I can't imagine that anybody would want to use a wood burning stove for heating an apartment. Is that what you had in mind?

Nobody has threatened me, but this afternoon I received the following email from the Canadian consulate in Chongqing:

"Canadians in China are advised to exercise a high degree of caution at all times. You should avoid gatherings and demonstrations, and follow the instructions of local authorities."

I presume this warning has something to do with recent demonstrations against Japanese interests. I just hope I'm not mistaken for an American since we LOOK so much alike.

Bonsai does not need to be small. Check out the bonsai display at Expo Garden. Most of them are large.

@Spartans. Good point. We entered in 2010 at the old airport, however, even if the new airport has quarantine facilities, at least it would be in Kunming and not another city you would need to go back to in two weeks!

@Spartans - another issue you may face is quarantine when you bring in the dog. This could be especially true if your flights got through either Beijing or Shanghai. When we came from Canada with our two pets, the travel agent booked on Korean Airlines via Seoul. That way we flew Toronto / Seoul / Kunming. There was no quarantine on arrival in Kunming because they were not equipped for it.