User profile: Xiefei

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Electric bicycle ban..

I'm all for better enforcement for cars, but let's face it, the electric bike craziness is out of control. It's not a ban, it's cops at the intersection fining people for taking their whole families on a tiny bike, riding at a young age, running traffic lights and plowing through pedestrian zones. I'm not sure why people are so against that.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Electric bicycle ban..

I hear you there. I think that the whole idea of a "crackdown" is ridiculous in the first place. Instead of concentrating enforcement, say on certain central districts or certain time frames, they should be thinking about how to enforce the traffic laws they already have in place.
On the other hand, I see the traffic chaos as an endearing feature of living here, almost cute, like the Chinglish signs everywhere. Of course, I'm still nostalgic about the bicycle jams from back in the day...

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Recycling batteries

I'm not sure where they eventually end up, but the local tax bureau on Xichang Lu has a battery receptacle. I think they might be at various other government office buildings as well.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Electric bicycle ban..

The cars are annoying, but they are pulled over and fined with increasing frequency, especially in the city center. The electric bikes, which I think are pretty cool, do cause a lot of problems. Until now, there has been virtually no enforcement, and you often see the electric bikes going the wrong way down the street, driving in pedestrian zones, and causing all kinds of other havoc. It doesn't help much that they are completely silent and most drivers don't turn on their headlights at night. If they don't start policing them better, some official will get annoyed and ban them outright.

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The problem with providing convenient parking for everyone is that more people will choose to buy cars or drive into the city when they would have otherwise taken transit.

The standard fine for illegal parking is 150 RMB. Problem is, it's very poorly enforced. The streetside parking is also poorly managed. Those people are supposed to be keeping a lid on bad parking, but they will often direct drivers to double park, blocking the street, or even park on the sidewalks, so they can collect more money.

"Taking the trees away to recuperate." I didn't see them taking the trees from Xuefu Lu, but I've seen them removing them from other parts of town, and the workers were basically just chopping the trees to pieces.

Based on what we've seen for the other metro lines, Xuefu Lu is going to be a mess for years. All of the problems they have complained about: bedrock, difficulty managing traffic, etc, are going to hit them at Xuefu in spades. There are also, if my sources are correct, extensive bunkers down there from WWII, which were probably expanded (without maps) during the CR.

If they don't revert Yi Er Yi to two-way, that whole quadrant of the city is toast.

Are you sure the Hui don't top one million? I seem to remember hearing they were the largest or second largest minority group in the province

"as Kunming media outlets reveal the presence of dense basalt deposits in the path of multiple tunnels routinely hampered progress."

This has been known for years and years. In the early 2000s, people were holding this up as the reason why Kunming would never have a subway.

I'm guessing engineers brought it up in their time and cost projections, and the officials in charge ignored them. You don't start digging long tunnels underneath a city without taking a look at what the ground is made of.

Reviews

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Right next to my office, so I eat here pretty often. The place has a nice garden design with lots of outdoor seating for nice days.

A nice menu of Western food with solid brunch choices, fresh fruit juice mixes, and good salads. The burger is also very good.

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Excellent Thai food served in a beautiful art deco setting. The bar is also top notch, with great cocktails, whiskys and cigars.

When the weather is good, try to get a table on the rooftop garden, which offers views of the Bird and Flower market.

May be a little pricier than some of the other Thai restaurants in town.

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An exciting new gallery space built from an old factory warehouse in the Paoluda Creative Industry Park. Looking forward to seeing what they'll do with it.

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A great little place in the middle of a beautiful valley chock full of great climbing spots.

The beds and rooms are very comfortable, though the bathrooms are shared, and of the "eco" variety (a plus as far as I'm concerned).

The owners are very helpful about everything from info on climbing spots to trip planning and getting around the area.

Also, the place is dirt cheap. I wholeheartedly recommend it.