Howdy fellow Gokunming users :)

After living in Kunming for a while, there are some questions which are still unanswered.
For instance, in the south of Kunming where the international school and the Wicker Basket is located, there are a shitload of white dudes. I have also noticed that some of these dudes have a small army of children with them.

I was wondering if people living in this area are there because there are so many other foreigners there, so that the population of foreigners are just expanding because of this.

I guess that dudes with kids need to stay close to the international school, but what is the main reason for them to move to a city like Kunming?

This is not a very serious issue, but I`m curious about this little area far away with so many foreigners.

Hope that people living in this area and other clever dudes living in Kunming can explain this to me.

International school, Wicker Basket, decent housing, close to Dianchi...

I think it's fair to say that most (esp the families) are here because of their religious convictions.

@Ocean.
Perhaps that is true in that vicinity, but not true for many expats in other parts of the city. Some of us came here to China to get away from religion.

Oops, a misleading typo....I meant "there", not "here".

Can not afford to raise a fire team in the USA and get away from the USA is the most logical reason.

Many (if not all) of the expat families in the KIA area are working for either companies or NGOs that are working on charity project for the local Yunnan community, mostly they are religiously based and get some charity from home to live.

@HFCAMPO I think that as Kunming gets more expensive it is becoming harder for these families to enjoy the standard of living that they had in the past, maybe its even cheaper for a larger family in the US?

A large family can easily get an apartment for 2000 RMB = $300 but they certainly can not find an apartment in the USA for $300 unless they move in to a slum. Most importantly for all parents is safety and China is a very safe place except for cell phones and bikes. Although the cost of living has increased in Kunming and all over China as well as over the world, it is still much cheaper and Safer then the West.

www.foxnews.com/[...]

Many Rich americans are leaving the USA for tax purposes and many of the average americans are leaving because they see the writing on the wall as well want safety and cheaper cost of living.

I have a friend who just moved to Cambodia and he got a 1 year visa without even going to the immigration office for only $300. no questions asked and without putting money in the bank like in Thailand.

As prices soar in China, I think more foreigners will make their way south.

Agree to an extent about cost of living. Cost of living in China is close to that of UK now. In fact, if you count all the taxes, including stealth taxes, there is very little difference. It is just that here we perhaps accept a lower standard of living. No car, fewer luxuries, unreliable/untrustworthy health care.
As someone once said, 'Capitalism is not about having more. It is about having more than your neighbor'.

If you think the Wicker Basket is in the south of the city, there's a lot of city you haven't seen.

China is safe except for cellphones and bikes? The cars are much more dangerous than the bikes, and I don't know what is dangerous about Chinese cellphones.