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Forums > Living in Kunming > Solar products

Anybody know of where I can find shops selling solar products such as solar cookers, solar lights, in Kunming? There used to be some places in Huancheng South road, between Tuodong and Chuncheng roads, but I can't seem to find them there anymore.

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Forums > Travel Yunnan > visa turnaround possible at vietnam border?

Not really possible to do this, without a visa for Vietnam, and I think you can no longer get at Hekou or the border, instead have to get in Kunming, takes a few days. So as a viable option for a visa run, not so good. But the new train to Hekou from Kunming and the new highway means it is lot quicker to get there and back.

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Forums > Travel Yunnan > visa turnaround possible at vietnam border?

Not really possible to do this, without a visa for Vietnam, and I think you can no longer get at Hekou or the border, instead have to get in Kunming, takes a few days. So as a viable option for a visa run, not so good. But the new train to Hekou from Kunming and the new highway means it is lot quicker to get there and back.

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As of today, 23 June, Lijiang's Black Dragon Pool water source spring has dried up. A reliable source of drinking water by locals, it reduced it flow last week and today when I went to collect water found out the trickle had finished. Thunderstorms on the way this week.

Correction:

Lijiang Old Town preservation fee is 80y per person, usually payable at your accommodation, and now checked at entry to old town Lijiang, Black Dragon Pool and Jade Dragon snow mountain.

Entry to the Jade Dragon Snow mountain is 130y per person. The Old Town ticket is required too. Impression Lijiang show prices have increased to 260y.

There has been a marked decline in visitors to Yunnan over the last year due to the anti-corruption drive and the slow down in the Chinese economy. And prices for accommodation have come down, good news for travellers, bad news for the recent arrivals from the north-east who have come to launder money.

Power and Patronage examines the unwritten rules and inner workings of contemporary China's local politics and government. It exposes how these rules have helped to keep the one-Party state together during decades of tumultuous political, social, and economic change.

While many observers of Chinese politics have recognized the importance of informal institutions, this book explains how informal local groups actually operate, paying special attention to the role of patronage networks in political decision-making, political competition, and official corruption. While patronage networks are often seen as a parasite on the formal institutions of state, Hillman shows that patronage politics actually help China's political system function. In a system characterized by fragmented authority, personal power relations, and bureaucratic indiscipline, patronage networks play a critical role in facilitating policy coordination and bureaucratic bargaining. They also help to regulate political competition within the state, which reduces the potential for open conflict. Understanding patronage networks is essential for understanding the resilience of the Chinese state through decades of change.

Tiger Leaping Gorge on the Shangrila-side is currently closed, meaning no access in and out of Qiaotou to the gorge or from the end of the trek.

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