Changes that tourism has made to Kunming.

Every single thing that happen will brought about negative and positive impacts. Tourism is the same. Below is a table on the good and bad impacts of tourism on Kunming.

Has tourism been a culprit in commodifying cultures and traditions?

Yes, I agree to a certain extent. Globalisation, in my point of view, will still take place even without tourism existing. Tourism is just speeding up the rate of commodifying the cultures and traditions.

However, there is a way to slow down the rate of commodifying the cultures and traditions.

Always ask ourselves this few questions. If it is YES, we are having responsible tourism, if it is NO, we are further aggravating the situation and should find ways to solve the problem as quickly as possible.

§ Are local people involved in the tourism industry as employees?

§ Does the organization cooperate with the local businesses?

§ Does it have a respectful attitude to the local culture?

§ Is there respect to nature and how is it protected?

§ How much economic benefit will the local population get from tourism?

§ Are tour operators concerned about ecological hotels, transport, and

restaurants?

We can see it is a great challenge to make a profitable business running tourism in an area without some negative effect to the local communities. It is possible for the tourism industry to cooperate with other industries and bring benefits to both the tourism organizations and local businesses. The first step to achieve it is to understand the needs and desires of both the host community and the tourists.

Things to do in KUNMING!!!!

After introduction Kunming Cuisine, I would now introduce some MUST-GO places in Yunnan and Kunming

1. The Yunnan Nationalities Village

The Yunnan Nationalities Village is located on the northeastern shore of Dianchi Lake 6 kilometers south of Kunming, and on the west by the Western Mountains Forest Reserve. This is a theme park that display a architecture and ways of life of Yunnan's minority population. 52 out of 56 minorities live in Yunnan. Each nationality has its particularities in terms of language, religion, and in the ways of conducting themselves in relation to others. Each of the 26 ethnic peoples of Yunnan will have a village built on the premises, and there will also be a square symbolizing unity among various ethnic groups, a theatre for the performance of ethnic songs and dances, a folklore museum of ethnic waxworks. The "villagers" are all chosen from the youth of the relevant nationalities to act as guides and performers for tourists. The three major villages represent the Dai, the Bai and the Yi nationalities. It is a good place to show visitors to Yunnan the cultural traditions of the ethnic groups in the province.

2. ShiLin

Shilin (石林) is a notable set of karst formations in Shilin Yi Autonomous County, in theYunnan province of southwest China. The tall rocks seem to emanate from the ground in the manner of stalagmites, with many looking like trees made of stone, creating the illusion of a forest made of stone.

Shilin National Park covers an area of 350 square km and is divided into seven scenic areas with names like Greater & Lesser Stone Forests, Naigu Stone Forest, Zhiyun Cave, Qifeng Cave, Lake Changhu (literally "Long Lake"), Lake Yuehu (literally "Moon Lake") and the waterfalls of "Da Dieshui". The formations are believed to be over 270 million years old. They are a tourist attraction for both foreign and domestic tourists, with bus tours taking tourists there from Kunming. There are also hotels in the area.

3. Black Dragon Pool

The Black Dragon Pool (黑龙潭) is a famous pond in the scenic Jade Spring Park located at the foot of Elephant Hill, a short walk north of the Old Town of Lijiang in Yunnan province, China. It was built in 1737 during the Qing Dynasty and offers a spectacular view on the region's tallest mountain, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, over its white marble bridge. The park features several smaller temples and pavilions:

▪   The Moon-Embracing Pavilion (得月楼), which was originally built in the late Ming Dynasty. The current structure is a reproduction from 1963 after a fire in 1950.

▪   The Dragon God Temple (龙神庙) was constructed by local Naxi people in 1737 and is located to the east of the park. It was given the name Dragon God of Jade Spring by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty in the same year.

4. JiuXiang

Jiuxiang (Nine Villages) Scenic Region is located in Jiuxiang Yi and Hui Autonomous Township of Yiliang County 90 km away from central Kunming.

It is famous for its caves, mountains, rivers, deep valleys, minority customs and cultures.

Jiuxiang Scenic Region consists of 5 major scenic spots:

▪   Diehong Bridge

▪   Sanjiao Cave

▪   Dasha Dam

▪   Alulong

▪   Mingyue Lake.

Diehong Bridge itself includes six major scenic spots: the Green Shady Valley, the White Elephant Cave, the Goddess Cave, the Lying Dragon Cave, the Bat Cave and the Tourist Cableway.

FOOD~!!

After knowing about its traditions and cultures, next up would be their unique and tasty Kunming cuisine.

Steaming-Pot Chicken (Qiguo Ji)

This dish gained its name from steaming the chicken in a pot with a hollow tube in the center. It is a simple tasty dish. To make it, place chicken, ginger, a shallot, pepper and salt in the pot and steam for about four hours, during which time steam from the tube contacts the cold pot cover turning to water, then flows back into the pot to become delicious chicken soup. Before serving, remove ginger and shallot.

Braised Jizong (mushroom) in Soy Sauce (Hongshao Jizong)Kunming is host to various wild mushrooms including Jizong. Whenever the sun shines after a rain from June to September, many Jizong shaped like small grey umbrellas appear on the mountain. The chicken-like taste of Jizong is popular with gourmands. Braised Jizong in Soy Sauce is prepared this way: Wash Jizong; dry by airing; cut into pieces. Next chop chili and tenderloin pieces. Wrap tenderloin and Jizong pieces in egg white, starch and salt mixture; fry in hot oil. Finally, braise the Jizong and tenderloin pieces with garlic, ginger and shallot. Drizzle sesame oil on a plate, place braised pieces on oil.

Kunming Bittern Duck (Kunming Lu Ya)
The dish is a first choice among tourists. After choosing ducks from Dianchi Lake and preparing with some ten steps, it can be served. The dish is golden with a soft flavor. It is said that Bittern Duck is a dish do much good to people's health.

Across Bridge Rice Noodle (Guoqiao Mixian) 

One of the featured specialties of Kunming and Yunnan. It has three main parts: a bowl of extremely hot chicken broth, various slices of meat, including chicken, fish, and meat up to nine varieties, with various seasonings and rice noodles.
Preparation: Add meat and seasonings to the soup first, then the rice noodles. Season with pepper powder, gourmet powder, fried chili, and chopped onion; the flavorful soup is colorful red, green, yellow and white.

Wild Mushrooms (Wild Edible Fungus) 
Because of the particular geography and climate, Yunnan is very suitable for the growing of wild edible fungus and it is one of the places in the world with most abundant wild mushrooms. The wild edible fungus recourse in Yunnan is two thirds of that in China and over half of that in world.
There are many wild mushrooms can be found on Kunming tables and representative one are Bai Yi Gu (Ji Zhong), Zhu Sun, Song Kou Gu (Tricholoma matsutake), Gan Ba Jun, Niu Gan Jun, Qin Tou Jun, Hu Zhang Jun, Yang Du Jun, Hou Tou Jun and Lao Ren Tou. 

Xuanwei Ham (Xuanwei Huotui) 

Also called 'Yuntui' or 'Yunnan Ham' is one of the three famous and best hams in China. The main ingredient in many local dishes, Yunnan Ham retains its unique flavor and can be stored for long periods of time. Offered in most local restaurants, ham preparation includes baking, salting, pestle, warming, and freezing.

Modern Cake (Modeng Baba)
Baba is popular in Yunnan. It is a food made of flour, corn powder, sticky rice, lard, sesame and meat. The initiators of Modern Baba were two pretty sisters who made sweet and tasteful Baba that attracts people even today. Modern Baba has a crisp exterior and a soft interior; it is sweet with savory cream.

Apart from all these well-known dishes, I personally experince something that I would never see in Singapore. That is none other than..

1. Fried Silkworm

2. Rabbit Meat

3. Dog Meat (and of course I din't eat it!)

Minorites and their celebrations

Like stated in my first post, brief introduction of Kunming, there are many different minorities which includes the Han (汉族), Yi (彝族), Hui (回族), Bai (白族), Miao (苗族), Lisu (傈僳族), Zhuang (壮族), Dai (傣族), Hani (哈尼族), Naxi (纳西族), Manchu (满族), Bouyei (布依族), Mongol (蒙古族), Lahu (拉祜族), Tibetan (藏族), Yao (瑶族), Jingpo (景颇族), Va (佤族), Blang (布朗族), Primi (普米族), Sui (水族), Achang (阿昌族), Nu (怒族), Jino (基诺族) and Derung (独龙族).

The Han people (汉族) are an ethnic group native to China and, by most modern definitions, the largest single ethnic group in the world.

 

The Yi people (彝族) are a modern ethnic group in China, Vietnam, and Thailand. Numbering 8 million, they are the seventh largest of the 55 ethnic minority groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. They live primarily in rural areas of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi, usually in mountainous regions.

The Hui people (回族) are an ethnic group in China, typically distinguished by their practice of Islam. In modern People's Republic of China, the term "Hui people" refers to one of the officially recognized 56 ethnic groups into which Chinese citizens are classified. Under this definition, the Hui people are defined to include all historically Muslim communities in People's Republic of China that are not included in China's other ethnic groups

The Bai (白族) are one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. They numbered 1,858,063 as of 2000. The Bai People hold the white colour in high esteem and call themselves Bai people which literary means white people in Chinese. In 1956, Chinese Authorities named them the Bai Nationality out of their own will.

The Miao (苗族), on the left, are a linguistically and culturally related group of people recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China as one of the 56 official minority groups. Miao is a Chinese term and does not reflect the self-designations of the component sub-groups, Vietnam and Burmese.

The Lisu people (傈僳族), on the right, are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group who inhabit the mountainous regions of Burma (Myanmar), Southwest China, Thailand, and the Indian state of   Arunachal Pradesh.

The Zhuang (壮族) are an ethnic group of people who mostly live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. Some also live in the Yunnan, Guangdong, Guizhou and Hunan provinces. They form one of the 55 minority ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. Their population, estimated at 18 million people, puts them second only to the Han Chinese and makes the Zhuang the largest minority in China.

The Dai people (傣族) is one of several ethnic groups living in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture (both in southern Yunnan, China), but by extension can apply to groups in Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and Burma.

The Hani people (哈尼族) are an ethnic group. They form one of the 56 nationalities officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. They also form one of the 54 officially recognized ethnic groups of Vietnam. There are 12,500 Hanis living in the Lai Chau and Lao Cai provinces of Vietnam.

The Naxi (纳西族) are an ethnic group inhabiting the foothills of the Himalayas in the northwestern part of Yunnan Province, as well as the southwestern part of Sichuan Province in China.

The Manchu people (满族) are a Tungusic people who originated in Manchuria (today's northeastern China). During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels (such as general Wu Sangui), they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which established a republican government in its place.

The Bouyei (布依族) are an ethnic group living in southern mainland China. Numbering 2.5 million, they are the 11th largest of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. Some Bouyei also live in Vietnam, where they are one of that nation's 54 officially recognized ethnic groups. Despite the Chinese considering them a separate group, they consider themselves Zhuang.

The name Mongol  specifies one or several ethnic groups, now mainly located in Mongolia, China, and Russia.

The Lahu (拉祜族) are an ethnic group of Southeast Asia and China. They are of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China, where about 450,000 live in Yunnan province. An estimated 150,000 live in Burma. In Thailand, Lahu are one of the six main hill tribes, and their population is estimated at around 100,000. About 10,000 live in Laos. They are one of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam, where about 1,500 live in Lai Chau province.

The Tibetan people (藏族) are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan.

The Yao nationality (瑤族) is a government classification for various minorities in China. They form one of the 55 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China, where they reside in the mountainous terrain of the southwest and south. They also form one of the 54 ethnic groups officially recognized by Vietnam. In the last census, they numbered 2,637,421 in China, and roughly 470,000 in Vietnam.

The Jingpo people (景颇族) are an ethnic group who largely inhabit the Kachin Hills in northern Burma's Kachin State and neighbouring areas of China and India. The Jingpo form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China, where they numbered 132,143 people in the 2000 census.

The Va nationality (佤族) lives mainly in Northern Myanmar, in the northern part of Shan and eastern Kachin States, near and along the border with China. Their defacto capital is Bangkang in the unofficial Wa State in North Eastern Shan state. The majority of the Va live in Myanmar. They were known as the 'Wild Wa' by British administrators.

The Blang (布朗族) people are an ethnic group. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China.

The Pumi people (普米族) are an ethnic group. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. Ethnically related to the Tibetans in the Muli Tibetan Autonomous County and Yanyuan in Sichuan, the Pumi are recognized as an official minority nationality unique to Yunnan, with a population of 30,000. Communities are found notably in Pumi & Bai Autonomous County of Lanping, Yi Autonomous County of Ninglang, Lijiang Old Town, Naxi Autonomous County of Yulong, Lisu Autonomous County of Weixi and Yongsheng County, typically at elevations above 9,000 feet.

The Sui people (水族) are an ethnic group living in the Guangxi, Guizhou, and Yunnan areas of southwestern China. They are counted as one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China.

The Achang (阿昌族), also known as the Ngac'ang (their own name) or Maingtha (Burmese name) are an ethnic group. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. They also live in Burma. The Achang speak a Tibeto-Burman language called Achang, but there is no indigenous writing system to accompany it. Chinese characters are often used instead. Many Achang also speak the language of the Dai, mainly to make commercial transactions.

The Nu people (怒族) are one of the 56 ethnic groups recognized by the People's Republic of China. Their population of 27,000 is divided into the Northern, Central and Southern groups. Their homeland is a country of high mountains and deep ravines crossed by the Lancang, Dulong and Nujiang rivers. The name "Nu" comes from the fact that they were living near the Nujiang river, and the name of their ethnic group derives from there. 

The Jino people (基诺族) are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. They live in Xishuangbanna in Yunnan province, China.

The Derung people (独龙族) are an ethnic group. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. Their population of 6,000 is found in the Nujiang Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan province, in the Dulong valley. Another 600 can be found east of the Dulong valley, living in the mountains above the Nu Jiang near the village of Binzhongluo in northern Gongshan County.

Below are more picture of the different minorities:

Below is a table that states the different festivals of the minorities

Minorities	Festivals	Date (Lunar Calendar)	Areas	Activities
Yi	Torch Festival	Jun 24th, 25th	Stone Forest, Chuxiong, Dali	Torching, wrestling, bull fighting, Singing and dancing
	Dage (Singing) Festival	Feb 8th	Dayao, Shuangjiang	Picking azaleas
Bai	March Fair Festival	Mar 14th to 16th	Dali	Fair, singing and dancing
	Shibao Mountain Singing Competition	Late Jul, early Aug	Jianchuan	Singing Bai love songs
Miao	Huashan (Flower Mountain) Festival	Jan 3rd	Pingbian, Yongshan	Singing, climbing swords pole
Naxi	Sanduo Day	Feb 8th	Lijiang	Horse racing, picnicking
Muo suo	Chaoshan Festival (Pilgrimage to the Goddess)	Jul 25th	Lugu Lake (Ninglang)	Making sacrifice to Goddess, singing and dancing, meeting “A’xia”
Jing po	Munaozongge Festival	Jan 15th	Luxi, Longchuan	Staging Wenbeng Dance
Tibetan	Horse Racing Festival	May 5th	Shangri-la	Horse racing, picnicking
	Dragon Boat Festival	May 5th	Diqing	Horse racing, singing and dancing, picnicking
Buyi	Niuwang (Buffalo King) Festival	Apr 8th	Luoping, Fuyuan	Singing and dancing, feeding buffaloes
Dai	Water Splashing Festival	Mar	Xishuangbanna, Dehong	Splashing water, boat racing, flying Kongming Lantern
Hani	New Rice Festival	1st and 2nd Dragon Day of Apr	Honghe	Enjoying new rice, making sacrifice to heaven and passed-away relatives
	Hani’s New Year	Oct	Pu’er, Honghe	Making sacrifice to ancestors, organizing street banquet
Zhuang	Longduan Day	Mar	Funing	Fair, singing and dancing
Lisu	Swords Pole Day	Feb 8th	Nujiang, Baoshan	Climbing swords pole, singing and dancing
	Singing Competition	Dec or Next Jan	Nujiang	Bathing, singing competition
	Bathing Festival	The period of Chinese New Year	Diqing	Bathing, making new friends
Hui	Laisser Bairam	Oct 1st, Islam calendar	Kunming	Salat
Lahu	Calabash Festival	Oct	Lancang	Fair, singing and dancing
Wa	Drum Festival	Dec	Ximeng, Cangyuan	Playing wooden drums, slaughtering cattle, singing and dancing
Yao	Panwang Festival	May 29th	Wenshan, Honghe	Making sacrifice to ancestors, singing and dancing
Pumi	Zhuanshanhui Festival (trekking around Shizi Mountain)	May 5th	Ninglang	Trekking in the mountain, firing guns, singing and dancing
A’chang	Huijie	Sep 15th	Nujiang, Dehong	Singing and dancing
Jinuo	Jidalong (Making Sacrifice to Dragon) Festival	Mar	Xishuangbanna	Staging drums dances, bamboo dances, playing spinners
Shui	Dragon Boat Festival	Late Aug to early Oct	Fuyuan	Staging copper-drum dance, seeking lovers
Dulong	Kaquewa Festival (Dulong’s New Year)	Dec	Gongshan	Slaughtering cattle, making sacrifice to heaven, singing and dancing
Ai’ni	Yekuzha Festival	Jun	Xishuangbanna	Playing swings, singing and dancing, partying
Nu	Flowers Festival	Mar 15th	Nujiang	Collecting flowers offered to Goddess
	Nu’s New Year	Dec 29th	Nujiang	Singing and dancing, assorted sport games
Bulang	Guanmen Festival (Closing the Door Festival)	Jun	Xishuangbanna	Any romantic affairs forbidden
De’ang	Water Splashing Festival	One week after Qingming	Ruili	Splashing water, singing and dancing