Tiger, the altitude will have no serious long-term negative effects for the very great majority of people, we're simply not that high, and expanded lung capacity is generally seen as a healthy thing - the physiological limit for acclimatization (beyond which the human body simply cannot modify itself to handle the altitude) is over 5000 meters (although it can still get along for a few months - naturally this requires gradual acclimatization up to this point, and most people probably couldn't do it for even a few months) - but, at 1000 meters, we do not have anything like 1/5 of the problem, as a difference in, say, 100 meters at around 1000 meters is nothing to that of the difference at, say, 2000 or 3000. Personally I feel better here than at sea level, became acclimated long ago to Kunming's altitude (certainly wasn't difficult, I can't even remember it ever being a problem). Note that I've been here 14 years and am in my early 70s, and I grew up at about 300 meters' altitude. Do you know anybody who has developed any real health problems from the altitude here? I don't, though I guess some people with particular lung problems might have.
You're right about air pollution of Chinese cities generally, but there are plenty of cities around the world with worse air pollution than Kunming. Yes, it's worse than it was just a very few years ago, before the cars and rage for construction.
I find it really odd, and a bit amusing, that any foreigners with experience here might feel that daily life in Kunming is somehow dangerous.
From student to sculpture artist: 20 years in Yunnan with Matti Dubee
发布者Not sure if my comment is clear, meant to be a joke. What I meant was, the exhibit is really worth seeing; thing about Matti with hair refers to the photo above.
From student to sculpture artist: 20 years in Yunnan with Matti Dubee
发布者(1): Go see the exhibit.
(2): AMAZING to see Matti with hair!
Province-wide dragnet targets illegal ivory trade
发布者Wonders of Economic Competition Dept.: produces such nice players.
China-South Asia Expo takes over Kunming
发布者Silk Road - yeah, romantic. Sucks you right in.
China-South Asia Expo takes over Kunming
发布者They needed a name that was suitably vague but easy to remember. The thing that needs to be done is to figure out what this really means in terms of the hundreds of millions of people that it will affect.