Forums > Living in Kunming > Housing Prices Back on topic...
Tiger, I not only match your sentiments on Eye of Spring's prime location, but I'll raise you.
EoS is essentially above the MRT station. If deemed a walking distance, it is a downstair descent.
Like the eye of a storm, the 'Eye' here denotes center of Spring City. Not the all-watching Mordor scanning Frodo variety.
Wherever KM's current CBD is designated, EoS along with Hang Lung's Spring 66 are destined to become the CBD epicenter. Four skyscrapers strong. Situated above possible triple MRT interchange station. Chinese may refer to such 'golden' locations as 金华地段.
Where our path diverge, however, is buyers' demand.
I've been to residential sale openings/开盘 where buyers push and shove while yelling at one another. Resembling famished survivors of post apocalypse battling for last morsel of tudou, or "po-ta-toe" in hobbit context.
In contrast, EoS sales office was practically empty like a LV store sans Chinese shoppers. Sales agents outnumber potential buyers 5 to 1.
Most telling was sales' unenthusiast demeanor when a few onlookers arrived at the sales center. A telltale sign the developer is neither intent on releasing units from their steel beam grip, nor incentivizing smiley-go-getter-inducing commission for their sales team. Apparently the team got the memo.
I may have been fooled by seagull hearsay, but that quiet church mouse congregation ain't pulling one on anyone. Particularly not the likes of infamous Wenzhou real estate speculators group (温州炒房团).
Professional/career 炒房者 like them are known to prepurchase in bulk without batting eye nor being present in body on 开盘 day. They would wire money days in advance, like entering cheat codes in the digital monopoly game. Claiming Boardwalk, Park Place, and the four Railroads before tossing the dice.
温州帮 and similar speculator groups scout nationwide for locations with optimal growth potentials. Maybe these savvy, real estate prospectors are cognizant Km real estate market is relatively slower, carry higher opportunity costs.
They've either gobbled up EoS without public knowledge, or made a hard pass knowing that flipping 10-20 million yuan per apartment unit is a risky endeavor w/ limited upside. Because how many buyers have 20-40M to buy one unit? Not many. Not the amateur 炒房 masses. Perhaps more in Shanghai, but less here. The wealthy would rather opt for garden villas, like ones of suburbia dream homes in American movies. Moreover, Km is still a long way from a Manhattan-esque metropolitan draw.
Remember, 40k/sqm "起." Meaning, "starting price" for possibly the worst, lower units directly facing the opposite taller of the two skyscrapers with limited view. As consumers in China, we should all be vigilant with the small font "起“ character.
Like I said earlier, perhaps Junfa developer is misleading the actual unit sizes to prevent speculators from flipping their smaller and cheaper units at early stages of construction, so as to reap more themselves later in development.
Interview: Robert Steinberger
发布者Exceptions excluded, I speculate younger generations on average harbour more tolerance toward bi/homosexuality than do their more senior peers.
Likewise, I suspect laws that do not favor nor protect gay couples in China are voiced by more senior members of the Central Committee, less so by their younger technocrat peers.
For the majority of Chinese parents in their early forties and under, their children may not have yet reached the marriage discussion age. Perhaps a topic more relevant for parents beyond late forties to early fifties given trend of postponed wedlocks.
Maybe Chinese parents in this age group can chime me on this issue.
Honest communication is probably the best way forward between straight parents and their LGBTQ+ kids. Though I stand to be corrected.
Interview: Robert Steinberger
发布者This year alone, I know of four Kunming individuals in their late twenties who arranged fake marriages with their LGBT circles to placate their unsuspecting parents whose always yearning for traditional matchmaking (相亲) for their aging adult kids.
This is filial piety to a fault. And for parents, caring too much about face (面子) among their middle-aged gossip circles.
But at least in this scenario of mutual agreement between newlyweds, both parties are cognizant of each other's true sexual orientation as opposed to deceiving a wife or groom into a lifetime of fake matrimony. Spousal deception of this magnitude has been quite common as well in Yunnan. Very tragic imo.
In the end, the best way to go ought to be honesty and acceptance between respective children and their parents.
Probably easier said than done under current cultural norm for "boomers" and older generation.
Interview: Robert Steinberger
发布者Good interview.
Robert evaded the question how he truly felt about KM, nor discussed the meaty issues presented.
From eye test alone, LGBTQ scene seems to be continuing blossoming among Kunming youth scene within last decade, but particularly more so in neighboring province and city of Guiyang. Although still not embraced by majority of conservative elders here, nor by law.
Btw, San Diego State was among the top 10 party schools in USA. Black Beach being the famous nude gay beach there. Miss school?
Kunming park guide
发布者Scroll down Weibo timeline photos to get a rough idea of Kunming Botanical Gardens and above-mentioned changing foliage by timestamps in reverse chronological order from most recent:
m.weibo.cn/[...]
The ubiquitous Chinese selfies may be annoying to some, but they can be our eyes & ears.
Kunming park guide
发布者The Kunming Botanical Gardens (昆明植物园) is worth a visit when Autumn red & yellow foilages reach full vibrancy around November 11-15. A beautiful spectacle on the inclined slope near the North gate entrance path.
Endulge in morning/afternoon picnic beneath the colorful trees. The park also allows tents. A bit too late for fall leaves right now, so mark your calendars for next year.
Transportation is simple:
Take subway line 2 (blue) to northermost, penultimate terminal station called Longtou Jie station (龙头街站). Walk out B exit and a bus station sits outside. Take buses
9, 249, or 79 toward 植物园 (botanical garden). Conveniently get off in front of park's North gate.
Entrance fee is 9 yuan on Meituan, 10 at the door. Free for elders. Close around 17:00?