also here: story from NY Times

query.nytimes.com/[...]

the language is neat, as usual.

No rule of law? Of course, that goes without saying -- just study the traffic (including pedestrians).

Is the elevation really high in Kunming? Has that given anyone health problems or does it take time to get used to?

SN

dear iris, hope you can come back home some day in the future. after living in shanghai for 8 years now my husband and i will move back to this dream hometown. anxious about what is going tol happen...:)

Hey Pilgrim, I moved to Kunming after living 20+ years in Seattle. I know you must enjoy Seattle.
I've lived here now for 1.5 years, and as with any place on the earth, Kunming has both bad and good. Overall, I think it is a great city to live in. It is a good size, easy to get around (by moto). My big mistake was buying a car here. Traffic is bad mostly because people cannot drive, and they do not obey any laws here. I think Ahmet nailed it with his comment in that dept. But get a moto, and the city traffic issues go away. Pedestrians bounce right off the moto easily, so they are no longer a worry either!
The weather is killer. Easy to travel in/out of here to anywhere, which is what I do a lot. Kunming makes a great homebase. As for the people, sure there are many dim bulbs about the place. BUT, there are also many educated and interesting people all over as well. I have many professional friends to enjoy time with. I think Kunming could use a more vibrant nightlife scene, but I think that is evolving slowly here. They could do with removing about 50% of the KTV places here and make room for some better nightclubs and entertainment places. The city seems to go to sleep about 10pm. Ok..Ok I don't play majhong! That kind of leaves me out in the cold so to speak.

Kunming - my hometown for once, and ALWAYS
I wasn't born in Kunming, I lived there for 16 years from 1980 to 1996. Now I am living in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
My most recent visit to Kunming was in 2005. It looked so different from the city I was used to. I couldn't recongnise the major streets without constantly checking the street signs.
The major streets looked very clean, but there are still littering on some back alleys.
I specially enjoy the cripy-dry air and blue sky of Kunming in the shadows of the Western Hills. The Dian Chi lake was a great place to swim or just cool down in hot summer days, but not now, I guess. I did not have chance to revisit those places on my previous trip.
After all, I like the people above everything else. Native Kunming people tend to be laid back, easy-going and honest. They don't often migrate to other places (like i do) and they settled down once forever. They are generally friendly to new settlers and tourists and embraces new cultures as the society moves along.
I wish I stayed longer there..

Kunming- a city to enjoy.

I have been living here for about a year now. I was in Northeast China and Beijing for 7 years. Frankly speaking, Kunming is a really nice place. Well, for those who enjoy nightclubs, this might not be the best place, even though you can still find some cafes and bars. For those who enjoy simple life, kunming is no doubt a great place. Compared to Beijing and the North, kunming is much cleaner and traffic is much better; as many of you know traffic rules don't apply anywhere in China.

I love the dry clean air and blue sky right after coming from Beijing. I agree with Kunmingatlanta that native kunming people tend to be laid back, easy-going and friendly to new settlers.

If you are able to move here, do try the yunnan coffee and the divine goat cheese.

My wife and I are thinking of staying a second year here since people I work with are so nice, plus all the things I mentioned above.

jackhendler, What's a moto? I apologize for my ignorance.

motorbike