GoKunming

GoKunming Weekend Preview

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:45:00 +0800

Friday: Latin party at Uprock
Chengdu-based DJ Joe will bring his latin party to Uprock tonight, featuring salsa, merengue, and hip-hop meringue. Tunes start at 10:00, entry is 15 yuan.

Friday: Guitar master Haro Tomohisa at TCG Nordica
TCG Nordica will host a free performance tonight by guitar master Haro Tomohisa. Music starts at 8:00.

Saturday: 4th of July party at Lazy Bones Pizza
Lazy Bones Pizza will be throwing a Fourth of July party on Saturday beginning at 6:00 with happy hour drink specials all night plus barbecue.

Saturday: 4th of July party at Double Happiness Bar
Double Happiness Bar will also be holding a Fourth of July party with barbecue – festivities begin at 7:00.

Saturday: German Bold at Uprock
DJ Joe will be joined by DJ/MC Marty McFly at Uprock on Saturday night for the Kunming stop of the duo's Krautpleaserz tour. Their mix of dub, dubstep, dirty electro, and Marty McFly's live MCing over drum n bass begins at 10:00 entry is 15 yuan.

Saturday: Solo jazz and soul concert at TCG Nordica
On Saturday night, TCG Nordica will have another live performance, this time it will be a solo jazz and soul performance by Emanuelle. Show starts at 8:00, entry fee is 20 yuan.

Yunnan government pushing for new Eurasian land bridge

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:50:00 +0800

China should push forward the building of a third Eurasian land bridge connecting Shenzhen and Rotterdam, Yunnan Governor Qin Guangrong told the China Daily yesterday.

The 15,000 kilometer proposed transport corridor would pass through 17 countries – in China it would pass through Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan before entering Myanmar and passing through Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Iran and Turkey before continuing into Europe.

Qin said the rail and road network would stimulate trade and by providing an alternate route to Europe would also promote China's energy and economic security.

Qin was in Beijing with other Yunnan officials for meetings with the central government to discuss a proposal to help Myanmar build more than 300 kilometers of road and rail to link Yunnan's rail network with South Asia's highway network.

If built, the proposed land bridge would join the two existing transport routes across the Eurasian continent - one spanning 13,000 kilometers from Rotterdam to eastern Russia and the other covering 10,900 kilometers connecting Rotterdam with Lianyungang in eastern China's Jiangsu province.

Qin said that a branch line for the third land bridge extending from Turkey through Syria and Palestine into Egypt would also facilitate the transport of goods manufactured in Guangdong's Pearl River Delta to African markets by cutting 6,000 kilometers off of the Guangdong-Egypt sea journey.

Scholars first raised the idea of a third land bridge two years ago, but no progress has been made - despite only needing to add approximately 1,000 kilometers of new highways and railways to existing transport infrastructure.

The proposed land bridge's main obstacles are disinterested national governments and cumbersome border crossing procedures, analysts said.

Image: China Daily

Yunnan to conduct yuan business with Southeast Asia in pilot program

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:50:00 +0800

Yunnan and neighboring Guangxi will soon be allowed to use the yuan to settle transactions with Southeast Asia, according to a government official speaking at the China-ASEAN Expo yesterday.

China-ASEAN Expo vice secretary general Nong Rong told reporters at the trade fair in Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, that conducting business with Southeast Asian countries in yuan would lower the foreign exchange risks posed by currency fluctuations.

"Preparation work for the pilot programs are progressing smoothly," Nong said. "Some companies that were deterred by foreign-exchange risk may now seek to expand overseas as the risks have been reduced."

China's State Council initially announced its plans to let Yunnan and Guangxi conduct yuan settlement in Southeast Asia last December. Since then it has also announced its intentions to launch similar programs in Shanghai and four cities in Guangdong.

Should China launch the Yunnan/Guangxi yuan settlement scheme, it will be a significant step in the development of the yuan into an increasingly important global currency. Chinese President Hu Jintao and other officials have called for the yuan to eventually become a global reserve currency alternative to the US dollar.

Kunming news roundup

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:40:00 +0800

Kunming explorer finishes Sahara expedition
Kunming native and famous Chinese explorer/adventurer Jin Feibao completed his crossing of Africa's Sahara Desert last week.

Jin and geologist Fei Xuan spent 80 days crossing the desert by various modes of transportation from Ghana's Atlantic coast to Cairo on the Red Sea in an expedition that aimed to raise China's exploration credentials and study the effects of desertification.

During the course of their travels, Jin and Fei fell out of contact with their Kunming operations base, with Xinhua erroneously reporting that the two had disappeared and may have been abducted by "terrorists".

Visa problems became an issue when the two travelers were briefly arrested in Algeria for overstaying their visas while waiting for Egyptian visas after getting denied Libyan visas. Jin and Fei had to fly from Algiers to Beijing to Cairo, skipping Libya and thus being unable to traverse the Sahara without interruption.

The Yunnan Provincial Museum will hold an exhibition of Jin's photos from his Sahara expedition from July 8 through 13. A preview of some of the photos can be found on Jin's English-language blog.

Kunming rail station a 'drug control frontier'
As expected, recent upgrades in transport connectivity with Southeast Asia have helped boost Yunnan's foreign trade and regional influence. Also not surprisingly, it has led to increased inflows of illegal drugs.

The Kunming railway station has become a major jumpoff point for illegal drugs from Southeast Asia to make their way to other parts of China, so much so that China's Ministry of Railways is calling the station a "drug control frontier" according to a Xinhua report.

In the first five months of this year, police at Kunming's train station confiscated 31 kilograms of illegal drugs connected to 242 criminal cases in which 283 individuals were detained.

Pepsi to open 'green' plant in Kunming
PepsiCo Inc announced last Friday that it will build a 'green' bottling plant in Kunming and four other cities in China in the coming two years, according to a Reuters report.

The announcement comes after the world's second-largest soft drink producer announced the opening of a new facility in Chongqing that satisfies the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, which employ water- and energy-saving systems.

In addition to a plant in Kunming – where rival Coca-Cola Co already has a bottling facility – PepsiCo said it will open plants in the cities of Zhengzhou, Quanzhou, Lanzhou and Nanchang.

Jin Feibao image: jinfeibao8844.com

Ticket giveaway: German Bold

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:55:00 +0800

The Germans are coming: Chengdu-based DJ duo German Bold play Kunming two nights this weekend.

This weekend, Uprock hosts Chengdu-based DJ Joe and DJ/MC Marty McFly for two nights.

On Friday night DJ Joe will be spinning salsa, merengue, and hip-hop merengue, bringing the Latin Party series he started three years ago in Chengdu to Kunming.

On Saturday, German Bold performs at Uprock as part of their Krautpleaserz World Tour.

German Bold is the union of German Chengduers DJ Joe and DJ/MC Marty McFly. Kunmingers who were in the city last New Year's eve might recall DJ Joe's dubstep and drum n bass set at Uprock.

Having seen an enthusiastic turnout at the Zebra Music Festival's Xiongmao stage this past May in Chengdu, the duo has embarked on a world tour this summer. Chongqing's Cici Park was the first victim; then a stop at home base's Xiongmao; this weekend, German Bold will let loose on Kunming at Uprock with their mix of dub, dubstep, dirty electro, and Marty McFly's live MCing over drum n bass.

Entrance to the parties is 15 yuan each night, but the first 10 registered GoKunming users to contact us can win free admission to one of the two nights!

How do you win? Send your mobile number, registered GoKunming username and "Latin Party" or "Krautpleaserz" (depending on which ticket you would like) to GoKunming via our contact form. Five tickets will be available for each night.

The contest closes at 11:59 p.m. Beijing time on Thursday, July 2. The winners will be notified by e-mail and SMS, and their names added to the guest list for the appropriate night.

DJ Joe's Latin Party, Friday, July 3, at 10 p.m.
German Bold's Krautpleaserz tour Kunming stop, Saturday, July 4, at 10 p.m. Both at Uprock

Official: Urban light rail construction to begin in August

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:40:00 +0800

Despite construction work having already begun, it is now official: Kunming will soon have its own urban light rail network.

The city's light rail system was approved by the State Council in Beijing on June 8th of this year and construction is formally set to begin in August, although China Railway Construction Construction signs have been surrounding construction sites around Kunming for the last several weeks and some work is already underway.

According to city planning officials, Kunming's light rail network will consist of a total of six lines made up of three main lines (lines one through three) and three auxiliary lines (four through six). The three main lines will combine to cover 62.6 kilometers, serving a total of 47 stations. All told, the six lines will cover 162.6 kilometers.

The first phase of construction, which will include lines one and two, is scheduled for completion at the end of 2012.

Here's a rough summary of the different lines:

One: will span 34 kilometers, connecting downtown Kunming with Chenggong new city

Two: will connect north and south Kunming.

Three: will connect east and west Kunming primarily via Dongfeng Lu and Renmin Lu

Four and Five: will serve as feeder lines for the main lines

Six: will connect Kunming's new airport, currently under construction, with the city

In addition to relieving pressure on Kunming's notoriously inefficient road network, the subway and elevated rail stations are expected to have a positive effect on nearby residential and commercial property values.

GoKunming Weekend Preview

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:35:00 +0800

Friday: American Citizen Services at Grand Park Kunming
American citizens take note: the Chengdu consulate will have staff on hand at the Grand Park Hotel this morning to offer passport applications and renewals, extra passport pages, applications for consular report of birth abroad, certificates of marriageability and notarials. The services will be handled on a first come, first serve basis from 9 am to noon, more information here.

Friday and Saturday: Café de Jack 20th Anniversary weekend
Café de Jack in Dali old town is celebrating its 20th birthday this weekend with DJ Kris playing tonight and a live band on Saturday. Entry is free both nights – expect a big turnout both nights, especially tonight.

Friday and Saturday: Live jazz with Luz at Moonlight Corner
Jazz band Luz from Argentina will play the both nights this weekend at the Green Lake Moonlight Corner's jazz bar. The band will play a mix of jazz standards and jazzed-up Chinese classics from 9:15 to 10:45.

Friday through Sunday: Culinary tour of Tuscany at The Box II
This weekend The Box IIreview_363# will start a culinary journey through Italy - the first stop will be Tuscany. Local Tuscan food and wines will be served this weekend. For reservations call 15825267010 or email TheBoxRestaurant[at]gmail[dot]com.

Friday: Second Hand Rose at On the Go
Chinese rock veterans Second Hand Rose will play tonight at On the Go as part of their national tour in support of their newest album Tapo Tiexie (踏破铁鞋 Wearing out iron shoes). Show starts at 9 pm, entry is 50 yuan, or 45 for students with ID or advance tickets bought at Wheatfield Bookstore.

Friday: Live Jazz at 1895 Movie Bar
Pianist James and vocalist Rebecca of Kunming Social Club will be performing jazz standards tonight at the 1895 Movie Bar just outside the Kundu Night Market. Music starts at 10:30, entry is free.

Friday: DJ Shen Yue at Uprock
Beijing DJ Shen Yue will play tonight at Uprock. Music starts at 10, entry is 25 yuan.

Saturday: Horsemann at 1895 Movie Bar
Horsemann, formerly known as Fillmore, made up of Eddy (guitar and vocals, Netherlands), Roeland (guitar and piano, Netherlands) and Philippe (drum and vocals, France) will perform their set of acoustic songs Saturday night beginning at 10:30. Entry is free.

Saturday: Dance performance at TCG Nordica
TCG Nordica in the Loft/Chuangku art compound will host a dance performance beginning at 8 pm. Entry is 10 yuan.

Saturday: Hiphop/Ladies' night/DJs at Uprock
Saturday night at Uprock will begin with live hiphop starting at 8:00, entry is 10 yuan. There will also be ladies' night specials with selected shooters free for ladies from 10:00 until midnight. From midnight onward, music will be provided by DJs DD and Mong and entry will be free.

Sunday: Live blues at 1895 Movie Bar
Tommy Nitro from Oakland will be singing the blues at the 1895 Movie Bar on Sunday night. Tommy will start playing at 9:30 and will switch between the piano and his guitar. Entry is free.

Yunnan news roundup

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:10:00 +0800

Yunnan CBA team up for sale
The Honghe Running Bulls, one of the worst teams in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), is up for sale.

The team's owner is unable to pay its players, according to a Reuters report, which is a reflection of the financial issues the CBA is currently facing.

The CBA's 2008-9 season was a lesson in overreach, with the season expanding to 450 games from 200 the year before and league teams combining to lose 115 million yuan (US$16.8 million), putting the league's existence in danger.

CBA director Xin Lancheng singled out foreign players as being one of the league's major problems, saying they were overpaid and hard to manage, adding that rules regarding foreign players would be revised.

Last year the CBA revised rules to allow teams to field two non-Chinese players. The rule change's goal was to raise competition and interest in the CBA, but dominance by foreign players like Bonzi Wells became embarrassing for the league – 19 of last season's top 20 scorers in the CBA were foreigners.

Qiu He calls for transport construction progress report
Kunming Municipal Party Secretary Qiu He held a meeting yesterday with municipal and county officials overseeing the numerous traffic infrastructure projects around the city to assess progress and to ask for understanding, cooperation and support from the city's residents, according to a report in party paper Kunming Daily.

Qiu, the most powerful leader the Kunming municipal government has seen in more than a decade, emphasized the need for research on the progress and quality of the major overhaul of the city's inefficient and overworked traffic infrastructure.

"How much construction has been completed up to this point?" Qiu asked the city officials. "What difficulties are arising during the construction process? How many shifts are there supervising all this work?"

Currently there are several major transportation infrastructure projects underway: the second ring road is being rebuilt with a new elevated road above it, a tunnel through Gangtou mountain will be added to the third ring road, the first lines of the city's subway and elevated rail network are being built, hills have been leveled to make way for the new airport now under construction and major renovation work is being done on Beijing Lu, Xiba Lu, Haigeng Lu and Rixin Lu.

Python goes on chicken-eating rampage
The China Daily is reporting that a python entered a chicken farm in Menghai county on Monday, where it ate 42 chickens before being stopped by the farm's owner. The protected animal was captured alive and was turned over to the local wild animal protection center.

Photo contest to promote conservation in Yunnan

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:15:00 +0800

Yunnan's biodiversity and nature reserves are the subject of the first Yunnan Biological Conservation photo contest, which is now accepting submissions of nature- and conservation-related photos taken in Yunnan. The government-hosted contest will award more than 115,000 yuan in cash prizes to winning photographers.

The contest, which is being held entirely online, will award one gold medal, three silver medals, six bronze medals and 10 medals of excellence to winning photos in three categories: nature reserves or ecological landscapes, wild plants or animals, and ecological protection and management in action.

For each category, gold medal winners will be awarded 6,000 yuan cash. Silver winners will receive 3,500 yuan, bronze winners 2,000 yuan and medal of excellence winners 1,000 yuan.

Photo admissions will be accepted until August 1, after which the Yunnan Forestry Department and the Yunnan Provincial Government News Office, which are the main hosts of the contest, will hold a ceremony to display the winning photos and award photographers with cash prizes.

Co-organizers and sponsors of the contest also include the WWF, Yunnan Association for Wildlife Protection, Yunnan News Photography Society and (perhaps ironically) Huaneng Lancang River Hydropower Co Ltd.

According to a WWF press release, contest organizers hope to use the winning photos and the contest itself to promote awareness of conservation efforts in Yunnan. To apply and submit photos, visit the contest's official website or contact Yunnan Nature Conservation at 0871-316679 for more information.

Shepherd image: www.ynnc.org
Tree frog image: www.ynnc.org

Kundu stabbing leaves Thai student dead

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:15:00 +0800

A 21-year-old Thai student died early Monday morning after being stabbed during an altercation outside the popular club Soho in the Kundu Night Market, according to local media reports.

Police from the nearby Xincun police station reportedly showed up at the scene of the fight around 2:30 am on Monday, where they managed to arrest the suspected stabber, who is currently in police custody. The Thai man, whose identity has not been made public, was pronounced dead shortly afterward at the First Affiliated Hospital of the Kunming Medical Institute.

According to a police report released yesterday, the Thai student was drinking at Soho with more than ten foreign classmates and got into an argument with people at a neighboring table that escalated until club staff attempted to calm matters.

The two parties reportedly stepped out of the bar, and a fight began. In the course of the fight, the suspect, a Sichuanese man surnamed Lin, fatally stabbed the Thai student. Police have stated that they are taking the case very seriously and are organizing a special investigative unit.

As GoKunming user piers notes in a related forum thread, violence of this kind is not new to Kunming's club scene:

[quote]3 months ago a man was stabbed outside Top One. Last year a man lost his arm after being attacked with a machete outside Cobra. Haoledi KTV near the Hump had a fatal fight 2 years ago and the original Babi closed after 2 people including 1 bouncer died in a massive fight between Babi security (who were famously prone to beating up customers) and a group of WuJing (who are famous for beating up anybody they don't like)

All of the above incidents resulted in closure of the venues except Top One as the fight was not linked to the bar. All have since re-opened though Cobra has moved and changed its name.[/quote]

More domestic, international routes flying Yunnan's skies

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:45:00 +0800

Local party paper Kunming Daily is trumpeting the record amount of passenger traffic in the skies of Yunnan – the province's 12 airports now serve a total of 237 routes.

Breaking down the numbers a bit, Yunnan serves 204 domestic passenger air routes and 33 international routes. In terms of international flights, Kunming is connected to Southeast Asian destinations by 21 routes and South Asia by five routes.

This year Yunnan's airports, especially Kunming's, have been busy adding new passenger routes, in the first half of the year the following routes have been launched:

• Kunming-Yancheng-Harbin (China Eastern Airlines)
• Kunming-Tengchong (China Eastern)
• Kunming-Taipei (EVA Air)
• Kunming-Chongqing-Wuxi (China Eastern)
• Kunming-Chengdu-Kangding (China Eastern)

In addition to the above stable routes, the following temporary routes were launched earlier this year:

• Kunming-Chengdu-Beirut (China Eastern)
• Kunming-Phnom Penh-Nanning (China Eastern)

China Eastern is also preparing to launch direct passenger services between Kunming and Kathmandu, capital of Nepal, on July 17.

GoKunming Weekend Preview

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:05:00 +0800

Friday: Live Jazz at 1895 Movie Bar
Pianist James and vocalist Rebecca of Kunming Social Club will be performing jazz standards tonight at the 1895 Movie Bar just outside the Kundu Night Market. Music starts at 10:30, entry is free.

Friday: Mad Hatter's Tea Party at Uprock
Uprock will be holding a Mad Hatter-themed tea party featuring DJ Micro Gram and shots of "tea" for 10 yuan each or three for 25 yuan. Prior to the party, from 8:00 to 10:00, there will be surrealist body painting and selected drinks will be half off. Entry is free.

Saturday: Movie Night at TCG Nordica
Saturday night at TCG Nordica Mr Xie will show the classic black and white comedy La Grande Vadrouille with an old movie projector. The film starts at 7 pm, entry is free.

Saturday: Acoustic music at 1895 Movie Bar
Fillmore, made up of Eddy (guitar and vocals, Netherlands), Roeland (guitar and piano, Netherlands) and Philippe (drum and vocals, France) will perform their set of acoustic songs Saturday night beginning at 10:30. Entry is free.

Saturday: Uprock DJ School Graduation party
Uprock will be hosting a graduation party for its DJ school's first group of graduates on Saturday night. DJ Vital, DJ Kamasuka and DJ ?? will be playing a mix of hiphop, house, club, techno and electro beginning from 10 pm. Entry is free.

Sunday: International Music Day at Uprock
Uprock will be celebrating International Music Day out on its terrace on Sunday with an outdoor concert and cookout featuring Western- and Chinese-style barbecue. Music and grub start at 4 pm, selected drinks will be half price. Entry is free.

Sunday: Live blues at 1895 Movie Bar
Tommy Nitro from Oakland will be singing the blues at the 1895 Movie Bar on Sunday night. Tommy will start playing at 9:30 and will switch between the piano and his guitar. Entry is free.

Pollution pushing Mekong dolphins toward extinction

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:00:00 +0800

Pollution in the Mekong River has been blamed by an international conservation group for a downward trend in the river's population of Irrawaddy dolphins, which is rapidly approaching annihilation, according to an AFP report.

More than 50 dolphin calves that have died since 2003 have been found with toxic levels of pollutants including mercury and pesticides, The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said in a press conference Wednesday.

At present there are between 64 and 76 Mekong Irrawaddy dolphins remaining in a 190 kilometer stretch of the Mekong shared by Cambodia and Laos.

A spokesman for the global environmental organization said the pollution could be coming from multiple sources upriver. Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Yunnan are all upstream from the section of the Mekong inhabited by the dolphins.

The WWF said it is investigating the source of the contamination.

A report published by the United Nations said that plans to dam the Mekong in Yunnan, where it is known as the Lancang River, may pose the single greatest threat to the river's ecological survival. Yunnan is also a major exporter of fertilizers and pesticides to neighboring countries on the Mekong.

The announcement that the Mekong Irrawaddy dolphin was on the verge of becoming extinct illustrates how quickly fortunes can change for endangered species. As recently as 2007, when there were 160 Irrawaddy dolphins in the Mekong, there was optimism about the animal's survival chances, with some experts anticipating a population boom.

Image: touraroundcambodia.com

Kunming-Kathmandu flights to launch in July

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:55:00 +0800

Beginning July 17, it will be possible to fly from Kunming directly to Kathmandu, capital of Nepal, according to a China Hospitality News report.

The thrice-weekly flights to Kathmandu will depart Kunming every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.

The Kunming-Kathmandu route is the third direct flight from Kunming to a South Asian city. There are already flights from Kunming to Kolkata, India and Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The new route is the third international flight added by China Eastern's Yunnan branch this year. The branch airline has also launched flights from Kunming to Siam Reap, Cambodia and Phuket, Thailand this year.

South Asia is one of the fastest growing trade partners for Yunnan – Kunming now hosts an annual South Asian Commodities Expo alongside the Kunming Fair.

Airfare for the new route has yet to be released. For information about Nepal visas, check the Nepalese Department of Immigration website.

Kathmandu image: journals.worldnomads.com

Yunnan dam projects halted by environmental ministry

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:45:00 +0800

China's Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) suspended approval for dams on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River last week, citing two of China's largest hydropower companies for illegally commencing construction on dam projects near Lijiang, according to a China Daily report.

According to the MEP, in January Huadian Power and Huaneng Power illegally blocked the middle reaches of the Jinsha River, as the upper reaches of the Yangtze are known, for the Ludila and Longkaikou dams, respectively.

MEP spokesman Tao Detian said that the two companies had failed to conduct environmental impact assessments, adding that both power producers had been ordered to cease building the dams immediately.

Some construction of the eight planned dams on the Jinsha – with a total projected cost of 200 billion yuan (US$29.3 billion) – may have been halted temporarily, but there is no indication that the dams have been permanently scrapped.

"For the approved projects, supplementary environmental reviews will be needed," Tao said.

If completed, the total installed capacity of the eight dams on the Jinsha would reach 20.59 gigawatts, just short of the capacity of the Three Gorges Dam further downstream. Of the eight dams, a dam at Jin'anqiao is already under construction, and the environmental impact assessment for a dam at Ahai was approved by MEP earlier this year.

Passing through Qinghai, Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, the 2,300 kilometer Jinsha River flows through areas rich in biodiversity and inhabited by ethnic minority groups. It is also the source of much of the Yangtze's fish life, which would be greatly diminished if the planned dams were built.

This is not the first time that the central government has stopped proposed work on damming the Jinsha. At the end of 2007, a plan to dam and fill Tiger Leaping Gorge was scrapped after much public debate, a development which many consider to be the first major victory for China's nascent environmental movement.