Study abroad programs for college and gap students
Photo Essay: CET Kunming
Photos by Peri Law, (University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill) Student Correspondent CET Kunming Summer 2018
I came to Kunming a few days before the program began and went to the Dragon Gate in Yunnan’s Western Hills. Carved out of rock on the side of a cliff, this gate is a part of a grotto complex that took over 70 years to complete.
The temperature in Kunming is comfortable during the summer but it often rains. When the clouds had finally cleared, I was treated to a beautiful sunset out my dorm window.
Only a few minutes’ walk away from Yunnan University is Green Lake (翠湖) Park. It’s a peaceful place to take a break from studying and watch elderly Chinese people dance.
A sunny, blue sky day is a great time to put out laundry to dry. The dorm has a washing machine but I have to rely on the natural method to dry clothes.
I often go to the cafeteria (or食堂) to eat meals because it is so affordable and has a large variety of options. I’m a big fan of the spicy potato wedges.
For our first weekend excursion, we went to the Bamboo Temple (筇竹寺) on the Yu’an Mountain, a quiet but large Buddhist temple surrounded by trees.
Near the Bamboo Temple is a hidden hiking trail that gives amazing views of Kunming and its surrounding mountains. Be warned, if your resident director says the hike is easy, it’s not! The view is definitely worth it though!
We learned how to prepare tea the traditional Chinese way. We also got to try different types of tea, including pu’er, a tea that Yunnan is famous for.
Yunnan University is surrounded by noodle shops. One of my favorites is a halal noodle place only a two-minute walk away from the dorm.
