It's the latter. The only place with drier air than Kunming is Lanzhou.

To be fair, the air was hella dry in March, but it's not too bad now.

@Alex: I find that difficult to believe - Xinjiang? Ningxia? western Gansu? Inner Mongolia?

the one complaining the most lives in Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia, not the wettest of provinces

@Alien. I stayed a week in Lanzhou and that's my experience. If you have stayed longer than a week in Xinjiang, Ningxia, western Gansu, and Inner Mongolia longer, then feel free to offer yours.

Have been over a week in Xinjiang - it's drier almost everywhere there. Perhaps a week in Ningxia & western Gansu - was drier when I was there. I think there are a lot of dry places in Inner Mongolia, but I have to admit it rained/snowed when I was in Inner Mongolia. Anyway, I trust climatological statistics on this.

Minorities village isn't that bad actually. A lot of people who visit like it.

@tiger: ok, but visitors should be aware that this is mostly an amusement park.