If you are looking for something to do this Spring Festival, then why not get away and head south? Beginning 5th January, one can buy high-speed tickets for direct services between Nanjing South to Kunming South railway stations; simply jump on the G1377 or the G1379 and head straight for Yunnan’s Spring City.
Along with Sichuan, Yunnan is one of China’s southern delights, with lovely weather year round, a rich culture and food so different from your average Kung Pao it will leave you wanting more, Yunnan is a must, so set yourself up for a relaxing discovery of the far south.
Tickets are in the region of ¥900 and the trip takes 12hrs, 45mins, dependent on stops. This new economical choice takes far less time than previous trains and passes through six provinces, connecting Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou and Yunnan.
Yunnan’s history goes back to Neolithic times and steadily gets richer through the ages; each stage in history shedding its own light on Kunming. During the Middle Ages, Kunming served as one of the first stops for travellers passing through South East Asia on the trading route, as a result making great contributions to Yunnan’s already dense culture.
Food is a pleasure in Yunnan, as are its tea and mountain villagers. Yunnan food is by and large much more in tune with a western pallet; with goat’s cheese dipped in salt and pepper, mango chicken and pineapple rice one cannot go wrong. China’s infamous Pu’er tea is also native to Yunnan as is Chinese coffee.
In addition, Kunming is set to become an international hub for the “Pan Asia High-Speed Network” that shall one day see high-speed trains connecting China, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand and Singapore.
