Kunming newspaper Dushi Shibao is sponsoring a contest in which the paper's readers plus a committee of political, cultural and economic leaders from the city are being asked to select the city's top landmarks. The winning landmarks are expected to figure heavily in future promotion of Kunming to the rest of China and the world.

Last Friday a roundtable discussion by members of an ad hoc landmark selection committee organized by Dushi Shibao engaged in a discussion of Kunming's landmarks and what needs to be done to protect them.

362Andao Tea# http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/244/#, who has been living in Kunming for nearly eight years. The inclusion of a foreigner in the meeting suggests a growing openness on the part of the Kunming government to outside opinions.

Caccia told GoKunming that despite the diverse group of officials, intellectuals, creatives and businesspeople, a general consensus was reached regarding the need to protect Kunming's landmarks. Kunming's Bird and Flower Market, which had been a major attraction for travelers to the Spring City, was cited as an example of how not to manage the city's landmarks – today the formerly vibrant area is a chaotic mix of real estate development and the remnants of the market's periphery.

Dushi Shibao's coverage of the meeting quotes Caccia under his Chinese name 杰克:

"I really like Kunming, and have very deep feelings for it, as I live here with my family. What I'm most concerned about is how to preserve whatever landmarks are selected as well as how to maintain Kunming's unique aspects and personality to make the city's economy and culture develop in a stable manner."

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