Situated on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in southwest China, Kunming is the capital of Yunnan Province and is known as the City of Perpetual Spring. 

In 279 B.C., during the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), Zhuang Qiao, a general of the state of Chu in Hunan, entered Yunnan, unified the surrounding area of Dianchi Lake, and became the first ruler in the region, the King of Dian. Since then, Yunnan is called Dian for short.

With unique landscapes and a long history, Kunming has many relics and ancient structures. Standing along the Shulin and Dongsi Roads in the city proper are the Dongsi (East Temple) and Xisi (West Temple) Pagodas that were built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). In the Guzhuang Park, there is a prayer wheel that is considered to be the most significant relic of the ancient Dali Kingdom founded about 1,500 years ago in central Yunnan. The Jingang (Guardian) Temple preserves China's oldest dagoba on a pedestal, which is decorated with a relief of the Buddha's guardians. The Helong (Black Dragon) Pool is famous for an ancestral temple of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.), plum trees of the Tang Dynasty, cypress trees of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and tea trees of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The Qiongzhu (Bamboo) Temple, on the other hand, built in the 13th century, houses a group of sculptures depicting the 500 disciples of the Buddha. The Jindian (Golden) Hall, built in 1671, is special because all its beams, pillars, arches, roof tiles, and window frames are made of cast bronze. In addition, people may want to visit Cuihu (Green) Lake, the Yuantong Temple, and the temples in the Western Hills while in Kunming.