Forums > Living in Kunming > In need of understanding

I've got personal experience with the driving thing, as a foreigner who drives. I've also got a Chinese spouse who drives, and went through the whole license process.

Foreigners who don't have a license back home have to follow the same procedure to get a license as Chinese folks.

Chinese people get a driver's license by passing 4 tests. The first one is the written test, the next two are practical road tests, and the final one is a written test about safety and manners. During the course of driving school you have to do a long distance drive too, usually to Chuxiong or Qujing or somesuch. The process is also rather expensive, between 4000-8000rmb, depending on the package you get. So it certainly isn't as if they're handing out driver's licenses like candy, or you just "sign up online" as suggested by the OP.

Mostly, road rules are not well-enforced (most penalties are by camera and there are apps that tell you where all the cameras are so you can avoid them very easily) and the penalties are not particularly expensive, which is why people drive like idiots. Back home if I speed I'm looking at a

fine of several hundred USD. Here 150 RMB is what most tickets will cost you. 10 tickets over the course of a year and you're only set back 1500 RMB, and anyone with a car can afford to pay that. There is a points system, but often points are not actually subtracted, because of course it is more profitable just to keep fining people, rather than revoking licenses left and right.

Another thing to bear in mind is that most Chinese drivers you see on the road are relatively new drivers, because China's car culture is only just now developing. When I first came here nearly 15 years ago, most people didn't have cars -- they were definitely luxury items. Now they're much more standard among the middle class. I learned to drive at 17, so I've been driving a good 20 years now, as have most people my age back home. Not counting taxi drivers, few drivers here have 20 years of experience driving. Give them another 10-20 years or so and I'm sure things won't be quite as bad.

Forums > Living in Kunming > Kundu closed

I've heard from Chinese friends that new regulations are coming into place that will no longer allow the military to lease its property to private businesses. Apparently this also means that military hospitals will no longer be allowed to take civilians as paying "customers." Apparently the government (Xi, I suppose) doesn't want the military profiting from the private sector in any way.

The Kundu closures may have something to do with this. Maybe not. But that's what I immediately thought of.

Forums > Living in Kunming > Giving birth in Kunming

Hi hongxiongmao...

I had my son at the aforementioned Kunhua Hospital about 5 years ago.

Overall it was a good experience and I did not pay any hong bao, nor did I have a c-section pushed on me. The doctors were professional, although they did not speak English and the hospital was fairly typically Chinese — not particularly well organized, crowded, patients often left to fend for themselves (no one is going to bring you meals during your stay, for instance). The cost was extremely low. 5 years ago I paid less than 2000rmb for the birth itself, maybe 1000 more total for prenatal care, if that much.

PM me if you'd like more details.

Forums > Living in Kunming > Birthing in Kunming?

I'm Jessica -- the author of the above article. I did have my son in Kunming in 2007. There's actually a lot more I wanted to include in the article, but there were space constraints. But if you have any questions you can contact me via this site and I'd be glad to answer!

Forums > Living in Kunming > wonders of life in China !

I washed my dishes, fruits, and vegetables in Kunming tap water for five years and never had any problems. I also brushed my teeth using tap water and showered in it. You'll be fine.