Dianchi Lake · Haigeng Park / Haigeng Dam
Yunnan's largest freshwater lake, approx. 330 sq km in area at an elevation of 1,886 m, hailed as the "Pearl of the Plateau"; the lake shapes Kunming's climate — the thermostat behind the city's year-round spring weather
Visitor info
- Opening hours
- Open all day
- Ticket
- Free (parts of Haigeng Park charge admission)
Price is indicative — final quote on inquiry.
Yunnan's largest freshwater lake, approx. 330 sq km in area at an elevation of 1,886 m, hailed as the "Pearl of the Plateau"; the lake shapes Kunming's climate — the thermostat behind the city's year-round spring weather. Haigeng Park and Haigeng Dam along the shore form the main lakeside axis. Every winter since 1985, Siberian black-headed gulls return year after year, and the scenes of people feeding gulls side by side on the dam have become a symbol of Kunming. Across the water, the Western Hills (Xishan) recline like a maiden with long hair trailing in the waves, and the "Sleeping Beauty" reflection is a classic photo spot. Arrive at the dam early in the morning or at dusk, and combine it with the cable car up the Western Hills for a loop.
Getting there: Metro Line 5, Convention Center Station, then bus to Haigeng
Photos
More in Kunming
- Green Lake Park
A 'jade within the city' at the heart of Kunming's old town, also known as Nine Dragon Pool because 'nine springs emerge and gather into a pond'; Bamboo Island, Goldfish Island and Lianhua Chan Temple (initiated by Chen Can in the late Qing) on the lake are linked by causeways and bridges; with weeping willows and green water in all seasons, it is the starting point of everyday Kunming life and slow wandering through the old town
- Former Site of the Yunnan Military Academy (Jiangwutang)
A modern-style army school founded in 1909 in the late Qing, ranked together with the Tianjin and Northeast Jiangwutang as the three great military academies of the late Qing; its beige courtyard complex in the 'zouma zhuanjiaolou' style (linked corridors and corner towers) encloses the parade ground, making it one of China's best-preserved modern military academy sites
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Donglu University, founded in 1922 by Tang Jiyao, was one of the earliest modern institutions of higher learning in southwest China; the campus stands on the former site of the Ming-Qing Yunnan Gongyuan (provincial examination hall), where Zhigong Hall (the main hall of the examination cells) still survives
- Wenlin Street & Wenhua Lane
Back lanes right next to the west gate of Yunnan University, named 'Wenlin' in the Qing dynasty for their proximity to the Confucian Temple school; today a coffee street where Kunming's young people and international students gather, with dozens of independent cafés, craft-beer bars and second-hand bookshops lining the slope
- Kunming Old Street (Wenming Street Historic District)
The last contiguous stretch of old streets left in Kunming's urban area, the commercial hub of the provincial capital since the Ming and Qing dynasties; Wenming Street, Guanghua Street and Yongdao Street criss-cross in a grid, with rows of shops under grey-tiled pitched roofs
- Golden Horse and Jade Rooster Archways
Two street-spanning memorial archways first built in the Ming Xuande era; the east arch stands by the "Golden Horse" and the west arch near the "Jade Rooster" — the source of Kunming's ancient name "Golden Horse and Jade Rooster". A spiritual emblem of the city, they were destroyed in modern times and rebuilt to their original look in 1997.