Forums > Living in Kunming > Opening a Chinese bank account BoC does international transfers, ICBC too. Not too sure about the rates (my last international transfer was in 2006 ^^).
My old BoC account (passbook + withdrawal card, very basic) could handle international transfer and exchanges between different currencies, which is quite helpful. I could withdraw from any ATM and also from Postal savings (due to some agreement between BoC and the Postal savings bank). Of course, the office has to be opened and you need the passbook and your passport. Don't know if this is still the case. In some BoC offices, you can also withdraw USD and EUR...
Being able to withdraw cash from the Postal savings offices can be useful if you plan on staying a very long time in remote villages, and if you travel expensively. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother. You'll probably be in a city at least once a week, if only to change buses, and you can find an ATM there.
If you get free transfers to CCB from the US, it could be a good choice. Your card will allow you to withdraw from any ATM (check if there is a fee). Just make sure you get a Chinese bank account and a Chinese card. Maybe I was unlucky but the five ABC ATM I tried refused my international card (no problem at ICBC or BoC)...
Forums > Living in Kunming > Air Quality!!! Kunming Not So Good. Kunming probably got worse those last few years but it didn't seem so bad to me (this being my first time there). Of all the places I have been to in Yunnan, Lijiang was the worst. Felt as bad as Beijing in 2006. I really had trouble breathing there and had to push my bike up every little hill. And it wasn't due to the altitude as I was coming (by bike) from Shangri-La.
Dali & Xiaguan were pretty bad too though I still manage to cycle around.
In comparison, the air in Kunming felt quite clean. Never had any trouble breathing. It is actually much cleaner than Paris (where I am at the moment). The day I went back, I had trouble breathing just walking up a (somewhat steep) street... In today's perfect weather, the sky goes from blue-grey to complete disgusting grey on the outskirts of the city... And we had the great idea of building our sport facilities just by the ring ^^.
Seriously, I can't wait to be back in Kunming...
Forums > Living in Kunming > Where to buy swimwear? The hotspring advice is good. I went to the hotspring village near Anning and there are many shops there selling swimsuits/shorts. These shops are much cheaper than the ones that are inside the resorts. Of course, the real question is "Can you fit into average Chinese sized shorts?"
