the problem is, that most sightseeings in China feel entitled to charge a ridiculous price, for littered, nasty and mostly unspectacular sightseeings.

compare with the prices overseas it's crazy.
most sightseeings for seniors and kids are free. if not they have heavy discounts. they are clean, in good shape and nobody is trying to rip you off more after you enter.

even western tourist traps are cheaper than the normal sightseeings in china.

stoneforest entrance fee gets you on the eiffel tower, or castle neuschwanstein, or the famous bridges in venice.

the animal museum in kunming (mostly stuffed animals and a few cast bones, a live size t-rex replica) almost get's you into the louvre in paris, the deutsches museum in munich, or the museum island in berlin, anne frank house in amsterdam (or for good measure,the sex or hemp museum). you may have to add a few kuais but you get a quite a bit more to see or feeling.

i dread touristy sightseeing in china, plus most cool sightseeings in china free.

Seems to work - hundreds of thousands, millions of tourists go & pay the price. Supply & demand? I guess so, but what's behind the demand?

I've thought about that demand question Alien and I think it's a few things:

1) So many Chinese have just got disposable income for the first time in recent years. They are keen to spend it, and they want others to know they are - conspicuous consumption. So, taking photos of places and putting them on wechat is a cool thing to do not just because of the photos but because it shows that you have disposable income.
2) Cars. So many people own cars for the first time. With the growing traffic jams and improving public transport, cars are increasingly tiresome to use in cities. So what do with one's very expensive toy? Road trips! With a few people in the car, they can even be quite economical. And if you are gonna take a road trip you may as well see something, and some things are worth paying huge entrance fees for because of their beauty and make beautiful road trips too e.g. Jiuzhaigou
3) Going abroad (apart from Thailand & Laos) is mafan for most Chinese, especially those with young children - getting visas for the UK for example, is a pain in the butt, as me and my wife know. So they decide to holiday in China instead and use the money they 'save' on flights hotels visas etc on entrance fees.

Chinese demand = follow the crowd

I saw the Great Wall back in my Beijing days about ten years with my then Fhinese GF and couple other friends. It as not bad at all and we even explored some desolate areas not open to the general public. There were people there but no biggie. Now even in off Saxons the ramparts are nothing but a sea of black hair moving along looking for a spot to snap a "pic" of a bunch of girls doing those stupid peace signs. After each picture is taken they must all run over to the phone and look and approve then run back for another pic. Most seem to really be.ieve most of the sites they see are really hundreds or housings of years old and seem to not know that the Cultural Revolution ever took place. After watching a Chinese man ( he as speaking Manadriin to his companion) hock up some phlegm and spit on on the floor of the airport in Bangkok I decided they can have the Chinese sites and I will go elsewhere or just stay home. I do not want to be swamped by thousands of phlegm hockes while trying to see the equavelant of China's biggest ball of string somewhere. I just wish more would just stay here and trash up their sacred motherland and quit going to places like Thailands and letting their little brats piss in holy fountains and causing a tantrum when they called on their behavior.

Hi all,
can it be, that you want me to advice not to travel to yunnan? :-), if I would not know the view of expats, it seems so to me... ha ha ha

Some of the things to look forward to if you go sightseeing peak time:

edition.cnn.com/[...]

and remember as a westerner you'll be a part of the scenery, so,:)

Hi vicar,
thanks, we shall arrive Oct/14/2016, so 1 week after the golden week...

christian4870: That's usually a decent time to visit. By the time you arrive, tourists will be dropping off from the peak, and the weather will be quite nice.

Some of the most famous sites (stone forest, Lijiang, etc) have pretty exorbitant ticket prices, though it's up to you whether it's worth it. There are also plenty of beautiful old towns, villages and natural landscapes that you can visit for free.

Definitely come. Yunnan is a great place to see.

My experience getting discounts:

1. Kunming bus/subway card
10% discount over paying cash
I got mine at Dongfeng Plaza subway station.

2. Student card from Chinese-language school
My school provides these to students who want one, had to give them a photo and 10 rmb. Probably others schools do similar. Substantial discount at Stone Forest, 80 rmb instead of something like 180 rmb. Also get in to Xishan for half price, 20 instead of 40. But when I tried to use it at Three Pagodas in Dali, the lady yelled at me for being too old trying to get into a national park. Apparently the age limit for students is 25 at a national park, I am visibly older.

3. I like to walk at Kunming's Golden Temple park, get among the trees and flowers and away from car exhaust, downside is lots of people. Normally 30 rmb per visit, however you can get a pass good for one year for 90 rmb. Pay at main entrance, they give you a receipt, walk up the steps quite a ways to administration building, down two floors to the office that handles the pass. Bring visa size photo. When I tried to renew after my first year, I was hassled when I tried to pay (admin office closed, come back in two days, they closed an hour ago, etc. etc.). Finally I went directly to the admin office and complained. They apologized, accepted my money and gave me a new pass. When you use the pass, they punch out a spot on the card, you can enter up to 30 times in one year.

4. World Horti-Expo Park
I like to walk here as well as nearby Golden Temple park. Problem is it costs 100 rmb per visit. But you can get an annual pass good for any number of visits. Cost 300 rmb, but they ran a special during Chinese New Year for 158 rmb, two weeks in February, two weeks in March. Unfortunately, the 158 special ends March 13. Renewal after one year is 138 rmb. Don't need to bring a photo as they take your pic on site and give you a wallet sized card with your mug on it.

5. Gondola ride from World Horti-Expo Park to Golden Temple
40 rmb one way, 60 rmb round trip. No discount, so I seldom ride. The best I could do was pay 60 for the round trip, take a one-way trip one day, and on a later date use the remaining one-way ticket. I asked first before doing this, basically had to get ok from the laoban on hand. This is only possible by showing the annual pass from 4. above.

Now, are there ways to get into parks for free? I once saw some people defeating the fence at Xishan. Serendipity rewards the intrepid and observant explorer, but that's a topic for another time and place and thread...