitors can participate in workshops and discussions to better understand Yunnan’s tea-making history and minority traditions surrounding tea culture.
Highlights
Some unique highlights of the collection include:
International Award-Winning Teas
Tea varieties gifted during the 2008 Beijing Olympics (北京奥运会), 2010 Shanghai Expo (上海世博会), and 2015 Milan Expo (米兰世博会).
Ancient Historical Teas
“Hong Tai Chang” seven-tea cakes from the 1950s and other historic tea varieties.
Old Trade Items
Ancient tea-related currencies and other trading artifacts used in ancient tea trading routes like the Tea Horse Road (茶马古道).
Ancient Teaware and Cultural Exhibits
A wide variety of traditional teaware from across generations and tea-trading regions in Yunnan’s tea culture.
Visitors can also engage in interactive workshops to explore the production techniques of Puer tea and learn about brewing, tasting, and history.
Visitor Information
Address
86 Qianwang Street, Wuhua District, Kunming City (昆明市五华区钱王街86号)
Located 50 meters in from the Starbucks at Qianwang Street.
Opening Hours
Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Closed on Mondays
Entrance Fee
The museum is free to enter throughout the year.
Transportation
Public Buses:
Take bus routes 4, 5, 26 to “Yishu Juyuan” (艺术剧院), then walk toward Qianwang Street.
Subway:
Subway Lines 3 and 5 stop at the Wuyi Road (五一路) station.
Parking:
Nearby parking areas include Underground parking at Zhengyi Square, Shengli Hall, Police Star Park, Kunming Cultural Center, and Xingjie Building.
Important Note: The museum is located within a walking street area, and there are no direct buses or subway exits directly at the front door. Visitors will need to walk approximately 5-10 minutes from the nearby subway/bus stops. Exploring the old streets around Kunming adds an extra cultural experience to your journey.
Travel Tips
Experience Puer Tea Workshops: Try hands-on workshops to explore the traditional tea-making processes.
Explore the Old Streets: As the museum is near traditional shopping areas, you can explore local markets and historic streets after your visit.
Attend Tea Events: The museum hosts regular tea performances and heritage exhibits—don’t miss them if you’re lucky to be in town during one.
Transportation Planning: Plan your transportation in advance due to the area’s walking street setup and limited parking.
Photography & Exploration: Spend time exploring the surrounding areas and exhibitions showcasing ancient artifacts and rare tea varieties.
How to Get There
By Subway: Take Subway Lines 3 or 5 and get off at the Wuyi Road station.
By Bus: Use bus routes 4, 5, 26 and alight at “Yishu Juyuan.”
By Private Vehicle or Taxi: Input 86 Qianwang Street, Wuhua District into your GPS or ask your driver for assistance.
Parking Nearby: Utilize nearby parking garages to avoid congestion.
This museum is a must-visit destination for tea enthusiasts, history buffs, and culture lovers visiting Kunming. Whether you’re tasting ancient teas or learning about the ancient tea culture’s role in Yunnan’s development, the Yunnan Puer Tea Culture Museum (云南省茶文化博物馆) offers unforgettable insights into this unique heritage.
Introduction
A small but important part of that complex story has found a modest home in Kunming. The Flying Tigers Museum (昆明飞虎队纪念馆) is housed in a wing of the Kunming Museum on Tuodong Lu.
The Name of “Flying Tigers”
In 1941, the 1st American Volunteer Group, better known by their nickname the ‘Flying Tigers’, began military action against the Japanese in the skies above China and Burma. Although supported by the US Government, the group was technically a mercenary ensemble and was sent to China, some historian’s claim, before the US had officially declared war on Japan. Led by retired US Army Air Corps Officer Claire Lee Chennault, the Flying Tigers originally consisted of 100 rather basic Tomahawk fighter planes, each packaged and sent to Burma from a factory in the US. After being reconstructed and tested at the training base in Toungoo, each plane was painted with what was to become the group’s insignia – a shark’s head with bared teeth.
Related History
Supporting the Chinese military, whose airforce had been almost entirely decimated by the Japanese, the Flying Tigers achieved a number of important tactical victories throughout 1941 and 1942. One such victory included the discontinuation of Japanese bombing over Kunming, a city integral to the defence of Burma Road. In 1942 the American Volunteer Group was disbanded and replaced by the US Army’s 23rd Fighter Group. The name the Flying Tigers was maintained along with the group’s shark head logo. According to some sources the Flying Tigers destroyed 2,600 Japanese planes (300 alone in the first year), 44 warships and killed almost 67,000 Japanese soldiers throughout their four year campaign (1941-1945).
To recognize the role the Flying Tigers played in protecting the local Chinese population during World War II, a small museum was planned to open in a house owned by the Kunming Museum. However, the house was deemed unsafe to display a collection and instead in 2012, a wing of the Kunming Museum was converted into the a Flying Tigers Museum.
Exhibitions in Flying Tigers Museum
1. Through a nondescript entrance lies a large entry hall leading to a wide staircase. From the base of the stairs a model of a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk can be seen hanging from the ceiling, backed by giant black and white photos of the Flying Tigers in action.
2. “Tigers in the Sky”: The exhibit’s English title is “Tigers in the Sky” and the history of the squadron’s origins begins immediately inside the door. Photos of key political and military figures line the walls, accompanied by placards in both Chinese and English that thoroughly explain the story of the Flying Tigers — officially named the First American Volunteer Group (AVG). Although the English descriptions are not grammatically perfect, they are some of the best we have seen in Yunnan.
3. Much is made of the iconography of the Flying Tigers and logos are displayed everywhere in the museum. Upon first seeing the insignia for the Flying Tigers, some people may think it a bit cartoonish. That may have been intentional — the logo was designed, in a wonderfully ironic twist of fate, by vehement anti-communist Walt Disney.
4. The emblems emblazon many of the leather bomber jackets on display and individual fabric patches also sit behind glass. Interestingly, many of the fatigue jackets in the museum are marked with camels on their backs. Each camel represents one Japanese plane shot down.
5. The final section of the museum displays a short black and white documentary about the involvement of the local Chinese men and women who assisted the Flying Tigers whilst they fought the Japanese. With the history of the Flying Tigers gaining momentum among historians, further exhibitions and memorials are planned for the future.
Related Characters
Claire Lee Chennault
Chennault was called out of retirement and put in charge of the Flying Tigers in 1941. He was chosen largely because of his preference for air combat over high-altitude bombing campaigns. Under his supervision, the Flying Tigers would shoot down or otherwise officially destroy 297 Japanese planes.
Chen Xiangmei (陈香梅)
In addition to spelling out his military exploits, the museum display focuses heavily on Chennault’s marriage to Chen Xiangmei (陈香梅), a reporter covering the Burma Campaign for the Chinese press.
How to Get there?
The Flying Tigers Museum is located at No. 71, Tuodong Road and is part of the under-renovation Kunming Museum. Walk through the main gate and past a plaza that is currently used as a parking lot. The entrance is marked by a plaque.
By Bus: You can take bus No.1, 62, 109, 117 145, 213 and A1 and all stop near the entrance at the City Museum bus stop (市博物馆) on Tuodong Lu.
By Taxi: It takes tourists about 8 minutes to The Flying Tigers Museum from downtown of Kunming by taxi.
Travel Tips:
1. Tourists should protect public facilities, or they must pay the full price for anything damaged.
2. No smoking and No spitting.
Chinese Name:普洱市博物馆
English Name:Puer City Museum
Puer City enjoys the long history and splendid culture, with the Puer City Museum(普洱市博物馆) as the evidence. Puer City Museum is an important window to advocate the culture of Puer and colorful custom, even the necessary materials of science and technology education. Established in October of 2007, Puer Museum has 5 exhibition halls, showing the colorful ethnic culture, mysterious Tea and Horse Caravan Road and unique ecological culture. It cannot be missed when you travel around Puer City.
Overview
The Puer City Museum (普洱市博物馆), located in the northern new district of Sichen (思城) in Simao (思茅), Puer City (普洱市), Yunnan Province (云南省), is a comprehensive local museum with a specific focus on Puer tea culture. It covers a total area of 15 acres, with a building area of over 10,000 square meters, making it one of the region’s prominent cultural landmarks. The museum serves not only as a place of historical exhibition but also as a center for the study and preservation of Puer’s unique ethnic diversity and tea culture.
Opened to the public for free on October 10, 2011, the museum offers a wide array of exhibits, including cultural relics, historical artifacts, and ethnographic displays, showcasing the rich heritage of Puer’s 24 ethnic groups, particularly the 14 indigenous minority groups. It also provides a deep dive into the history of Puer tea (普洱茶), one of the most famous tea varieties in China, and its significance along the ancient Tea Horse Road (茶马古道).
Historical Background
Construction and Development
In 2007, the Puer Municipal Party Committee and the local government decided to build a unified cultural center in the northern new district of Sichen, Puer. This decision was part of a broader initiative to elevate Puer’s cultural profile and preserve its local heritage. Construction of the museum began on October 9, 2007, and was completed in June 2009. The museum officially opened to the public on October 10, 2011, as a free-access museum, aiming to educate the public about Puer’s cultural and historical significance.
The process of establishing the museum involved the Puer Cultural Relics Management Institute (普洱市文物管理所), which was responsible for drafting the museum’s exhibition outline, collecting artifacts, and overseeing the initial curatorial work. The museum’s first director, Tang Xinhua (汤新华), who was also the head of the Puer Cultural Relics Management Institute, played a key role in shaping the museum’s exhibition content and direction.
Museum Expansion and Visitor Statistics
By the end of 2019, the museum had accumulated a collection of 12,904 items (sets), including 17 precious cultural relics. The number of visitors had reached an impressive 108,800 annually. According to 2022 data from the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the museum’s collection increased to 14,683 items (sets), and the number of visitors exceeded 200,000.
On September 18, 2018, the Puer City Museum was recognized as a National Level 3 Museum by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, marking a significant milestone in its development and enhancing its reputation as a key institution for cultural preservation and education.
Museum Layout
The museum is housed in a spacious building with over 10,000 square meters of floor space. It is divided into five main exhibition halls, each dedicated to different aspects of Puer’s culture, ethnic diversity, and tea heritage.
Exhibition Area
Total Exhibition Area: 6,000 square meters
Storage Area: 400 square meters
The museum’s exhibitions are meticulously curated to present Puer’s history, its 24 ethnic groups, and the cultural exchanges that have shaped the region. The main exhibits explore the development of Puer tea, its production, and its historical importance along the ancient Tea Horse Road.
Key Exhibition Halls
Opening Hall (序厅): This hall introduces visitors to the museum’s mission and general layout, providing context about Puer’s history and culture.
Ethnic Hall (民族厅): This hall showcases the diverse ethnic groups of Puer, particularly the 14 indigenous minority groups. Exhibits include traditional costumes, tools, and artwork from various ethnic communities.
Cultural Exchange Hall (文化交流展厅): This hall focuses on the historical and ongoing cultural exchanges between Puer and other regions, including trade, language, and customs.
Patriotic Education Hall (爱国主义教育展厅): Dedicated to the promotion of patriotic ideals, this hall features exhibits on the history of Puer’s role in national unity and its contributions to Chinese culture.
Puer Tea Museum Hall (普洱茶博物馆展厅): This specialized hall focuses on the history and culture of Puer tea, an integral part of the region’s identity. It includes displays of ancient tea tools, tea-related artifacts, and detailed explanations of the tea’s significance in the local economy and culture.
Museum Collection
The museum’s collection is vast and diverse, with items sourced from archaeological excavations, donations, private collections, and governmental transfers. It includes a wide range of objects from various periods and regions, with a particular focus on local heritage and Puer’s tea culture. The collection is divided into several categories:
Neolithic Artifacts (新石器时代遗物)
Ceramics (瓷器)
Bronze Wares (青铜器)
Gold and Silver Artifacts (金银器)
Iron Wares (铁器)
Ethnic Cultural Relics (民族文物)
Puer Tea-related Artifacts (普洱茶相关文物)
The museum’s collection also includes ancient and modern items related to the tea trade, such as artifacts from the Tea Horse Road (茶马古道), which linked Puer with Tibet and other regions through a network of tea merchants and traders.
Preservation Efforts
The Puer City Museum is equipped with state-of-the-art preservation facilities. Its storage rooms and exhibition halls are fitted with systems for controlling humidity, temperature, and security, ensuring the protection of the artifacts. The museum also conducts regular checks and maintenance on its collections to ensure their long-term preservation.
Cultural Activities and Exhibitions
The museum actively hosts large-scale exhibitions and collaborates with national and international institutions. These exhibitions often showcase historical artifacts, regional art, and cultural items of significance. Some notable exhibitions include:
These exhibitions provide valuable insights into the rich cultural tapestry of Yunnan and its historical significance.
Awards and Recognition
Puer City Museum has earned several accolades over the years:
Research Base for Minority Cultural Heritage and Cultural Industry Development (边疆少数民族文化传承和文化产业发展法制保障研究基地)
Yunnan Province Life, Survival, and Living Education Practice Base (云南省生命、生存、生活教育实践基地)
Simao District Patriotic Education Base (思茅区爱国主义教育基地)
Chinese Academy of Sciences Science and Talent Education Base (中国科学院科技英才科普教育基地)
Yunnan Agricultural University Political Theory Teaching Base (云南农业大学大学生思想政治理论课教学基地)
Simao District Spiritual Civilization Unit (思茅区精神文明单位)
On September 18, 2018, it was officially recognized as a National Level 3 Museum (国家三级博物馆), marking a significant achievement in its development.
Visitor Services and Facilities
The Puer City Museum provides various services to enhance the visitor experience, including:
Audio Guides (语音导览) in multiple languages
Tea Products and Local Handicrafts for Sale (茶叶制品、民间工艺品及相关文化用品)
It also features a small shop selling Puer tea, local handicrafts, and souvenirs. The museum is committed to making cultural education accessible to a wide range of visitors, both from China and abroad.
Visitor Information
Opening Hours:
Tuesday to Sunday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Closed on Mondays (except for public holidays), as well as during Chinese New Year (除夕) and Qingming Festival (清明节).
Admission:
Free (免费)
Location:
Address: No. 10 Binhe Road, Northern New District, Sichen, Simao, Puer City, Yunnan Province (云南省普洱市思茅区思城北部新区滨河路10号)
How to Get There:
Public Transport: Take bus No. 8 and alight at the Coffee Trading Center (咖啡交易中心).
Self-Drive: From Puer Municipal Government, drive along Puer Avenue to Binhe Road and reach the Puer City Museum.
The Puer City Museum stands as a symbol of the cultural richness of Puer and Yunnan Province. Its extensive collections, diverse exhibitions, and active educational programs make it an essential destination for anyone interested in the region’s ethnic diversity, tea culture, and historical significance. Through its efforts, the museum continues to preserve, promote, and share the unique heritage of Puer with the world.
Nuodeng Salt Wells and Salt Museum
Nuodeng Salt Well is a representative salt well, enjoying a good reputation. In 109 B.C., Emperor Wudi of west Han Dynasty conquered Yunnan and set up Yizhou prefeture, including 24 counties, among them was Bisu County which is the area along along Bijiang River valley. “Bi” means salt in Bai Language, and “Su” means people producing salt. Nuodeng Salt Well has a history of over 2000 years since it was exploited in Han Dynasty. The Nuodeng Salt Well was a 21-meter deep well. People in ancient times got the brine by drawing salt water from the well by hand and then the brine was delivered to each family to boil. The fantastic Nuodeng Salt Well and Salt Museum can take you to view more about the booming salt industry.
Why is Nuodeng Salt so special?
It is the one of top five salt wells in China. As the important part of Salt Horse Road, it was prosperous in the ancient time, so you can visit many historic sites here and know more detail information in Salt Museum.
History
Nuodeng is an exquisite village of Bai ethnic group in Yunlong County, west of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. According to historical materials, Nuodeng enjoys a history of more than 1,200 years. It is well-known for its natural salt and ham.
Built on a sharp mountain, villagers’ houses were connected layer by layer. Usually, the back door of a house in front is linked with the courtyard of the family behind. Most buildings are well preservation of the complexes featuring Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and are called the “living fossils” of ancient buildings of Bai people.
Nuodeng used to be a tribe which was blooming because of salt. People here have been engaged in boiling salt, thus, it was a key economic trading town in the west of Yunnan Province. There is a salt well in the ancient village, around which salty water oozes all the year round. Grains of salts can be seen in the dry areas of the well.
Nuodeng Salt and Nuodeng Ham
Nodang salt contains potassium, but no iodine. Nuodeng salt has a light taste and strong penetrability. Nuodeng salt can get into the food deeply. Therefore, the salt of ham can be preserved for a long time, and it is not too salty. With the Nuodeng salt, the deliciousNuodeng ham can be marinated, so the Nodang salt is hailed as the first delicious food by people in the mountains.
Nuodeng Ham is one of the three famous hams in Yunnan. Made with unique recipe, the ham tastes crispy and smells good.
A Bite of China”, a TV show that’s sparked a wave of food buying among gourmet-seeking gastronomes, eager to taste something new. In this documentary shot by CCTV there is a six-minute-long video about the Nuodeng Ham, which gains the ham considerable fame. The natural salt well makes the special flavor of Nuodeng Ham as a traditional regional specialty dishes.
Useful Travel Tips
1.A lot of festivals and events of Bai nationality focused on March to April each year, travel at this time you will feel rich ethnic customs.
2.When the weather is fine in Nuodeng, the sunshine is heated, and ultraviolet light is strong. People should avoid direct sunlight, and the sun hat preparation is required during outdoor activities, a pair of sunglasses will make you comfortable in the trip.
3.Respect local custom of ethnic minority.
4.If you get a chance, you can see the process of producing salt in Nuodeng.
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