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Kunming (Chinese: 昆明; pinyin: Kūnmíng; Wade-Giles: K'un-ming; IPA: [kʊn'mɪŋ]; UN/LOCODE: CNKMG) is a prefecture-level city and capital of Yunnan province, in southwestern China. Because of its year-round temperate climate, Kunming is often called the "Spring City" or "City of Eternal Spring" (Chinese: 春城; pinyin: Chūnchéng).Kunming is the political, economic, communications and cultural center of the province, and is the seat of the Yunnan provincial government. It was important during World War II as a Chinese military center, American air base, and transport terminus for the Burma Road. Located in the middle of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Kunming is located at an altitude of 1,900 m above sea level and at a latitude north of the tropic of cancer. It covers an area of 21,501 km² and its urban area covers 6,200 km². Kunming has an estimated population of 5,740,000 including 3,055,000 in the urban area and is located at the northern edge of the large Lake Dian, surrounded by temples and lake-and-limestone hill landscapes.Kunming consists of an old walled city, a modern commercial suburb, and a residential and university section. The city has an astronomical observatory, and its institutions of higher learning include Yunnan University and a medical college. On the outskirts is a famed bronze temple, dating from the Ming dynasty. Kunming was formerly called Yunnanfu (literally meaning "Yunnan Capital") until the 1920s the latest.It is the leading transportation hub (air, road, rail) in SW China, with rail connections to Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand. Situated in a fertile plain 640 km southwest of Chongqing, Kunming is an important trading center between the far west and central and south China. It is one of China's largest producers of copper. Copper is smelted with nearby hydroelectric power. Coal is mined, and the city has a few iron and steel complexes. Other manufactures include phosphorus, chemicals, machinery, textiles, paper, and cement. Although it was often the seat of kings in ancient times, Kunming's modern prosperity dates only from 1910, when the railroad from Hanoi was built. The city continues to develop rapidly during the modernization efforts of China. Kunming's streets have widened while office buildings and housing projects develop at a fast pace. Kunming has been designated a Special Tourism Center and as such has proliferating high-rises and luxury hotels.
