Kunming Yunnan Travel Vlog: Old Streets, Shopping, Cuihu Park & Food

Arron Goh
1 day ago
5 min read

Episode 4 of our 8D7N Yunnan trip ends in Kunming (昆明).

After Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La, Kunming felt like a completely different side of Yunnan.

More urban.

More modern.

More shopping.

But still full of old streets, cafés, local food and interesting neighbourhoods.

We had rain during part of the trip, so Kunming became a really good example of how easy the city is to explore even when the weather isn’t perfect.

In this vlog, we explored Nanping Street, Nanqiang Pedestrian Street, Kunming Old Street, Cuihu Park, Huang Gong Dong Street, several major shopping malls, local cafés and food spots before ending the Yunnan trip and flying home.

Watch Our Kunming Yunnan Vlog

【云南 8D7N EP.4】昆明

https://youtu.be/1jpjJLPA6mM?si=a44qa_n0-M2yfMFx

In this episode:

→ Kunming Railway Station

→ Hanting Hotel 汉庭

→ Nanping Street 南屏街

→ Nanqiang Pedestrian Street 南强步行街

→ Shuncheng Shopping Center

→ Hang Lung Plaza 恒隆广场

→ Tongde Plaza 同德广场

→ Zhuanxin Market 篆新市场

→ Wenhua Alley 文化巷

→ Tianjundian Alley 天君殿巷

→ Wenlin Street 文林街

→ Cuihu Park 翠湖公园

→ Huang Gong Dong Street 黄公东街

→ Kunming Old Street 昆明老街

→ Aocheng Building 傲城大厦

→ Taipei Street 台北街

Arriving Back in Kunming

We arrived at Kunming Railway Station after travelling around Yunnan and checked into a Hanting Hotel 汉庭.

This time we stayed in a four-person room, which worked well for our group.

Kunming is a very convenient city to use as the beginning or end of a Yunnan trip because it has major rail connections and an international airport.

Nanping Street 南屏街

One of the main areas we explored was Nanping Street.

This is a busy central shopping and pedestrian area in Kunming.

You’ll find:

restaurants
cafés
shopping
malls
snacks
nightlife

It’s also a useful area to stay near if you want somewhere lively and central.

We came back here more than once, including at night.

Nanqiang Pedestrian Street 南强步行街

Another lively area nearby is Nanqiang Pedestrian Street.

This is a good place for:

food + walking + shops + evening atmosphere

If you’re already around Nanping Street, I’d combine both.

You don’t really need to plan them separately.

Kunming Is Surprisingly Easy in the Rain

One thing that surprised me was how easy Kunming was to explore even during bad weather.

Several shopping malls are connected very conveniently to the metro, so we could move between places without spending too much time outside in the rain.

We visited malls including:

Shuncheng Shopping Center
Hang Lung Plaza 恒隆广场
Tongde Plaza 同德广场

If your Kunming day gets ruined by rain, shopping malls are actually a very practical backup plan.

Zhuanxin Market 篆新市场

We also visited Zhuanxin Market.

Markets are always one of my favourite places to see the everyday side of a city.

Instead of only tourist attractions, you get:

local produce
food
snacks
ingredients

and people actually going about their day.

If you like food and local markets, this is worth adding.

Wenhua Alley, Tianjundian Alley & Wenlin Street

Kunming also has a lot of smaller streets and neighbourhoods that are fun to explore on foot.

We walked through:

Wenhua Alley 文化巷
Tianjundian Alley 天君殿巷
Wenlin Street 文林街

These areas feel more local and relaxed compared with the major shopping streets.

You’ll find cafés, restaurants and smaller independent shops.

Cuihu Park 翠湖公园

One of the most famous places in central Kunming is Cuihu Park, also known as Green Lake Park.

We came here to walk around and see the seagulls.

During the right season, large numbers of migratory seagulls arrive in Kunming and become one of the city’s most recognizable winter sights.

It’s a simple place to visit, but very relaxing.

Huang Gong Dong Street 黄公东街

Another photogenic stop was Huang Gong Dong Street.

This area is known for its distinctive yellow buildings.

If you like photography or citywalks, this is an easy place to add while exploring central Kunming.

It’s not a huge attraction.

But visually, it stands out.

Food Stop: 小青牛清真饭店

We also stopped at 小青牛清真饭店, a halal restaurant in Kunming.

Kunming has a diverse food culture, and halal restaurants are fairly easy to find in certain areas.

If you’re looking for Muslim-friendly food in Kunming, this is one type of local option worth checking.

Café Stops

We also visited several cafés during the trip, including:

非正常咖啡
若安对月楼

Kunming has a surprisingly good café scene.

So if you like slowing down between sightseeing stops, you’ll have plenty of options.

Kunming Old Street 昆明老街

One of the most important areas to visit is Kunming Old Street.

This is where you’ll find older architecture, pedestrian streets, cafés, shops and plenty of food.

It’s one of the easiest places to get that older city atmosphere without leaving central Kunming.

If you only have one day, I’d definitely include it.

Aocheng Building 傲城大厦

This was one of the more unusual photo stops.

Aocheng Building is actually a residential building, but its circular shape has made it a popular photography spot.

It’s one of those places where you arrive and think:

why is everyone taking photos of an apartment building? 😂

Then you look up.

And suddenly it makes sense.

Taipei Street 台北街

We also stopped around Taipei Street.

Again, this isn’t a major tourist attraction.

But it fits perfectly into a Kunming citywalk.

One of the things I liked about the city is how many smaller streets you can just discover between the bigger attractions.

Yunnan McDonald’s 😂

Yes.

We also ended up at McDonald’s in Yunnan.

Sometimes travelling is ancient cities, temples and culture.

Sometimes it’s:

let’s see what McDonald’s has here. 😂

No regrets.

Btw, if you're a stamp hunter, we found some nice stamps here! Plus, they even gave a free stamp book for purchases above 50RMB.

Nanping Street at Night

We returned to Nanping Street again at night.

The area feels much more lively after dark.

Lights.

Shops.

People walking around.

Restaurants.

If you’re staying nearby, it’s an easy place to end the day.

Our Hanting Hotel Experience

Before leaving Kunming, we checked out of Hanting Hotel and shared our experience in the vlog.

It was one of the cheapest hotels we could find, and since we only needed to stay for 1 night, we didn't thought much about it...

But the room they gave us wasn't really the best. It was located on the lobby floor and behind the counter. The real problem was the sound proofing, I didn't get much rest that night due to people constantly checking in and out throughout the night.

So if you're staying here, I'd recommend requesting a higher floor.

Our Kunming Route

A simplified version:

Day 1

Arrive Kunming

→ Hanting Hotel

→ Nanping Street

→ Nanqiang Pedestrian Street

→ Shopping malls

Day 2

Zhuanxin Market

→ Wenhua Alley

→ Tianjundian Alley

→ Wenlin Street

→ Cuihu Park

→ Huang Gong Dong Street

→ cafés

→ Kunming Old Street

→ Aocheng Building

→ Taipei Street

→ Nanping Street at night

How Many Days Do You Need in Kunming?

I’d recommend 1–2 days for a first visit.

That gives you enough time for:

Kunming Old Street
Cuihu Park
markets
shopping
food

and a few neighbourhood citywalks.

If you’re mainly using Kunming as a transport hub, even one full day can still cover a lot.

Is Kunming Worth Visiting?