Yang Liping to unveil new dance and music production
Yunnan native and dancer Yang Liping (杨丽萍) will unveil 'Yunnan Sound', her newest dance and music production, at the Yunnan Art Institute's Experimental Theater on May 7 and 8, according to a report on en.kunming.cn.

Yang, known best for her rendition of the Dai peacock dance and her popular touring show 'Dynamic Yunnan' has reportedly focused on making instruments of everyday objects from around Yunnan and incorporating them with traditional instruments and music from Yunnan's ethnic minority groups.

Three on trial for Yangzonghai Lake arsenic pollution
Three top executives from the chemical company deemed responsible for the majority of arsenic pollution in Yangzonghai Lake are currently standing trial in the people's court of Chengjiang County. The trial, which began on Tuesday, is expected to conclude today or tomorrow.

Chengjiang Jinye Industry and Trade Co Ltd CEO Li Dahong, general manager Li Yaohong and production manager Jin Dadong are charged with contaminating Yangzonghai Lake, which was previously the source of drinking water for 26,000 people.

According to Kunming environmental officials, the lake's arsenic level has been reduced from 0.128 mg/liter to 0.111 mg/liter since September. Yunnan Governor Qin Guangrong (秦光荣) has estimated that it will take three years to reduce the lake's arsenic concentration to safe levels, which is projected to cost approximately 4 billion yuan (US$600 million).

On a related note, the Kunming government just announced that it will spend an additional 280 million yuan annually on protecting the city's drinking water supply.

South Asian Gate proposed height raised to 333 meters
The planned height of the South Asian Gate (南亚之门), a skyscraper that will tower over Kunming upon its completion, has been raised to 333 meters. The building, which will be the highest in all of Yunnan province, was originally scheduled to be 316 meters tall, with more than 70 floors.

The multipurpose building will be home to Kunming's highest concentration of Grade A office space, plus a 5-star hotel, high-end residences, commercial space and leisure/entertainment facilities.

Despite being landlocked, Yunnan has plenty of water, including the headwaters of the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween Rivers. It is also home to nine large lakes, with Kunming's Dianchi Lake (滇池) the biggest of the group.

Dianchi Lake is also famous for being heavily polluted – to the point where its water is unfit for industrial use. Yunnan's polluted lake club has recently added a new member – Yangzonghai Lake (阳宗海) – which the provincial government announced has heavy levels of arsenic in its waters. Yangzonghai is now officially considered unfit for drinking, swimming in or fishing in.

The arsenic discovery came during a snap inspection of enterprises operating in the Yangzonghai basin 45 kilometers east of Kunming, with eight companies found to be engaging in illegal polluting practices. Yunnan Chengjiang Jinye Industrial and Trade Co Ltd (云南澄江锦业工贸有限公司) has been named as the main polluter.

The company allegedly failed to build the legally required treatment facility for its wastewater, with years of accumulated arsenic seeping into the local water table. Yunnan Communist Party Secretary Bai Enpei (白恩培) and Yunnan Governor Qin Guangrong (秦光荣) have pledged to take "decisive action" to remedy the situation.

As recently as 2002, Yangzonghai had been noted for having water clean enough for drinking and swimming – a stark contrast to the environmental devastation of nearby Dianchi Lake. In February of this year, Kunming Communist Party Secretary Qiu He (仇和) visited Yangzonghai, warning local enterprises that the lake must not become a "second Dianchi".

Related articles:

Dianchi Lake slimed by blue-green algae

Sailing in Kunming