Kunming, West Hill, Dragon Gate, Stone Forest, Cave, Dynamic Yunnan

When we first arrived in Kunming, we must have been in area stricken with poverty. Buildings were run down and there was graffiti here, which I hadn’t yet seen before. Communism is all about eliminating classes and giving everyone exactly what they need. It seemed to me that the CCP had forgotten about Kunming at first.

                We started out by climbing a mountain, the West Hill, which was enjoyable. The views were unbelievable. Throughout the hill there were different objects or statues that we were told to “rub for good luck”. Chinese people are incredibly superstitious. I had so many different opportunities to obtain luck and wealth on this trip, but the West Hill offered the most in one spot. This is when I realized superstition is a defining characteristic of Chinese identity. Now, they might now use the term superstitious; I think they would describe it as being careful and following legends. Well either way, I could tell that it is very important to the people to follow all the rules or guidelines that the legends set out. If you don’t you, you may suffer the consequences.

                Later on in the day, we had dinner in a restaurant that dates back to the Ming Dynasty. The food was really delicious here. My favorite dish were cold noodles in a soy sauce. Kunming city itself has a very Chicago feel to it. Designer shopping is available on every corner, and there are sky scrapers everywhere.

                The next day, we traveled to the Stone Forest. This natural phenomenon was so interesting. Picture a forest like any other, but replace all of the trees with rocks and boulders. Other than just being a cool thing to look at, the Stone Forest was like Yellow Stone National park is to Americans. It’s a place where nature meets culture in a fascinating manner. We also explored a colorful cave today, and this was really one of the best parts of the trip so far. The cave was beautiful from all of the colored lights, but it was also a little bit thrilling. Climbing through slicked rocks deep underground had a sense of danger added to it. I would say that both of these places demonstrated to me, just how important nature is to the Chinese people. The land is just as important to the traditions as is the clothing, the dancing, the tea, the music. Nature is like a living, breathing third party in the practice of any tradition, and is a key part to understanding Chinese identity.

                We also were given the opportunity to see a show call Dynamic Yunnan and it was amazing. It gave a real, deep insight into the practices and beliefs of the minority groups throughout Yunnan. We saw how they pray, how they fight, how they date, and how they have “make love” (which was demonstrated through the beating of a drum). The sounds, the outfits and the dances were so unique to Yunnan that I could visibly see the land intertwining with the culture here. It was as if it were a living museum. It was this show that served as the perfect way to round out my experience with the Yunnan Provenience.