@BillDan: I beg to differ. Kunming produced some of China's top contemporary artists, and continues to produce some very exceptional young talent every year.

Kunming may not have a whole lot of art galleries around town, but there are several art communities and quite a few small galleries and events if you keep your eyes open (hint: you have to look beyond Gokunming).

Summer is usually a bit slow, but things should be picking up soon. If you can read Chinese, I'd recommend checking out Douban.com

I've been in quite a few Chinese shows my day, and have worked with Jasmine several times. I've never been screwed over, but that's because I keep my wits about me and I know a few things about how this business works.

I don't believe that Jasmine is a bad person or out to screw anybody, but there are some serious problems with how she approaches her work.

Jasmine, below is some advice which I gave you before. Please read it and consider it well:

- Communication is the most important thing. If you know that just about any shooting project can run over schedule, don't keep telling people that it will only be an hour or two. Say "They said three hours, but it often takes a lot longer. Bring a book, some drinks and a comfortable chair."

If you discuss this at the beginning, some people will agree to the price, and some people will want more if the time takes too long. What matters is that there are no surprises on set. You need to explain this better to both the crew and the actors before any deals are made.

- You need to make a clear decision whether you represent the actors or the production company. Whose interests are more important? You can either serve the production company or the actors, but never both. Hint: it all comes down to who gives you the money. If the production company is paying you, don't take money from the actors. Otherwise you will have conflicts of interest.

- If you want to keep doing this business, you must be willing to take on some risk. I contract a lot of people to do work for me, and I always pay them out of my own pocket, regardless of whether or not the client pays me. If the client screws me, that's MY problem, not THEIRS. If you don't trust a client to pay you, don't work for them.

I think this is one of the biggest problems you have. When there is a dispute over payment, you tell the actors that YOU are losing money. They don't care. They work for YOU and not the production company.

This can always change based on the situation of the various conflicts near the border, but the last I heard:

- You can get a visa to cross the border at Ruili, but you usually can't go far into the country from there, as much of the area between Ruili and the coast is either conflict zones or sensitive areas.

- This visa must be obtained in Kunming or at another consulate (such as in Thailand), and I think you have to specify where and how you plan to cross.

- Most of the other borders are only open for locals with families on the other side or business interests there, so it's probably a no go for Pianma

Rhett,

I believe the tax receipts are a requirement for purchasing a house, not just for mortgages (though the bank will want to see them too, as proof of income). I could be wrong, so you may want to stop by the Kunming Property Trading Center(昆明市房产交易中心) mentioned above and ask them.

@Yuanyangren: keep in mind that the window is not the only way into the apartment. Apartment burglaries are very common in China. Of course, the most vulnerable apartments are on the first floor (ground access through window) and the top floor (access from roof garden).

Locksmithing is a very poorly regulated industry in China, and it's very easy to get your hands on the necessary tools to pick the most common locks on doors. Make sure you lock your door with the bolt (rather than just with the auto lock) when you're away from home. It's a lot easier to get into most stairwells than people would like to think.