What is a Kunming?

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When I initially got serious about going to China, I thought I'd head straight to Beijing, and try to get work turning Engrish into English. But a journalist contact suggested a different route, the one which I'm now taking.

I'm heading to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province (the light blue area). It's a "small" city of about 3.7 million or 4.9 million, depending on whether you trust Wikipedia or my travel guide from the Chinese government. Kunming is known for its laid-back attitude, good climate and (relatively) clean air. Its nickname is "The Garden City" or "The Spring City," because of its climate. The cost of living is said to be one of the lowest for a Chinese city.

The city is surroundeed on three sides by mountains, so I expect to do some hiking. To the south is a large lake. Its elevation is 6,200 feet, about 1,000 feet higher than Denver.

The "plan" is to stay in Kunming for somewhere between a few months and several months, studying Mandarin and traveling and freelancing some stories. In a year or less, I expect to be in Beijing.