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124-500: Qujing is located in the east of Yunnan province, about 130 kilometres (81 mi) east of Kunming , the provincial capital. Like much of the central and eastern parts of the province, it is part of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau . Tempered by the low latitude and moderate elevation, Qujing has a mild subtropical highland climate ( Köppen Cwb ), with short, mild, dry winters, and warm, rainy summers. Frost may occur in winter but

248-655: A treaty port opening to foreign trade in 1908 and became a commercial center soon after. A university was set up in 1922. In the 1930s the first highways connected to Kunming were built, linking Kunming with Chongqing in Sichuan and Guiyang in Guizhou to the east. The local warlord General Tang Jiyao established the Wujiaba Aerodrome in 1922; an additional 23 airports would be established in Yunnan from 1922 to 1929. Kunming

372-566: A 400 billion RMB high technology manufacturing hub which will surpass its car industry and account for 25% of its exports. The city has also invested heavily in infrastructure to attract investment. The network of roads and railways connecting Chongqing to the rest of China has been expanded and upgraded reducing logistical costs. Furthermore, the nearby Three Gorges Dam which is the world's largest, supplies Chongqing with power and allows oceangoing ships to reach Chongqing's Yangtze River port. These infrastructure improvements have led to

496-497: A canal. The river receives sewage and wastewater from surrounding pipes. The center is an area of importance to Kunming's Hui population, with Shuncheng Street, one of the last old streets in the center of the city, previously forming a Muslim quarter. Until shortly before 2005, this street was full of wind-dried beef and mutton carcasses, pitta bread and raisin sellers, and huge woks of roasting coffee beans being stirred with shovels. Under Kunming's rapid modernisation, however,

620-581: A city. As one of China's National Central Cities , Chongqing serves as a center for finance in the Sichuan Basin and the upstream Yangtze , as well as for manufacturing and transportation. It is a connection in the Yangtze River Economic Belt and a base for the country's Belt and Road Initiative . Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport is the second-busiest airport in China, and is one of

744-509: A combination of more than 290 million population. Chongqing is one of the top 40 cities in the world by scientific research outputs as tracked by the Nature Index . Since its elevation to national-level municipality in 1997, the city has dramatically expanded its infrastructure. With the construction of railways and expressways to the east and southeast, Chongqing is a major transportation hub in southwestern China. As of October 2014 ,

868-640: A green space rate of 21.7 percent. The city's smoke control area is 115 square kilometres (44 square miles) and noise control area 87 square kilometres (34 square miles). Kunming is a significant horticultural center in China, providing products such as grain, wheat, horsebeans, corn, potato and fruit such as peaches, apples, oranges, grapes and chestnuts. Kunming is world-famous for its flowers and flower-growing exports. More than 400 types of flowers are commonly grown in Kunming. The camellia , Yulan magnolia , azalea , fairy primrose , lily and orchid are known as

992-500: A half hours to get from Qujing to Kunming by express. After Shanghai–Kunming high-speed railway completed in December 2016, it takes 45 minutes to reach Kunming South High-speed Train Station and an hour to reach Guiyang North High-speed Train Station from Qujing North High-speed Train Station. There is a plan for a speed train to run between Chengdu and Nanning by the year 2015, which will make

1116-516: A lengthy prior political career in Chongqing. The municipal Political Consultative Conference ( zhengxie ) meets at around the same time as the People's Congress. Its role is to advise on political issues. The zhengxie is headed by a leader who is typically a former municipal or regional official with a lengthy career in the party and government bureaucracy. Chongqing was the wartime capital of China during

1240-654: A major recipient of China's investment in industrial capacity during the Third Front campaign. There has been a massive government push to transform Chongqing into the region's economic, trade, and financial center and use the municipality as a platform to open up the country's western interior to further development. Chongqing is facing rapid urbanization . For instance, statistics suggest that new construction added approximately 137,000 m (1,470,000 sq ft) daily of usable floor space to satisfy demands for residential, commercial and factory space. Thus, Chongqing

1364-525: A mere 5% in January to 43% in August. Extremes since 1951 have ranged from −1.8 °C (29 °F) on 11 January 1955 (unofficial record of −2.5 °C (27 °F) was set on 8 February 1943) to 43.7 °C (111 °F) on 18 and 19 August 2022 (unofficial record of 44.0 °C (111 °F) was set on 8 and 9 August 1933). Chongqing, with over 100 days of fog per year, is known as the "Fog City" ( 雾都 ); this

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1488-678: A modern commercial district, residential zones, and university areas. The city is also one of the major centers for scientific research and education in Southwestern China . As of 2024, it was listed among the top 100 cities in the world by scientific research output . The city has an astronomical observatory , and its institutions of higher learning include Yunnan University , Kunming University of Science and Technology , Yunnan University of Finance and Economics , Kunming Medical University , Yunnan Normal University , Yunnan Agricultural University and Southwest Forestry University . Kunming

1612-399: A native of Chongqing. Notable individuals who have held the municipal Party Secretary position include He Guoqiang , Wang Yang , Bo Xilai , Zhang Dejiang , and Sun Zhengcai , the latter three were Politburo members during their term as party chief. The party chief heads the municipal party standing committee , the de facto top governing council of the municipality. The standing committee

1736-616: A role it fulfills to this day. When the city of Nanning fell to the Japanese during the Battle of South Guangxi , China's sea-access was cut off. However, the Chinese victory at the Battle of Kunlun Pass kept the Burma Road open. When the Japanese began occupying French Indochina in 1940, the Burma Road that linked Kunming and the outside-world with unoccupied China grew increasingly vital as much of

1860-466: A total area of 21,600 square kilometres (8,340 square miles). Its widest stretch from the east to the west amounts to 140 kilometres (87 miles) and its largest expansion from the north to the south amounts to 220 kilometres (137 miles). Situated in a fertile lake basin on the northern shore of the Lake Dian and surrounded by mountains to the north, west, and east, Kunming has always played a pivotal role in

1984-544: Is 5,542,314, accounting for 86.16%; the population of all ethnic minorities add up to 889,898, accounting for 13.84%. Some of the 26 nationalities in the province live in Kunming, and the average life expectancy of the city's population is 76 years old. The city center has three major squares and six major streets: Jinma Biji Square, Nanping Square and Dongfeng Square are the main squares, while Nanping Street, Zhengyi Road, Renmin Road, Dongfeng Road, Jinbi Road, and Qingnian Road are

2108-812: Is Secretary of the Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party , which since 2007, has also held a seat on the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party , the country's second highest governing council. Under the USSR-inspired nomenklatura system of appointments, individuals are appointed to the position by the central leadership of the CCP and bestowed to an official based on seniority and adherence to party orthodoxy, usually given to an individual with prior regional experience elsewhere in China and nearly never

2232-533: Is a direct-administered municipality in Southwestern China . Chongqing is one of the four direct-administered municipalities under the Central People's Government , along with Beijing , Shanghai , and Tianjin . It is the only directly administrated municipality located deep inland. The municipality covers a large geographical area roughly the size of Austria , which includes several disjunct urban areas in addition to Chongqing proper. Due to its classification,

2356-669: Is also home to the Golden Temple , China's largest bronze temple dating from the Ming dynasty. Kunming is a major economic center in Western China. The city's economic importance derives from its geographical position, as it shares a border with various Southeast Asian countries, serving them as a transportation hub in Southwest China, linking by rail to Vietnam and Laos , and by road to Myanmar and Thailand . This positioning also makes

2480-604: Is because in the spring and fall, a thick layer of fog enshrouds it for 68 days per year. During the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), this special weather possibly played a role in protecting the city from being overrun by the Imperial Japanese Army . Since 1997 Chongqing has been a direct-controlled municipality in the Chinese administrative structure, making it a provincial-level division with commensurate political importance. The municipality's leader

2604-561: Is built on mountains and partially surrounded by the Yangtze and Jialing rivers. With its special topography , Chongqing's topography includes mountains, rivers, forests, springs, waterfalls, gorges, and caves. The Tang dynasty poet Li Bai was inspired by the natural scenery and wrote this epigram . The Zhongliang ( 中梁山 ) and Tongluo ( 铜锣山 ) mountains roughly form the eastern and western boundaries of Chongqing's urban area. Several high mountains are situated outside central Chongqing, including

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2728-479: Is common in this area, and stone forests, numerous collections of peaks, limestone caves and valleys can be found in many places. The Longshuixia Gap ( 龙水峡地缝 ), with its Three Natural Bridges , has made the region a popular tourist attraction. The Yangtze River runs through the whole area from west to east, covering a course of 665 km (413 mi), cutting through the Wu Mountains at three places and forming

2852-544: Is covered with blossoms and lush vegetation all-year round. The period from May to October is the monsoon season and the rest of the year is dry. The city has an annual mean temperature of 15.52 °C (59.9 °F), rainfall of 979 millimetres (38.5 in) (nearly three-fifths occurring from June to August) and a frost-free period of 230 days. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 30% in July to 69% in February and March,

2976-447: Is generally seen as a symbolic body. It convenes in full once a year to approve party-sponsored resolutions and local regulations and duly confirm party-approved appointments. On occasion the People's Congress can be venues of discussion on municipal issues, although this is dependent on the actions of individual delegates. The municipal People's Congress is headed by a former municipal official, usually in their late fifties or sixties, with

3100-493: Is given jurisdiction over specific municipal departments. The mayor is the second-highest-ranking official in the municipality. The mayor usually represents the city when foreign guests visit. The municipality also has a Municipal People's Congress , theoretically elected by lower level People's Congresses. The People's Congress nominally appoints the mayor and approves the nominations of other government officials. The People's Congress, like those of other provincial jurisdictions,

3224-574: Is known as the "City of Eternal Spring". The weather has seldom reached high temperatures in summer, only exceeding 30 °C (86 °F) on a handful of occasions. However, freak snowfalls occur in occasional winters. Controlled by a subtropical highland climate ( Köppen Cwb ), the monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from 8.9 °C (48.0 °F) in January to 20.3 °C (68.5 °F) in June, with daily high temperatures reaching their lowest point and peak in December and May, respectively. The city

3348-537: Is located in central-western China, would complement the other National Central Cities, all of which are located along China's eastern coastline. The same year on June 18, the Liangjiang New Area was established in Chongqing, which was the third state-level new area at the time of its establishment. Chongqing is located in the subtropics , situated in the transitional area between the Tibetan Plateau and

3472-412: Is located in the east of urban Qujing, the second largest city in Yunnan in terms of economic strengths. The location of the development zone is the economic, political and cultural center of Qujing. As an agency under Qujing municipal Party committee and municipal government, the administrative commission of QETDZ functions as an economy supervising body at the prefecture level and an administration body at

3596-575: Is one of the top 40 cities globally by scientific research output, as tracked by the Nature Index ; the municipality is home to several notable universities , including Chongqing University , Southwest University , and Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications . Chongqing's location is historically associated with the State of Ba . Its capital was first called Jiangzhou ( 江州 ). Jiangzhou subsequently remained under Qin Shi Huang 's rule during

3720-603: Is part of the West Triangle Economic Zone , along with Chengdu and Xi'an . As of 2022 , Chongqing hosts 70 institutions of higher education (excluding adult colleges), making it the fourth city with the most higher education institutions nationwide and the first city in Western China , which comprises Chongqing, six provinces ( Sichuan , Guizhou , Yunnan , Shaanxi , Gansu , and Qinghai ), and three autonomous regions ( Tibet , Ningxia , and Xinjiang ), with

3844-508: Is part of the larger karst-based landscape of the area. Located at an elevation of 1,890 metres (6,200 feet) on the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau with low latitude and high elevation, Kunming has one of the mildest climates in China, characterized by short, cool dry winters with mild days and crisp nights, and long, balmy and humid summers. With its perpetual spring-like weather which provides the ideal climate for plants and flowers, Kunming

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3968-607: Is small due to its relatively disadvantageous inland location. Instead, factories producing local-oriented consumer goods such as processed food, cars, chemicals, textiles, machinery, sports equipment and electronics are common. Chongqing is China's third largest motor vehicle production center and the largest for motorcycles. In 2007, it had an annual output capacity of 1 million cars and 8.6 million motorcycles. Leading makers of cars and motorbikes includes China's fourth biggest automaker; Changan Automotive Corp and Lifan Hongda Enterprise , as well as Ford Motor Company , with

4092-674: Is the joint of the Xiao River and the Jinsha River in Dongchuan District , with an elevation of 695 metres (2,280 feet). Its downtown area is 1,891 metres (6,204 feet) above sea level . About 96 km (60 mi) southeast of the city centre is the Stone Forest in Shilin County , a karst formation developed as a tourist attraction consisting of rock caves, arches, and pavilions. It

4216-410: Is typically composed of 13 individuals which includes the party chiefs of important subdivisions and other leading figures in the local party and government organization, as well as one military representative. The municipal People's Government serves as the day-to-day administrative authority, and is headed by the mayor , who is assisted by numerous vice mayors and mayoral assistants. Each vice mayor

4340-468: The 1999 World Horticultural Exposition . It was primarily during 1997 and 1998 that much of the city's roads, bridges and high rises were built. The World Horticultural Expo was widely regarded as a public relations success for Kunming. Today the after-effects of the Expo are apparent in more than just the physical improvements to the city—it was the Expo that made the outside world take notice of Kunming, which

4464-520: The ASEAN Regional Forum , China, Bangladesh and Myanmar (Burma) agreed to construct a highway from Kunming to Chittagong through Mandalay for trade and development. On 1 March 2014, 29 people were killed, and more than 130 were injured at Kunming Railway Station in a terrorist attack . Kunming is located in east-central Yunnan province. It is located between north latitude 24°23' and 26°22' N, and east longitude 102°10' and 103°40' E, with

4588-521: The Battle of Chongqing and Chengdu , Kunming was not out of the reach of Japanese air raids, and faced attacks by IJAAF and IJNAF bombers; military assets and infrastructure were under regular attack, while the RoCAF 18th Fighter Squadron and units of the Air Force Academy at Wujiaba were tasked with aerial defense of Kunming. The city of Kunming was prepared as an alternate National Redoubt in case

4712-661: The Economist Intelligence Unit in the November 2010 Access China White Paper as a member of the CHAMPS (Chongqing, Hefei , Anshan , Maanshan , Pingdingshan and Shenyang ), an economic profile of the top 20 emerging cities in China. Traditionally, due to its geographic inaccessibility, Chongqing and Sichuan have both been important military bases in weapons research and development. Even though Chongqing's industries are diversified, unlike eastern China, its export sector

4836-531: The Imperial Japanese Navy and Army Air Forces ; battles of which were fought entirely by the Chinese Air Force squadrons and anti-aircraft artillery units. Many lives were saved by the air-raid shelters which took advantage of the mountainous terrain. Chongqing was acclaimed to be the "City of Heroes" due to the indomitable spirits of its people as well as their contributions and sacrifices during

4960-613: The Lake Dian area later. "Kunming" has acted as a place name since the Three Kingdoms period, but the reference was not clear because this ethnicity occupied a large region. In the Yuan dynasty , the central government set up "Kunming County" in modern Kunming; the name "Kunming" has continued to this day. A 2009 research paper proposes that the name "Kunming" of Kunming Yi is a cognate word of " Khmer " and " Khmu " that originally meant "people". Kunming long profited from its position on

5084-581: The Qin dynasty , the successor of the Qin State, as well as the rule of Han dynasty emperors. Jiangzhou was subsequently renamed during the Northern and Southern dynasties to Chu Prefecture ( 楚州 ), then again in 581 AD ( Sui dynasty ) to Yu Prefecture ( 渝州 ), and later in 1102 during Northern Song to Gong Prefecture ( 恭州 ). The name Yu however survives to this day as an abbreviation for Chongqing, as well as for

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5208-576: The Second Sino-Japanese War (i.e., World War II), and from 1937 to 1945, the seat of administration for the Republic of China's government before its departure to Nanjing and then Taiwan . After the eventual defeat at the Battle of Wuhan General Chiang-Kai Shek and the army were forced to use it as base of resistance from 1938 onwards. It also contains a military museum named after the Chinese Korean War hero Qiu Shaoyun . Chongqing used to be

5332-479: The Three Gorges Dam project. Its first official ceremony took place on 18 June 1997. On 8 February 2010, Chongqing became one of the four National Central Cities , along with Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. According to Zhou Liqun, a consultant for National Development and Reform Commission of China, Chongqing's status as a National Central City would encourage the development of Western China . Chongqing, which

5456-588: The War of Resistance-World War II . Many factories and universities were relocated from eastern China and ultimately to Chongqing during years of setbacks in the war, transforming this city from inland port to a heavily industrialized city. After World War II ended, Chongqing became one of the last refuges of the Nationalist Kuomintang government on the Chinese mainland during the Chinese Civil War . Following

5580-543: The West Pagoda is along a narrow lane on the right. In the tiny surrounding courtyard, sociable idlers while away sunny afternoons playing cards and sipping tea in the peaceful, ramshackle surroundings. The East Pagoda is a more cosmetic, slightly tilted duplicate standing in an ornamental garden a few minutes' walk east on Shulin Jie. The temples associated with both pagodas are closed to the public. Chongqing Chongqing

5704-782: The Yangtze River Crossing campaign , the KMT capital of Nanjing was occupied by the Communists in 23 April. The KMT decamped first to Guangzhou , then Chongqing. Chongqing served as the KMT capital until late November 1949, when the Nationalist KMT government withdrew from the city by air. On 14 March 1997, the Eighth National People's Congress decided to merge the sub-provincial city with adjacent Fuling , Wanxian , and Qianjiang prefectures that it had governed on behalf of

5828-609: The communications of southwestern China . Lake Dian, known as "the Pearl of the Plateau", is the largest lake in Yunnan and the sixth largest fresh water lake in China. It has an area of approximately 340 square kilometres (130 square miles). Kunming's highest point is Mazong Ridge of the Jiaozi Snow Mountain in Luquan with an elevation of 4,247 metres (13,934 feet), and its lowest point

5952-480: The economic reforms of the mid-1980s, Kunming has enjoyed increased tourism and foreign investment . Several Thai Chinese banks have offices in Kunming, for example, Kasikorn Bank and Krung Thai Bank . Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand has visited Kunming many times to study Chinese culture and promote friendly relations. In the 1980s and 1990s, the city center was rebuilt, with Swiss help, in its current 'modern' style to impress visitors attending

6076-452: The most populous city proper in the world . As of 2010 , the metropolitan area encompassing the central urban area was estimated by the OECD to have, a population of 17 million. The Census also lists the male percentage as 50.55% and the female percentage as 49.55%. In terms of age distribution, of the total population, 15.91% were age 0–14, 62.22% were 15–64, and 21.87% were 65 and over. Of

6200-532: The 1,709.4 m (5,608 ft)-high Wugong Ling Mountain in Jiangjin. Chongqing has a monsoonal humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cwa ), bordering on a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa ) and for most of the year experiences very high relative humidity, with all months above 75%. Known as one of the " Three Furnaces " of the Yangtze River, along with Wuhan and Nanjing , its summers are long and among

6324-530: The 13th-century Venetian traveler Marco Polo . The area was first dubbed Kunming during the decline of the Yuan Dynasty. In the 14th century, Kunming was retaken from Mongolian control when the Ming dynasty defeated the Yuan dynasty . The Ming later built a wall surrounding present-day Kunming. 300 years later, Ming General Wu Sangui defected to Manchu invaders and held the city until his death in 1678, long after

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6448-571: The 2010 establishment of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area. The FTA made Kunming a trade and financial center for Southeast Asia. In addition to physical improvements to enhance Kunming's trade with Southeast Asia, the central and provincial governments have made financial preparations to assist the city's emergence. At the end of 2004, the central government approved Kunming to be one of the 18 mainland cities in which foreign banks could conduct business in renminbi . In July 2006, talks at

6572-702: The General and remaining army had lived there for a time following their retreat in 1938 from the previous capital of Wuhan , it was formally declared the second capital city ( 陪都 ; péidū ; p'ei -tu ) on 6 September 1940. After Britain, the United States, and other Allies entered the war in Asia in December 1941, one of the Allies' deputy commanders of operations in Southeast Asia (Southeast Asia Command SEAC), Joseph Stilwell ,

6696-603: The Himalayas from British bases in India to port-of-entry Kunming. The Office of Strategic Services ' Service Unit Detachment 101 (predecessor to the 1st Special Forces Group ) was also headquartered in Kunming. Its mission was to divert and disrupt Japanese combat operations in Burma. Kunming, the northern terminus of all three of the Burma Road, the Ledo Road , and The Hump supply-line,

6820-529: The Middle East and Africa. Recently, there has been a drive to move up the value chain by shifting towards high technology and knowledge intensive industries resulting in new development zones such as the Chongqing New North Zone (CNNZ). Chongqing's local government is hoping through the promotion of favorable economic policies for the electronics and information technology sectors, that it can create

6944-413: The US car giant having 3 plants in Chongqing. The municipality is also one of China's nine largest iron and steel producers in China as well as one of its three major aluminum producers. Important manufacturers include Chongqing Iron and Steel Company (重庆钢铁股份有限公司) and Southwest Aluminum (西南鋁業), which is Asia's largest aluminum plant. Agriculture remains significant. Rice and fruits, especially oranges, are

7068-421: The West, especially from the French Empire . In the late 1800s, the French started to build the Kunming-Haiphong railway between Kunming and Haiphong in what was then French Indochina . In the 1890s, an uprising against working conditions on the Kunming–Haiphong rail line saw many laborers executed after France shipped in weapons to suppress the revolt. The meter-gauge rail line, only completed by around 1911,

7192-473: The area's main produce. Natural resources are also abundant with large deposits of coal, natural gas, and more than 40 kinds of minerals such as strontium and manganese . Coal reserves total approximately 4,800,000,000 metric tons (4.7 × 10 long tons; 5.3 × 10 short tons). Chuandong Natural Gas Field is China's largest inland gas field with deposits of around 270 billion m – more than 1/5 of China's total. Has China's largest reserve of strontium (China has

7316-417: The arrivals of numerous foreign direct investors (FDI) in industries ranging from car to finance and retailing; such as Ford , Mazda , HSBC , Standard Chartered Bank , Citibank , Deutsche Bank , ANZ Bank , Scotiabank , Wal-Mart , Metro AG and Carrefour , among other multinational corporations. The city includes a number of economic and technological development zones: Chongqing itself

7440-406: The battered but regrouped Chinese Air Force in which Lieutenant General Claire Lee Chennault took command of cadet training duties in the summer of 1938. The Chinese Air Force command established the 41st Pursuit Squadron based in Kunming, also known as the French Volunteer Group squadron in June 1938, and with them they brought Dewoitine D.510 fighters, with the intention of securing the sale of

7564-407: The caravan route through to Southeast Asia , India and Tibet . Early townships on the southern edge of Lake Dian (outside the contemporary city perimeter) can be dated back to 279 BC, although they have been long lost to history. Early settlements in the area around Lake Dian date back to Neolithic times. The Dian Kingdom , whose original language likely belonged to the Tibeto-Burman languages ,

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7688-545: The city an important commercial center of trade in the region. The city also acts as a gateway to Southeast Asia and South Asia , the Kunming Changshui International Airport is one of the top 40- busiest airports in the world. As of 2024, the city is also home to six consulates from ASEAN countries. The headquarters of many of Yunnan's biggest corporations are based in the city, such as Hongta Group , Yunnan Copper Group , Hongyun Group, Yunnan Power Grid Co, and Fudian Bank. Kunming also houses some manufacturing, chiefly

7812-420: The city back into Qing hands. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was the seat of the superior prefecture of Yunnan . In 1832, the beginnings of a real city were acknowledged within the city walls and there were significant structures within their confines. The founding of the city can therefore be said to have been a predominantly 19th century affair. It was also in this century that the city grew to become

7936-480: The city by way of the Kun Qu Freeway . Buses to Kunming depart from Qujing Bus Station every half hour, the trip takes about three hours. The bus station also provides transportation to Dali, Honghezhou and other destinations around Qujing. Taxi and buses are available in Qujing. The base rate of a taxi is RMB 7 for the first 2.5 km (1.6 mi). Two train routes, Guizhou to Kunming and Nanning to Kunming, run through eight towns in Qujing each day. It takes one and

8060-407: The city came under the control of the Yuan dynasty during its invasion of the southwest in 1252–1253. During the reign of provincial governor Ajall Shams al-Din Omar , a "Chinese Style" city named Zhongjing was founded where modern Kunming is today. Shams al-Din ordered the construction of a Buddhist temple, a Confucian temple, and two mosques in the city. The Confucian temple, doubling as a school,

8184-400: The city center, each a solid thirteen stories of whitewashed brick crowned with four iron cockerels. The West Pagoda was built between 824 and 859, during the Tang dynasty ; its original counterpart, the East Pagoda, was built at the same time, but was destroyed by an earthquake in 1833 and rebuilt in the same Tang style in 1882. South down Dongsi Road, past another mosque , the entrance to

8308-403: The city open on the same terms as other ports, although it was not until 1907 that a steamship made the journey without the help of manual haulers. From 1896 to 1904, the American, German, French, and Japanese consulates were opened in Chongqing. During and after the Second Sino-Japanese War , from November 1937 to May 1946, it was Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek 's provisional capital. After

8432-428: The city receives 2,198 hours of bright sunshine annually. Extreme temperatures in the city have ranged from −7.8 to 32.9 °C (18 to 91 °F) on 29 December 1983 and 25 May 2014 respectively. Mineral resources include phosphorus, salt, magnesium, titanium, coal, quartz sand, clay, silica, copper. Phosphorus and salt mines are the most plentiful. Kunyang Phosphorus Mine is one of the three major phosphorus mines in

8556-446: The city's hinterland than the boundaries of the other three provincial level municipalities (Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin ), and much of its administrative area, which spans over 80,000 km (30,900 sq mi), is rural. At the end of year 2018, the total population is 31.02 million. As of 2022, Chongqing is the largest Chinese city by urban population, with a population of 22.80 million. Indicates with which district

8680-421: The city's historic center, where the old town once stood; its name is Yuzhong ( 渝中 , Central Yu). It received its current name in 1189, after Prince Zhao Dun of the Southern Song dynasty described his crowning as king and then Emperor Guangzong as a "double celebration" ( simplified Chinese : 双重喜庆 ; traditional Chinese : 雙重喜慶 ; pinyin : shuāngchóng xǐqìng , or chóngqìng in short). To mark

8804-588: The city, with Kunming's huge Bird and Flower Market convening daily in the streets connecting it with the northerly, parallel Guanghua Street. The market offers many plants such as orchids that have been collected and farmed across the province. In the small grounds of a now vanished Confucian temple off the western end of Changchun Road, there is an avenue of pines, an ancient pond and pavilion, and beds of bamboo, azaleas and potted palms. Jinbi Road runs south of Dongfeng Road. Both of them connect to Beijing Road. Two large Chinese pagodas rise south of Jinbi Road and

8928-489: The construction of large iron and steel and chemical complexes, along with Chongqing , Chengdu and Guiyang in the southwest . A Minorities' Institute was set up in the 1950s to promote mutual understanding and access to university education among Yunnan's multiethnic population. The city consolidated its position as a supply depot during the Vietnam War and subsequent border clashes . Until Mao Zedong's death, in much of

9052-407: The country's GDP and ranked 16th among province-level administrative units ; the municipality's primary, secondary and tertiary industries were worth CN¥201.21 billion (US$ 29.92 billion), CN¥1.169 trillion (US$ 173.86 billion) and CN¥1.542 trillion (US$ 229.3 billion) respectively. Its nominal GDP per capita was US$ 13,479 (CN¥90,663) and ranked 10th in the country. Chongqing has been identified by

9176-708: The country. Rock salt reserves are 1.222 billion tonnes (1.203  billion long tons ; 1.347 billion short tons ) and mirabilite reserves are 1.908 billion tonnes (1.878 billion long tons; 2.103 billion short tons). Dongchuan is a major copper production base. Proven reserves of Coal bed gas is about 500 billion cubic metres (18,000  billion cubic feet ), equal to 720 million tonnes (710 million long tons ; 790 million short tons ) of standard coal. Geothermal resources are widely distributed. Kunming has 2,585 hectares (6,390 acres ) of lawns, trees and flowers, averaging 4.96 square metres (53.4 square feet) per capita and

9300-457: The county level. It has 106 km (41 sq mi) under its jurisdiction. It shoulders the task of building a new 40-square-kilometer city area and providing service for a population of 400,000 in the upcoming 10 years. Among the resident population, the Han population is 5,442,131, accounting for 92.95% of the total population; the ethnic minorities population is 412,924, accounting for 7.1% of

9424-554: The days still generally warm up to around 15 °C (59 °F). During summer, a majority of the days features some rainfall, and daytime temperatures rise to 25 °C (77 °F). A great majority of the year's rainfall occurs from June to October. Qujing is linked to Kunming by the National Highway 320. Drive time is about three hours. The transportation system in Qujing is well developed. You can access almost every corner of

9548-429: The division was associated below prior to the merging of Chongqing, Fuling, Wanxian (now Wanzhou) and Qianjiang in 1997. The main urban area of Chongqing city ( 重庆主城区 ) spans approximately 5,473 km (2,113 sq mi), and includes the following nine districts: According to the 2020 national census , Chongqing has a population of 32,054,159, accounting for around 2.27% of the national total. This makes it

9672-512: The east bank of the Panlong River outside of the old city walls at the intersection of Beijing Road and Dongfeng Road, where in the mornings there are crowds doing taijiquan and playing badminton . Weekend amateur theatre is also performed in the square. The Panlong River has had an artificial flow ever since the construction of the Songhua Dam, and the river has been developed into effectively

9796-654: The east, Sichuan and Shaanxi to the north, and Guizhou to the south. Chongqing covers a large area crisscrossed by rivers and mountains. The Daba Mountains stand in the north, the Wu Gorge in the east, the Wuling Mountains in the southeast, and the Dalou Mountains in the south. The area slopes downward from north to south towards the Yangtze valley, and features a large massif of mountains and hills, with steep sloping areas at different heights. Karst landscape

9920-582: The end of 1938, many more of China's military forces and civilians retreated to cities outside the reach of the Japanese military ground forces a year prior to the outbreak of the Second World War in Europe in 1939, including the relocation of the Chinese Air Force Academy from Jianqiao Airbase to Kunming's Wujiaba Airbase , where the airfield was vastly expanded, becoming the new training hub for

10044-505: The essential support and materials were imported through Burma . After the attack on Pearl Harbor , and the start of the Pacific War in December 1941, Kunming acted as an Allied military command center, which grouped the Chinese, American, British and French forces together for operations in Southeast Asia. Kunming became the northern and easternmost terminus of the vital war-supply line into China known as " The Hump ' , which stretched over

10168-459: The fall of the Ming dynasty to a rebel army, Chongqing, together with the rest of Sichuan , was captured by Zhang Xianzhong , who was said to have massacred a large number of people in Sichuan and depopulated the province, in part by causing many people to flee to safety elsewhere. The Manchus later conquered the province, and during the Qing dynasty , immigration to Chongqing and Sichuan took place with

10292-845: The headquarters of the 13th Group Army of the People's Liberation Army , one of the two group armies that formerly comprised the Chengdu Military Region , which was reorganized into the Western Theater Command in 2016. Chongqing is the largest of the four direct-controlled municipalities of the People's Republic of China. The municipality is divided into 38 subdivisions (3 were abolished in 1997, and Wansheng and Shuangqiao districts were abolished in October 2011 ), consisting of 26 districts, 8 counties, and 4 autonomous counties. The boundaries of Chongqing municipality reach much farther into

10416-764: The home of the First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Republic of China Air Force , nicknamed the Flying Tigers . Kunming was also a transport terminus for the Burma Road . Kunming is at an altitude of 1,900 metres (6,234 feet) above sea level and a latitude just north of the Tropic of Cancer , and is situated in the middle of the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau . Kunming is the fourth most populous city in Western China , after Chongqing , Chengdu , and Xi'an , and

10540-411: The hottest and most humid in China, with highs of 34 °C (93 °F) in July and August in the urban area. Winters are short and somewhat mild, but damp and overcast. The city's location in the Sichuan Basin causes it to have one of the lowest annual sunshine totals nationally, at only 983 hours, lower than much of Northern Europe; the monthly percent possible sunshine in the city proper ranges from

10664-408: The main streets. While Beijing Road is arguably the main street of the city as a whole, it runs to the east of the city center. Jingxing Street, Guanghua Street, Zhengyi Road, Nanping Street, Qingnian Road, and Renmin Road are the main commercial areas in Kunming; the most popular pedestrian streets are Nanping Street, Zhengyi Road, and Jingxing Street. Kunming's modern city center is Nanping Square on

10788-619: The major market and transport centre for the region. Many of the city's inhabitants were displaced as a result of the 1833 Kunming earthquake . The rebel leader Du Wenxiu , the Muslim Han Sultan of Dali , attacked and besieged the city several times between 1858 and 1868. A great part of the city's wealth did not survive the 1856 Panthay Rebellion , when most of the Buddhist sites in the capital were badly damaged, converted to mosques or razed. Decades later, Kunming began to be influenced by

10912-418: The municipality had 31 bridges across the Yangtze River including over a dozen in the city's urban core. Aside from the city's first two Yangtze River bridges, which were built, respectively, in 1960 and 1977, all of the other bridges were completed since 1995. Public transport in Chongqing consists of metro , intercity railway, a ubiquitous bus system and the world's largest monorail network. According to

11036-564: The municipality of Chongqing is the largest city proper in the world by population, though Chongqing is not the most populous urban area. The municipality of Chongqing is the only Chinese municipality with a resident population of over 30 million; however, this number includes its large rural population. In 2020, Chongqing surpassed Shanghai as China's largest municipality by urban population; as of 2022 , it has an urban population of 22.8 million. The municipality contains 26 districts, 8 counties , and 4 autonomous counties . The city served as

11160-727: The name of an ancient ethnic group named Kunming Yi or Kunming Barbarian ( 昆明夷 ), which was a branch of the Di - Qiang people. The Kunming Yi lived in the neighbouring region of Erhai Lake during the Western Han dynasty. The Han dynasty incorporated the territory of the Dian Kingdom and set up a commandery called Yizhou in 109 BC; the Han dynasty also incorporated the Kunming Yi into Yizhou Commandery soon after. Therefore, Kunming Yi expanded east to

11284-442: The new street, Qingnian Lu, after them. The existence of the walls still echoes today at place names like the district of Xiaoximen ( 小西门 ; 'Lesser West Gate') and Beimen Jie ( 北门街 ; 'North Gate Street'). There are also less obvious connections to the wall, such as Qingnian Lu ( 青年路 ; 'Youth Road'), in the location of Kunming's east wall. After 1949, Kunming developed rapidly into an industrial metropolis with

11408-632: The northeast was a well-established trade trail to Yibin in Sichuan province on the Yangtze River . But these trails were all extremely difficult, passable only by mule trains or pack-carrying porters. Kunming reverted to county status in 1912, under the name Kunming, and became a municipality in 1935. The opening of the Kunming area began in earnest with the completion in 1906–1910 of the Kunming-Haiphong Railway to Haiphong in north Vietnam (part of French Indochina ). Kunming became

11532-469: The occasion of his enthronement, Yu Prefecture was therefore converted to Chongqing Fu . In 1362 (during the Yuan dynasty ), Ming Yuzhen , a peasant rebel leader, established the Daxia Kingdom ( 大夏 ) at Chongqing for a short time. In 1621 (during the Ming dynasty ), another short-lived kingdom of Daliang ( 大梁 ) was established by She Chongming ( 奢崇明 ) with Chongqing as its capital. In 1644, after

11656-665: The plain on the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze . Its climate features frequent monsoon conditions, often raining at night in late spring and early summer. The city's "night rain in the Ba Mountains", features in poems throughout Chinese history, including "Written on a Rainy Night—A Letter to the North" by Li Shangyin . Its territory is 470 km (290 mi) from east to west at its longest, and 450 km (280 mi) from north to south at its widest. It borders Hubei and Hunan to

11780-571: The planes to the Chinese Air Force; the French participated in some combat engagements against Japanese raids, including dogfights against Mitsubishi A5M fighters with Chinese Hawk III fighters over Nanchang , but after several setbacks, including a fighter pilot KIA , the group was disbanded in October 1938. Although the Empire of Japan was focusing on ending the Chinese war of resistance at

11904-401: The population practices Chinese ancestral religion , while 1.05% of the population identifies as Christian . The reports did not give figures for other types of religion; 72.32% of the population may be either irreligious or involved in worship of nature deities , Buddhism, Confucianism , Taoism, or folk religious sects . In 2010, there were 9,056 Muslims in Chongqing. Chongqing was

12028-498: The population's highest education level achieved, 15.41% were college, 15.96% were high school, 30.58% were middle school, and 29.89% were elementary school. As of 2021 , 70.4% of Chongqing's population is estimated to be urban, and 29.6%. Religion in Chongqing The predominant religions in Chongqing are Chinese folk religions , Taoist traditions and Chinese Buddhism . According to surveys conducted in 2007 and 2009, 26.63% of

12152-466: The processing of copper, as well as various chemicals, machinery, textiles, paper and cement. Kunming has a nearly 2,400-year history, but its modern prosperity dates only to 1910, when the railway from Hanoi was built. The city has continued to develop rapidly under China's modernization efforts. Kunming was designated a special tourism center and, as such, has experienced a proliferation of high-rises and luxury hotels . The name "Kunming" evolved from

12276-399: The province since September 1996, and grant it independence from Sichuan. The resulting single entity became Chongqing Municipality, containing 30,020,000 people in forty-three former counties without intermediate political levels. The municipality became the spearhead of China's effort to develop its western regions and to coordinate the resettlement of residents from the reservoir areas of

12400-462: The range of Japanese bombers. In addition, a number of universities and institutes of higher education were evacuated there. The increased trade and expertise quickly established Kunming as an industrial and manufacturing base for the wartime government in Chongqing . As the battles of Shanghai, Taiyuan and Nanjing were lost by the end of 1937, and with Wuhan falling into Japanese occupation by

12524-621: The rest of China had fallen under Manchu rule. During the beginning of Qing rule, the entirety of Yunnan and Guizhou were ruled from Kunming and Wu. During the Revolt of the Three Feudatories , the seat of Wu's newly declared Zhou dynasty was moved to Hengzhou in Hunan . Later in 1678, when Wu died, his grandson Wu Shifan resisted the Qing for two more months before committing suicide, reverting control of

12648-485: The rest of the country Kunming was still generally thought as a remote frontier settlement. Accordingly, the government utilized Kunming as a place where to exile people who had fallen politically out of favor, especially during the Cultural Revolution . In 1957, Kunming's rail link to Haiphong and Hanoi was re-opened (after being cut during World War II). It was cut again in 1979 and re-opened again in 1996. Since

12772-527: The six famous flowers of the city. The camellia was confirmed by the Municipality of Kunming as its city flower in 1983. The Kunming city government plans to create an environmental trial court to deal with environment-related lawsuits. It is to be part of the city's intermediate people's court and will have jurisdiction over appeals by companies that have been found guilty of violating environmental laws in cities throughout Yunnan. The population of Han

12896-419: The street has been demolished to make way for apartments and shopping centers. Rising behind a supermarket one block north off Zhengyi Road, Nancheng Qingzhen Si is the city's new mosque, its green dome and chevron-patterned minaret visible from afar and built on the site of an earlier Qing edifice. Running west off Zhengyi Road just past the mosque, Jingxing Street leads into one of the more bizarre corners of

13020-532: The support of the Qing emperor. In 1890, the British Consulate General was opened in Chongqing. The following year, the city became the first inland commerce port open to foreigners, with the proviso that foreign ships should not be at liberty to trade there until Chinese-owned steamers had succeeded in ascending the river. This restriction was abolished by the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895, which declared

13144-460: The temporary capital in Chongqing fell, with an elaborate system of caves to serve as offices, barracks and factories, but it was never utilised. Kunming was to have served again in this role during the ensuing Chinese Civil War , but the Nationalist garrison there switched sides and joined the Communists. Instead, Taiwan would become the last redoubt and home of the Republic of China government,

13268-417: The third most populous city in Southwestern China after Chongqing and Chengdu. As of the 2020 census, Kunming had a total population of 8,460,088 inhabitants, of whom 5,604,310 lived in its built-up (or metro) area made of all urban districts except Jinning . It is at the northern edge of Dian Lake , surrounded by temples and lakes and karst topography . Kunming consists of an old, previously walled city,

13392-531: The top 50 busiest airports in the world. The city's monorail system is the world's longest and busiest , as well as having the greatest number of stations, with 70. Chongqing is ranked as a Beta (global second-tier) city. It is the headquarters of the Changan Automobile , one of the " Big Four " car manufacturers of China. As of 2023 , the city hosts 12 foreign representations, the fifth-most in China behind Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu. It

13516-551: The total population. Kunming Kunming is the capital and largest city of the province of Yunnan in China . The political, economic, communications and cultural centre of the province, Kunming is also the seat of the provincial government. During World War II , Kunming was a Chinese military center and the location of the headquarters for the US Army Forces China-Burma-India. Wujiaba Airport served as

13640-559: The trip from Kunming to Qujing only 30 minutes long. The government seat is located in Qilin District. In 2016, total GDP was of 177.5 billion Yuan, and the GDP per capita of: 27044 yuans. Tobacco , automobiles , power generation and chemical engineering are the main industries in Qujing. Qujing Economic and Technological Development Zone (QETDZ) is a provincial development zone approved by Yunnan Provincial Government in August 1992. It

13764-420: The wartime capital for the Republic of China (ROC) during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945). On 14 March 1997, the current municipality was separated from the surrounding province of Sichuan , with the goal of furthering development in the central and western parts of the country. University of Washington professor Kam Wing Chan argued that Chongqing's status is more akin to that of a province rather than

13888-736: The well-known Three Gorges : the Qutang, Wuxia and Xiling gorges. Coming from northwest and running through "the Jialing Lesser Three Gorges" of Libi, Wentang and Guanyin, the Jialing River joins the Yangtze in Chongqing. Leaving at dawn the White Emperor crowned with cloud, I've sailed a thousand li through canyons in a day. With the monkeys' adieus the riverbanks are loud, My skiff has left ten thousand mountains far away. The central urban area of Chongqing, called Chongqing proper,

14012-404: The west bank of the Panlong River , at the intersection of Nanping Street and Zhengyi Street. This area is where Kunming's southern city wall once stood. Rapidly being modernized, this area is a crowded and dense shopping precinct packed with clothing and electronics stores. Surrounding the area are plenty of new high-rises. The area formerly considered the city center is Dongfeng Square, located on

14136-741: The world's 2nd biggest strontium deposit). Manganese is mined in the Xiushan area. Although the mining sector has been denounced as heavily polluting and unsafe. Chongqing is also planned to be the site of a 10 million ton capacity refinery operated by CNPC (parent company of PetroChina ) to process imported crude oil from the Sino-Myanmar pipelines . The pipeline itself, though not yet finished, will eventually run from Sittwe (in Myanmar's western coast) through Kunming in Yunnan before reaching Chongqing and it will provide China with fuels sourced from Myanmar,

14260-708: Was also established near the area. Dian was subjugated by the Chinese Han dynasty under the reign of Emperor Wu of Han in 109 BC. The Han dynasty incorporated the territory of the Dian Kingdom into their Yizhou Commandery , but left the King of Dian as the local ruler. The Han dynasty (205 BC–AD 220), seeking control over the Southern Silk Road running to Burma and India, brought small parts of Yunnan into China's orbit, but subsequent dynasties could do little to tame what

14384-558: Was based in the city. This made it a city of world importance in the fight against Axis powers, together with London , Moscow and Washington, D.C. The city was also visited by Lord Louis Mountbatten , the Supreme Commander of SEAC which was itself headquartered in Sri Lanka. Chiang Kai Shek as Supreme Commander in China worked closely with Stilwell. From 1938 to 1943, the city suffered from continuous massive bombing campaigns of

14508-622: Was designed by the French so that they could tap into Yunnan's mineral resources for their colonies in Indochina. Kunming was a communications center during this time and a junction of two major trading routes, one westward via Dali and Tengchong County into Myanmar , the other southward through Mengzi County to the Red River in Indochina . Eastward, a difficult mountain route led to Guiyang in Guizhou province and thence to Hunan province. To

14632-525: Was increasingly targeted by the IJAAF. When the Burma Road was lost to the Japanese, the Hump became China's primary lifeline to the outside world. The 1st American Volunteer Group, known as the " Flying Tigers ", was based in Kunming and tasked with defense of The Hump supply-line against Japanese aerial interceptions. Industry became important in Kunming during World War II . The large state-owned Central Machine Works

14756-540: Was relatively unknown at the time. In July 2005, the second Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Summit was held in Kunming, with government leaders from China, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam participating. There, China agreed to lend its neighbors more than $ 1 billion for a series of projects. China promoted GMS cooperation as a first step toward building an eventual China- ASEAN Free Trade Area . Infrastructure improvements were underway to improve links between Kunming and Southeast Asia in time for

14880-420: Was separated from Sichuan province and made into a municipality in its own right on 14 March 1997 in order to accelerate its development and subsequently China's relatively poorer western areas (see China Western Development strategy). By the 2000s the city had become an important industrial area in western China. As of 2022 , Chongqing's nominal GDP was US$ 433 billion ( CN¥ 2.91 trilion), about 2.41% of

15004-472: Was the first of its kind in Yunnan, attracting students from minority groups across the province. Coupled with his promotion of Confucian ceremonies and customs, Shams al-Din has been largely credited with the sinicization of the region. The city grew as a trading center between the southwest and the rest of China. It is considered by scholars to have been the city of Yachi Fu (鸭池府) where people had used cowries as cash and ate their meat raw, as described by

15128-567: Was then a remote and wild borderland until the 13th century. During the Sui dynasty (581–618), two military expeditions were launched against the area, and it was renamed Kunzhou in Chinese sources. Founded in 765, Kunming was known to the Chinese as Tuodong ( 拓東 ) city in the Kingdom of Nanzhao (737–902) during the 8th and 9th centuries. Tuodong later became part of the successor Kingdom of Dali (937–1253). The possession of Tuodong changed hands when

15252-420: Was transferred there from Hunan , while the manufacture of electrical products, copper, cement, steel, paper, and textiles expanded. Until 1952, Kunming was a walled city. The city government in 1952 ordered hundreds of young people to tear down the wall and use its bricks to make a new road running north–south. To show its appreciation for the young people that demolished the east wall, the city government named

15376-577: Was transformed into a modern city as a result of fighting of the Second Sino-Japanese War/World War II in 1937 with the outbreak of the Battles of Shanghai , Nanking and Taiyuan , forcing a great movement of refugees from the north and eastern coastal regions of China, bringing much commerce and industry into the southwest of China, including Kunming. They carried dismantled industrial plants with them, which were then re-erected beyond

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