I just arrived in Kunming tonight. I tried some ATMs at the new airport, and my Visa debit card issued by a small bank back home was not accepted. Is there a bank/ATM near YNU that will work? If I can go out tomorrow and confirm that I have access to my money, I will be at ease.

If your bank back home is on the VISA or PLUS network (most are) then just look for an ATM that displays that sign, which is most of them. I've found only the rural credit union machines that don't accept my Canadian cards.

Try the atms at China Construction Bank, ICBC, or Bank of China. If all three of those fail, then you probably need to call your bank in the US and tell them you want to be able to use your atm card overseas. Many banks in the US will deny transactions for security reasons unless you have notified them of travel plans.

There's a China Construction Bank on my corner that works fine. Thanks!

What about the Star network?