Hi there, I'm currently in my first year of teaching English in China.

I want to teach for a second year, but I'm unsure of where. I'm teaching primary students in a school and i really enjoy it. I love the food and the culture, plus there's the obvious challenges of living in China. I'm in a city much further north, and it's cold! Also where i am is very industrial (even by modern Chinese standards) and, to be honest, i didn't come all this way to settle down in the first place the agency sent me.

So I'm looking at alternatives, and Kunming is the first place i was drawn to (no BS) because of the climate and what I'd heard about the place. I did manage a brief stopover on my way back from Vietnam earlier this year but didn't have the time to explore. I only saw the areas around the main train station and the airport, which i don't think (hope) do justice to the city.

So if you could you give some frank assessments of living in Kunming I'd be most grateful. I'll also be reading up on the internet, but i think first hand information tends to be much closer to the reality when you're living in the new 'Wild West', he he.

First, the climate really is wonderful. Despite a few cold winter nights, flowers bloom year round and there isn't any of horribly humid summe weather of Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan or Chongqing. Travel in and out of Kunming is relatively convenient with flights to most major domestic cities as well as some international destinations. The city is geographically compact by Chinese standards and has very good, reliable and inexpensive bus system.

The pace of life is actually slow in comparison to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, etc. The presence of many ethnic minorities adds some much needed diversity to culture and cuisine. The cost of living is among the lowest of any Chinese urban area. Fruits, vegetable and flowers are abundant and inexpensive. There is also a small expat community. Yunnan province has some of China's most interesting and lovely sites (Shangrila, Lijiang, Dali, etc.)

On the down side, the people are generally much less educated and poor. The streets are filthy with litter. Traffic and traffic fatalities are the worst in China. Generally, the rule of law is nonexistent. It is almost impossible to use credit cards for any transactions.

On the whole Kunming is an OK place to live (It must be.....my fiancee and I bought a house here!). If you can deal with a less sophisticated population than people from eastern cities, you will enjoy that Kunming has to offer. Good luck.

Thanks Ahmet for your reply.
Great that there is a diversity in peoples (and eateries!) as i come from the UK, living in the cities of London and Bradford, that is what i'm used to. You mentioned the small expat community - where i'm living at the moment i can spend a week without seeing another 'Laowai'. This is ok for me as i don't need daily interaction with other native english speakers, but it's really hard as that happens on a regular basis - i haven't spoken to another native english speaker for 2 months. Do the expat community there have regular get togethers?

Then there are the schools and working conditions - i've heard some stories of teachers being in awful situations, where the only way it can be resolved is to leave. My apartment is all quite new, but very, very cold in the winter, as it's in a school, above some classrooms. Are there many primary schools in/near the city? I'd like to see a few this summer, after my semester ends.

Actually i am in Wuhan at the moment, so the climate in Kunming is much better, plus the litter and road behaviour won't be much of a surprise, he he.

When i was in Kunming i met a guy from Hong Kong, who recommended i think about moving there. He said he had 10 years ago, and thought the language was much easier to learn for a non-native, and the people were more open to 'outsiders'. I couldn't totally accept his views as he might have been lucky and/or compensating.

So, you bought a place there with your fiancee? Good for you, renting is definitely second best, in my view.

Again thanks for the reply. After coming here last september 'Artistic Licence' took on a whole new meaning for me ! He he.

I can't really add much more to what Ahmet has said. Kunming is a decent place to live and a good base from which to travel in Asia but it's certainly no HK or Shanghai. That said, you say you've lived in Bradford so I would imagine that almost anywhere, certainly Kunming, would seem like a paradise in comparison.

Thanks Kilgore, even though i moved to Bradford and it was a bit shite, i still got a lot out of the place. The curries were fantastic, as were the curries, and being scared for your life when having a drink in a local got to be a little thrill.

I get what you and Ahmet are saying, Kunming has it's downsides but they're small when compared to many places - the impression i had got from others who'd only visited for a holiday etc, was that is was so good that it just seemed too good to be true. I'll be contacting a few agencies fairly soon for a placement there. Thanks again.

Regarding to the downside of Kunming, i can't say Ahmet told the truth. Kunming is a very clean city compared to other major cities in China, and definitely much much better than London. while traffic is in fairly good and convenient condition. Credit cards are widely accepted in department stores, supermarket and bigger shops. I would recommend you to open a local bank account, as by doing that you will get an "union pay" (similar to visa, master card ) debit card, which will entitle you to make your payment in the most of the shops.

"the rule of law is nonexistent." Which is obviously a big lie. Please do think carefully before you say something about a city you are currently living in.

Gobobo, you can email me if you need more information about Kunming.

zhuwenmail@gmail.com

Yeah, i though the non-existent bit was a bit much, but i took it as a fair comment. What i didn't want was some self-promoting tourism crap about how the city is the most elegant thing out of China since writing. Even though Ahmet had his fair share of criticisms, he's laid his foundations in Kunming, so i believe he likes the place enough.

Along those thoughts, Pilgrim, you say Kunming is definitely much better than London. Which part of London do you mean? From what i've seen it's definitely better than Wandsworth and parts of Brixton. There are a few parts of Clapham that are miserable, as is South Croyden. And Toxteth is the arse-hole of south england.

hmmm, I mean compare with the most parts of London, i would say Kunming is in much clean condition. I am living in the city, which would be the one of the cleanest parts in London, luckily.

Hope you enjoyed your staying in Kunming!

I registered for the very purpose of participating this particular discussion. Kunming is my hometown and dream place for ever. I left six years ago in order to attend graduate school in Beijing. Now I am in Seattle pursuing my graduate degree. I've been to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, HK, LA, SF and lots of other places alone the west coast. Let me say that Kunming is the most delicate city among them, and one of the cleanest. As to making friends, I don't think anybody should worry about level of sophystication in this city; it's easy to find someone for decent conversation. I just wish I could be there and introduce some of my best friends to you guys: they are all well-educated, poetic and easy to get alone with.

Hope everybody enjoy Kunming; In fact, let me say I am so envious that you all can simply BE there! :-)