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Forums > Travel Yunnan > Bus from Kunming to Jianshui

ULIBCN70: yes - you must be new in China.
You can buy a ticket in advance at any one of a number of state-run ticket offices in Kunming (there's one just off 121 Street across the bridge from the north end of Wenhua Xiang (the street where Salvador's is), and the other day I was in my local post office and there was a sign in Chinese saying you could book tickets there as well. However,

I'm almost certain you would have no trouble just showing up at the bus station and buying a ticket for the next bus, or possibly the one after that. There are a lot of scheduled buses to Jianshui, from fairly early morning on.
However you buy your ticket, you will probably have to show your passport, or Chinese id.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Moving to Kunming- advice appreciated

Renting: I found my flat (55 sq. meters, living room, bedroom, kitchen, another small room & a not-very-modern bathroom, solar water heating, big windows both north & south, sunlight) in a fairly old xiaoqu about a year ago. Fine fo a single occupant. Rent is Y1000/mo., agent took 1 month's rent, and I pay the landlord 6 months in advance.
Note that Y1000 is cheap. This is nothing fancy - I got what I consider a good deal. 7th (top) floor walkup, I'm used to it, rather appreciate it. Buildings with 20 or something floor are more 'modern' and more expensive, but I don't like living in the sky. Lower-mid class neighbors, 1 other foreigner, no hassles; 50 minutes walk from Yunnan U.; nearby new metro station.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > ExpressVPN

Thanks. I did something or other, new version of ExpressVPN, seems to be working again. But I'm continually reminded of Chuck Berry's "Too Much Monkey Business", half a mind to chuck it all & go look for a job in a car wash.
Damned twinky electrons.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > ExpressVPN

Suffering from Damn Greatwall, also known as VPN Cancer Express. How's everybody else doing today?

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Forums > Food & Drink > Hunting for Cookies

AND WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FOLKS WHO MADE THOSE EXCELLENT BOX COOKIES OF LEGEND? WHY AREN'T THEY ON THE JOB??? (oh, oops, sorry, that was all in caps)

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Comments

Jim's article is, as usual, excellent, but although he mentions renovations, perhaps he has left off a few that are really quite extensive. For example, there is a tourist street in Jianshui that has all the 'traditional' curved Han-style shop roofs you might like to see, but they were all built since the first time I went there some 10 years ago. More recently, the old South Gate has been built from scratch - wasn't there 10 years ago either.
The significance of the Confucian temple should not be missed - the conquerors of Yunnan were Mongols, with Central Asian troops, many Muslim. The fact that a Muslim ruler built such a large structure in this far-away province is a good example of the nature of the rulers: they were big supporters, not only of Islamic learning, but of Confucianism and Buddhism as well. And by the Ming Dynasty, if not before, the fact that this was the second largest Confucian temple in China, after the one in Qufu, the Kong (Confucius) family home in Shandong, is a clear statement of the attitude of the dynasty towards this frontier, Han-minority province, which had been very much independent, and under non-Han rulers, before the Mongols: This place is Ours now, and b'god we're here to stay!
And then note the role played by Lin'an (Jianshui) during the massive 'Panthay Rebellion' against the Qing (Man, or Manchu rulers), led by Muslims but with numerous Yi and Han followers, which went on for 18 bloody years in the 19th century...
Yunnan's history is unique, and it's fascinating.

Doesn't it cost more in terms of the planet? And not necessarily cheaper in personal cash terms either. More comfortable too, and not faster to Chongqing - 3 hours, the article says - how much time would you spend getting to the airport, boarding the damn thing, then sitting scrunched up, getting baggage, etc.?

Good question, nnoble. My not-too-informed knee-jerk reaction would be to say no, but I'd be happy to consider any opinion that came with reasons.
Also the question: 'Does Kunming need this building...' makes me think of another one: who, precisely, is this 'Kunming' who either needs or doesn't need?

Reviews

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Not quite what you'd call a jumping place, but not bad at all for rather standard US-type meals, not overly expensive, and with a really good salad bar that's cheap, or free with most dinner dishes after 5:30PM. You can get a bottle of beer or even wine if you really want to, but I've never seen anybody do it - maybe that's just to take out. Chinese Christian run, and they hire people with physical disadvantages, who are pleasant and helpful. Frequented by foreign (mostly North American) Christians and Chinese Christians - was started by a Canadian couple associated with Bless China (previously, Project Grace), who are no longer here, but no religious pressure or any of that. Steaks are nothing special, and I avoid the Korean dishes, which I've had a few times but which did not impress me.

As a shop and bakery, it's very good bread at reasonable prices, of various kinds (Y18 for a good multigrain loaf that certainly weighs well over a pound. Other stuff too, like granola and oatmeal that is local, as well as imported things, including American cornflakes and so forth, which some people seem to require.

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Large portions, seriously so with the pizza, which is Brooklyn/American style, I guess. Convivial, conversational, good place to drink with good folks on both sides of the bar, especially after about 9PM.

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Really good pizza and steaks. The wine machine fuddles me when I'm a bit fuddled, & seems unnecessary. Good folks on both sides of the bar.