I've noticed lots of "beautifying" projects in Kunming, plus a significant increase in traffic cops - mostly enforcing traffic lights for e-bikes.

Is somebody important coming to visit Kunming soon or is this a continuation of Kunming's drive to accomplish the "Cultured City" award?

I am in Guilin at the moment, the cops are doing the same thing here. I was told that there are teams of people from the top coming to tick the boxes of the report card for the 'ranking of most civilized cities. '

my neighbour's 4 wheel was towed away and fined for illegal parking. that sort of thing happens very rare in the city fringe. haha

Three things are going on right now to make this the perfect storm of road work and beautification projects:

- Economic stimulus, with tons of funds being released to get ordinary workers back to work and spending money.

- The Civilized City campaign: Kunming has tried, and failed, to earn the Civilized City designation several times now.

- COP 15, the UN summit on biodiversity. Was slated for this October, but postponed due to COVID. Currently scheduled for next May. Multiple heads of state are expected to attend.

Thanks for helping clear up the mystery of suddenly enforced wenming.

But still the street outside my workplace gets covered in ashes, plastic bags, plates of fruit, cigarettes, presumably as gifts to the dead, and a pile of human turd which is presumably not an offering (or left by somebody who hates their ancestors!). This is why they always fail to get the wenming chengshi status and why they will probably fail again this time.

A new city-wide campaign to eradicate cigarette butts in the works. Anyone who picks up 400 butts can trade in a carton of bathroom tissue rolls. 300 butts for an umbrella. Expect old Kunminger volunteers to participate in the cleanup. They love free stuff.

If it isn't an urban myth, head to your nearest bar and empty the ash trays. Watch for bar owners selling TP and umbrellas on baidu.