@ Zoe
There have been plenty of attacks on foreigners and locals. The news in China are very straight forward, so viewer discretion is advised.

Not much to say about Napoleon's racist outbursts. I guess if you are growing up as an over-privileged, entitled white guy, with your ancestors becoming rich by stealing land, well and then living the big life in China, living secluded form the real live, making a lot of money and then judging everyone else, especially the people who don't have money, while forcing and telling everyone what to do, then ...em....Well done Napoleon!!!

If you are actually real about your heritage I wouldn't make too much fun about Americans.

As I said before, go online, or to the cops, and listen what the professionals will tell you.

Just go online and type on baidu-video, violence in kunming, beating in kunming....well just write down the date, if you want to narrow it down, and wait for anchor or source to tell you the reason for the violent outbursts. And then tell me again, that China is safe.

Actually enjoy the bike driver guy who got his skull split with a machete for parking in the wrong spot.

The man stabbed to death for complaining about the smoke of a BBQ place,...just to show some highlights.

OF course there are other places, equally dangerous but the risks are more calculable.

I know people that grew up in the nastiest places in USA and Europe, and they said, if you are not in a gang or involved in crime, you can have a very relaxed life.

The tolerance and patience with people is higher, but it's not due to DNA but family education and school education.

I am not scared but alarmed about attacks, and random violence. Nut scurrying in a cave and being scared. But no harm to be careful in a place, that justifies violence and preached hatred for other nations and races.

Anyway just my 2 cents.

and hereth he judges. lol

@peter
Thumbs up!

@Napoleon
Not everyone posts their experiences on gokunming.

It seems to me that you are one of those guys who live in very well secured houses, and don't have to go out a lot.

Hearing Campo and yours, as well as other comments. You obviously have never been attacked in China. A smile won't help you at all. Because you don't see your opponent. The Chinese standard attack is not started with a formal greeting. My gokunming mail was packed with other foreigners telling me about their experiences. So it happens more than peoe think. I have a friend in LA and they dob't seem very scared.

For all the people able to read chinese, again,... check the news and net. Actually you, who have not yet done so, telling everyone and judging others, are not helping the forum.

In my unfortunate events, I can say that except one attack all were without provocation and most certainly about the pleasure of beating up foreigners. In hindsight one attack we could have probably prevented or at least escaped but at that time it didn't seem dangerous at first. We were invited to the assailants dinner table and only when we refused binge drinking baijiu (which we paid for) they became aggressive.

Plenty of cities in Europe where you can meet someone at 3 in the morning. Amsterdam for example. Pretty much every city in Scandinavia...etc

And about helping someone who is being beaten, try to evaluate the situation carefully. In our cases and two cases I witness from a distance, random Chinese guys joined the beating, once even a security joined the jolly punching. One time it wasn't even a Chinese they tried to rescue but a Korean but that didn't seem to matter.

It has something to do with the century of humiliation, and decades of xenophobe propaganda, burns all fuses when needed.

China is beautiful and has a very fascinating charme but it is not safe. But I don't want to be bullied or accused here anymore. So think whatever you want but don't be surprised if shit goes wrong.

By the way I did a crime prevention checklist just for kicks and it said that me,- working in the field (urban) at random hours, can be a risk factor.
But the places I was attacked (twice) were risk factors in China. A tourist spot. I talked to cops and they very much agree with the fact,that being a foreigner is a potential risk factor.

I know this will bother some people but you can go and ask for yourself. But you may not like what you hear. So it's o.k. to accuse others or find irrational justifications, I heard it's a normal reflex.

If you actually do bother to find out,
the police is usually very helpful when not too busy. Actually one cop praised me for checking with the local cops, because he even said the district matters a lot (I am not talkung about Kundu). There ate different crime gangs around, burglars, pick pockets and he said some don't hesitate to.use knives and weapons to not get caught by the cops. And knowing the drug problems of Kunming and Yunnan, some small criminal junkies rather stab someone than going to jail or cold turkey.

About the nasty parts of town, there are three main ghettos(if you could call em like that). Cops still go there but not unless someone OD'd or a major thing happens. They aren't afraid to go but they just don't care. I guess they are run by the mafia anyway.
I went to one of them last year, to visit a school their and the driver told us to never ever go there, night or day.