Cambodia and Vietnam signed an agreement on Saturday that will link the two countries' railways, an important step in the creation of a Southeast Asian rail network that will connect major cities and tourist destinations between Kunming and Singapore.

China will help Cambodia with completion of the rail link with Vietnam, according to an AFP report quoting Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong. The Cambodian segment of the 5,382 kilometer (3,344 mile) rail network is expected to cost more than US$500 million - Cambodia's domestic rail network is still in disrepair after a civil war that ended in the 1990s.

Improvement of Cambodia's rail connectivity with its Southeast Asian neighbors is expected to boost the country's small but fast-growing economy. Hor Namhong said that Cambodia-Vietnam cross-border trade in the first eight months of this year totaled US$1.7 billion.

The opening of rail traffic between Cambodia and Vietnam will add to existing Southeast Asian cross-border rail connections between Singapore and Malaysia and Malaysia and Thailand. Cambodia has a rail connection to its western neighbor Thailand – with which it has recently been engaged in a violent border dispute – but it has fallen into disuse.

Tags: Cambodia, Hor Namhong, logistics, Malaysia, Singapore, Southeast Asia, Thailand, trains, transportation, Vietnam

Kunming Airlines (昆明航空公司) announced that it will launch its first flights in January of next year, according to Kunming media reports.

Kunming Airlines CEO Wang Qingmin (王清民) told reporters that Kunming Airlines is receiving investment from Shenzhen Airlines and will also draw support from the airline's management and IT systems.

Kunming is building what is expected to be China's fourth-largest airport which is expected to drive the city's emergence as the main air hub between China, Southeast Asia and South Asia.

Wang said Kunming Airlines has a 15-year development plan it calls its '3-5-7 Plan', which involves three stages of strategic development. In the airline's first three years (2008-2010) the airline will assemble a fleet of 30-40 planes and establish an extensive flight network throughout Yunnan. During this stage the airline will also establish routes to China's provincial capitals and economically developed cities on the mainland, eventually connecting these cities with major Southeast Asian destinations.

In the following five years (2010-2015) the airline plans on upgrading its fleet to 80-100 planes and establish hubs in Xi'an and Guangzhou while strengthening its trunk and branch routes.

During the seven years after that (2015-2022) Kunming Airlines will expand its fleet to 150-200 planes and establish hubs in Tianjin and Hangzhou and will focus on developing its international reach.

Shenzhen Airline's involvement in Kunming Airlines brings needed credibility to the new airline, which was formally established in 2005. Established in 1993, Shenzhen Airlines has been profitable for the last 14 years and is China's largest privately held airline. Specific terms of Shenzhen Airlines' investment in Kunming Airlines have not been released.

Related articles:

Kunming to get new airline

Kunming to build China's 4th-largest airport

Kunming-Singapore rail link, Yunnan Airport Group seeking investment

Tags: aviation, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Kunming Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Tianjin, transportation, travel, Wang Qingmin, Xi'an

Malaysia has called for a clear timetable for the completion of the rail network that will link Kunming with Singapore, a project that has been ongoing since 1994.

Yesterday Malaysian Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat told the rail network's 10th Special Working Group Meeting in Putrajaya, according to Malaysian media reports.

The 5,382 kilometer (3,344 mile) rail network will connect Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam with Kunming and other cities in Yunnan. The main obstacle to getting the network up and running is the existence of around 550 kilometers of gaps between rail lines around the region. According to Ong:


Ong said that despite concerns about rising costs of construction materials, Malaysia was not going to pressure poorer countries in the region – ie Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar – to meet the generally hoped-for completion target of 2015, although Malaysia's last gaps will be filled before then.


Once completed, the rail network is expected to greatly boost regional trade and tourism as well as contributing to poverty reduction in poorer areas throughout the region. It will also bolster Kunming's position as the primary Chinese logistics hub for trade with Southeast Asian countries.

Tags: Cambodia, Laos, logistics, Malaysia, Myanmar, Ong Tee Keat, Putrajaya, Singapore, Southeast Asia, Thailand, tourism, trade, trains, transportation, Vietnam

Ground was broken yesterday on a new bicycle and pedestrian path that will encircle Dianchi Lake and will be off limits to motorized vehicles, according to Kunming media reports.

The so-called "Dianchi Landscape Path" (环滇池景观道) will be a total of 75.75 kilometers (47 miles) long. In addition to offering views of the heavily polluted, occasionally miasmatic but generally scenic Dianchi Lake, the path will also be accompanied by a landscaped green belt. It is scheduled for completion within two years.

The path's construction comes at a time when fewer Kunming residents are riding bicycles and more are driving their own cars or riding electric bicycles. Not so long ago, a two-day bicycle ride around the lake on the roads encircling Dianchi Lake was a popular weekend getaway for university students to get some exercise, or more often, for young lovers to escape from the lack of privacy of dorm life.

Today, local media often refers to Kunming as Ducheng (堵城), loosely meaning "Congestion City", as cars have taken over the city. Car ownership rates are climbing quickly and at last count more than 560 motorized vehicles were being registered in the city each day.

With most of the city's road resources being mobilized to deal with more and more cars, the Dianchi Landscape Path is a rare investment in Kunming's cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.

Not surprisingly, the path's construction is the lesser half of the 8.8 billion yuan (US$1.3 billion) "Two Rings" construction project that also includes renovation of Huanhu Lu (环湖路), the road that encircles Dianchi Lake, which will be constructed into an eight-lane highway.

Image: ncic.ac.cn

Related articles:

Yunnan unveils newest plan to clean Dianchi Lake

Dianchi Lake slimed by blue-green algae

Kunming goes car crazy

Tags: bicycles, cars, Dianchi Lake, environment, exercise, health, Huanhu Lu, pedestrians, transportation, walking

Two major transportation infrastructure projects which will dramatically increase Yunnan's regional and international importance are both seeking investment, according to Chinese news reports.

Southeast Asian rail network looking for funds
Economic ministers from China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) announced at a meeting in Singapore last Friday that they will hold a conference and exhibition to attract investment in a 5,000-kilometer railway network that will link Kunming with Singapore.

According to a joint statement released during the meeting, there are still 550 kilometers of gaps in the network that need to be filled. The remaining work is projected to cost US$2 billion at year 2006 prices.

Once complete, the network will connect Kunming, Dali, Baoshan, Hekou and other cities in Yunnan province with Singapore plus major cities in Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia.

Yunnan Airport Group seeks cash for expansion
Yunnan Airport Group Co (YAG) is seeking strategic investors to assist in financing its upcoming expansion in Yunnan province, which includes a new 18.4 billion yuan (US$2.69 billion) airport in Kunming that will be China's fourth-largest in terms of both passenger and cargo traffic.

YAG is looking for cash-only investors to raise its registered capital in exchange for a maximum 40 percent share in the group. In addition to the Kunming airport, other airport projects will be started around Yunnan.

The new Kunming international airport is a key project of China's 11th Five-Year Plan and is positioned to be an international aviation hub with direct flights throughout Asia as well as to Europe, North America and Australia. The airport is expected to begin operations by 2010 and is projected to handle 38 million passengers and 1.3 million tons of cargo in its first year.

Hong Kong Airport Authority, Australia-based Macquarie Group, and the operators of Singapore's Changi Airport and Frankfurt Airport have reportedly expressed interest in investing in YAG.

Related articles:

Kunming-Singapore rail link by 2015?

Kunming to build China's 4th-largest airport

Tags: ASEAN, aviation, business, logistics, rail transport, transportation, Yunnan Airport Group

One week to the day after two bus bombs killed two and injured 14 on two number 54 buses on Renmin Xi Lu in Kunming, the city was on edge once more as rumors of another explosion Monday night – this time a K2 bus – spread like wildfire via text messages and phone calls.

Local media is reporting that "another abnormal incident occurred" Monday night at 8:40 – once again on Renmin Xi Lu – near the intersection of Haiyuan Lu. At a press conference this morning, Kunming police spokesman Liu Zheng said the incident was a tire blowout.

According to local reports, the bus in question was driven away shortly after police and ambulances arrived at 8:50. Some people at the scene said they thought there was an explosion on the bus, while others said a tire had exploded.

Unlike last week's explosions, which shattered all the windows on the two buses that were attacked, last night's bus in question reportedly had no broken windows, with only an oil stain on the road left behind after it left the scene.

Last Wednesday, a video purportedly released by the Turkestan Islamic Party claimed responsibility for the July 21 bus attacks in Kunming, saying further attacks would take place throughout China, aimed at stopping the Olympics. A spokesman for the Yunnan Public Security Bureau said no connection had been found between the bus attacks and terrorist organizations.

Despite any evidence that last night's incident was a deliberate man-made explosion, bars, restaurants and entertainment venues were on high alert and searching customer bags thoroughly.

In what may or may not be a related event, three China Southern flights – two to Guiyang and one to Changsha – were delayed at 9:40 Monday night at Kunming Wujiaba International Airport for "weather reasons".

The passengers, numbering more than 170, were not provided with food or lodging by China Southern, and slept in the departure hall or elsewhere at the airport after some took taxis to a hotel China Southern told them they had prepared for them, only to be turned away by the hotel at 2 am Tuesday morning.

This morning, several of the passengers clashed with airport police, smashing computers, desks and other items.

Related articles:

Two dead, 14 injured in Kunming bus explosions

Kunming on high alert after double bus bombing

Investigation into bomb attacks continues, injured recovering

Kunming bus attacks: Police triple reward as new clue emerges

Official: Uighur group not responsible for Kunming bus attacks

Tags: 7.21 bus explosions, China Southern, crime, Kunming Wujiaba International Airport, terrorism, traffic, transportation

Today at approximately 7:05 am a bus running the number 54 route exploded at the Panjiawan bus stop on Renmin Xi Lu, killing one and injuring ten, according to initial Kunming media reports.

Approximately one hour later at 8:05, another bus exploded at the intersection of Renmin Xi Lu and Changyuan Lu, reportedly killing one passenger and injuring four.

As of 11:30 am, no official announcements regarding the explosions have been made by the Kunming police or municipal government.

According to reports, eyewitnesses at the Panjiawan incident described an extremely loud explosion and all the windows of the bus shattering, covering the street with glass.

A special task force comprised of provincial and municipal officials has been organized and dispatched to the scenes of the explosions and an investigation is underway.

A BBS on local internet portal clzg.cn has posted some photos of scenes from after the Panjiawan explosion.

Update: Reuters is reporting a third explosion in the vicinity of Minshan, and both Reuters and Al-Jazeera seem to be suggesting a possible connection between today's blasts and a violent clash between farmers and police at a rubber plant in southern Yunnan's Menglian (孟连) on Saturday in which two farmers were killed and 54 people – including 41 police – were injured.

Video of the Panjiawan blast's wreckage has been posted by the website ChinaNews.com.

Shanghai Daily is reporting that the Kunming municipal government will hold a press conference about the blasts this afternoon, citing a CCTV report.


Update 2: Chinese news site ccvic.com is reporting a third fatality from the original two blasts. According to the report, the third victim died while on the way to the hospital. The above image comes from the same report.

Update 3: Sources at Kunming Wujiaba International Airport have told GoKunming that at least one flight has been delayed due to weather-related reasons, despite no apparent inclement weather.

Top image: Yunnan.cn

Tags: buses, explosions, Panjiawan, transportation

Editor's note: Every week for the remainder of 2008 GoKunming will publish photos from the collection of 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 Yin Xiaojun (殷晓俊). GoKunming thanks Yin Xiaojun for providing us a glimpse of Kunming at the beginning of the 20th Century.

Year: 1901
Subject: The White Pagoda (白塔, Baita)
Location: Near the intersection of Baita Lu and Tuodong Lu

Background:

While much of present-day China was under the rule of the flourishing Tang Dynasty, Yunnan was part of the Nanzhao Kingdom (南诏), an upstart regional power whose territory at one point would stretch from Chengdu to northern Thailand and from northern Myanmar to Guizhou.

Kunming first began to emerge as a major settlement – it was originally known as Tuodong (拓东) – more than a millennium ago, during the height of the Nanzhao's reign in the Eighth and Ninth Centuries. Based in Dali, the Nanzhao is known for its penchant for Pagodas, and it left its mark on Kunming with several structures, some of which are still standing, while others such as the White Pagoda (白塔, Baita) – succumbed to the pressures of urban development.

The White Pagoda, highlighted in the above photograph by Auguste François taken in 1901, has the unfortunate distinction of being one of the first important architectural structures in Kunming to be demolished to make way for increasing traffic. Back in 1901 there were no BMWs, SUVs or even QQs choking the streets – traffic tended to consist of pedestrians and the odd water buffalo cart.

By 1913, the Nanzhao had been nonexistent for 1,000 years and Tuodong had been going by its new name of Kunming for only one year. Five years before, the city was officially opened to foreign trade as an inland treaty port – a development which led to its first period of rapid growth. Kunming was highly coveted by France, which had three years earlier completed a railway linking the city with the port of Haiphong in present-day Vietnam.

As traffic flow reached new levels of congestion, it was decided by the city government that the White Pagoda, with its narrow tunnel and low overhead, would have to be demolished to make way for modernity. Today the sacrifice of the White Pagoda is commemorated by the name of the street that runs through where it once stood for more than 1,000 years – Baita Lu (白塔路).

The image below is a photograph taken in May, 2008 by GoKunming – 107 years after François preserved the White Pagoda on film.



Related articles:

Auguste François, Yin Xiaojun and Kunming at the end of the Qing Dynasty

Yuantong Temple's secret colonial past

Construction of 'Turtle Back' throws Kunming traffic into chaos

Tags: Auguste François, Baita Lu, demolition, history, Nanzhao Kingdom, old Kunming, Tang Dynasty, traffic, transportation, Tuodong, White Pagoda, Yin Xiaojun