Following three weeks of voting, we've counted up the ballots and have our winners for the Best of Kunming 2017-2018! Participation was up more than 40 percent this time around, so we'd like to thank everyone who took the time to nominate and then vote for their favorites. Involvement in our three WeChat categories was also tremendous. Now it's time to get down to the business of recognizing the winners, handing out some hardware and throwing a great party.

Awards Gala 2017-2018

We are happy to announce that on Thursday, January 11, at 7:30pm, GoKunming will hold its fifth annual Best of Kunming Awards Ceremony. As with the last several years' galas, we are planning an informal gathering — one with an emphasis on fun, thanking GoKunming's great user base and of course recognizing our winners. The event will once again be hosted at the ACMEC Conference Center at the top of Jinding Mountain. The evening will feature our awards presentation, live music, a well-stocked bar, all at a lovely venue graciously provided by Yunnan Chengming Advertising Cultural Industry Park Management and Development Company.

Award winners

The evening will begin with the recognition of each of our 15 winners, as selected by GoKunming readers and those who follow our WeChat official account. In addition, we will present awards to the best travel destinations in Kunming and Yunnan. The awards ceremony will be the first public announcement of the winners, with an article published on GoKunming during the ceremony.

Each winning business will be presented on stage with a framed commemorative award. They will also receive a bottle of chilled Prosecco and a 'swag bag' containing a voucher for legal services provided by Yunnan Wanhuida Patent Services, fresh flowers grown here South of the Clouds by Hasfarm, and a commemorative book compliments of Yang Liping.

Entertainment

We will have a full cash bar staffed by GoKunming employees, as well as three tasty varieties of draught beer sponsored by the good people at local alehouse YUN Brewing. Live music will be featured throughout the evening, with performances by Face Jam, playing their unique brand of jazz and rhythm and blues-inspired music. They seamlessly blend smooth instrumental and vocal tunes perfect for both classy venues or a grooving dance floor. DJ Semanaz will also be on hand providing only the best in phat beats.

Face Jam!

This year, the awards show will again include a lucky draw with a huge assortment of prizes. This is our way of thanking all of the people who voted for the Best of Kunming Awards and also everyone who helps make the Kunming community such a unique and special one.

Lucky draw prizes!

Each ticket-holder will be automatically entered into the lucky draw, the prizes of which have a combined value of nearly 70,000 yuan. For those wanting an increased chance of winning, extra raffle tickets will be available at the venue. Throughout the evening, we will take a pause from the awards and live music to randomly select lucky draw winners. This will culminate at the end of the ceremony with the announcement of who wins the biggest prizes.

Tao Yoga

Over the course of the evening, we will give away 12 year-long memberships to Tao Yoga, one of Kunming's first and best studios. Located in a simple and peaceful rooftop garden studio in the very heart of Kunming, the studio promotes a healthy and balanced life style. Their instruction focusses on the therapeutical aspect of yoga, helping people gain inspiration and health through simple yet comprehensive practices. Total value of these memberships is 25,000 yuan.

Beanstalk International Bilingual School Kunming (BIBS)

BIBS has contributed tuition to their unique bilingual educational practices for one student. Their beautiful and modern campus is situated in a safe and quiet residential Chenggong neighborhood perfect for families. They offer a kindergarten through high school curriculum for students from across the world. The tuition package is worth 15,000 yuan.

Lucky Air

We will also give away two pairs of round-trip international flights from Kunming-based Lucky Air. From Changshui International Airport they fly to Bangkok, Thailand, both Penang and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Cebu, Philippines and Saba on the island of Borneo. Winners can choose from any one of these fantastic locations and choose the dates of their departure and return. The total value of these prizes is 10,760 yuan.

SilkTree Hotel

Another of our lucky draw prizes is a one-night stay in SilkTree Hotel's presidential suite. The set of rooms is 300 square meters of pure luxury overlooking northern Kunming. Included in the stay is a fantastic Southeast Asian dinner for two and a continental breakfast buffet. The hotel is conveniently located near some of the city's most visited attractions, including Black Dragon Pool and Xunning Temple. This luxury staycation is worth 8,888 yuan.

Yang Liping

For years, Yang Liping has created original and powerful dance and stage performances featuring Yunnan-inspired music and choreography. We will give away six pairs of VIP tickets to her masterpiece Dynamic Yunnan, which fuses the beauty of Yunnan ethnic minority song and dance traditions with the power of modern stage. Total value of these tickets is 5,760 yuan.

The Bivou Lijiang

The Bivou Lijiang is a designer guesthouse for the modern adventurer. Housed within two historic farmyards originally built by local Naxi architects. This lucky draw prize is a two-night stay for two in a deluxe room that includes airport pickup, a day-trip to nearby Yuhu Village for a picnic lunch, and a traditional Yunnanese farmhouse dinner. The stay is valued at 3,600 yuan.

Gift From the Forest

Over the course of the awards show, we will also give away seven Pu'er tea box sets provided by Gift From the Forest. This boutique company has been lovingly cultivating the finest strains of indigenous Yunnan tea in the province's southern prefectures for three generations. The combined value of these box sets is 3,000 yuan.

Magnet Hotel

Four lucky draw participants will receive one-night stays for two at Magnet Hotel. Full of amenities, it is conveniently located near Kunming's most popular shopping center, museums and parks in the middle of the city. This group of prizes has a combined value of 2,676 yuan.

Hilton Garden Inn Shangri-la

Sitting in the center of northwest Yunnan's Shangri-la, the Hilton Garden Inn features Tibetan-style architecture combined with luxurious modern amenities. Rounding out the lucky draw prizes, we will give away a two-night stay for two in a mountain view room, complete with complimentary breakfast. The value of this stay is 1,800 yuan.

Advance tickets and directions

Advance tickets to the Best of Kunming Awards are 40 yuan each, while passes purchased at the event will cost 50 yuan. Proceeds from ticket sales go to the performers. The price of each ticket includes entry to the event, one free YUN Brewing beer and one lucky draw number. Raffle winners are limited to one prize only. A limited number of advance tickets are on sale now at Barfly Salvador's Coffee House and Ozzie's, as well as online at Chinese-language outlet huodongxing.

This year, the Best of Kunming Awards Ceremony will be held at the ACMEC Conference Center. The location is a bit tricky to find, so please check the map included below. We've also put together a snappy time-lapse video with directions at the end of this article, as well as a map of alternate routes.

There are three ways to reach the ACMEC Conference Center, all of them off of Xuefu Lu (学府路). The simplest way if taking a taxi is Route 1, which is also accessible by foot, car, bike, motorcycle or hoverboard. It is also the path depicted in the video below.

Click here to enlarge map

On the map above, Route 1 begins at the intersection of Xuefu Lu and Jindingshan Bei Lu (金鼎山北路). Route 2 is for cars only — although scooter drivers are welcome to argue with the security guard if they'd like. The final way in, Route 3, approaches from the backside of Jinding Shan. For Routes 1 and 3, look for the guard shack at the top of the hill. We look forward to seeing everyone at the event!

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