Kunming is the capital and the largest city of Yunnan province—China's fourth least developed province based on disposable income per capita—in southwest China. The headquarters of many of Yunnan's large businesses are in Kunming. Located in the middle of the Yunnan—Guizhou Plateau , Kunming is located at an altitude of 1, metres 6, feet above sea level and at a latitude just north of the Tropic of Cancer.
As of , Kunming has a population of 6,, with an urban population of 4,,, [6] and is located at the northern edge of Dian Lake , surrounded by temples and lake-and- limestone hill landscapes. Kunming consists of an old, previously walled city, a modern commercial district, residential zones and university areas. On the northeast mountainous outskirt is a bronze temple dating from the Ming dynasty, the largest of its kind in China. Its economic importance derives from its geographical position.
Positioned near the border with Southeastern Asian countries, serving as a transportation hub in Southwest China, linking by rail to Vietnam and by road to Burma , Laos and Thailand. This positioning also makes it an important trade center in this region of the nation. It also houses some manufacturing, chiefly the processing of copper, as well as various chemicals, machinery, textiles, paper and cement.
Though having a nearly 2,year history, its modern prosperity dates only from , when the railway from Hanoi was built. The city has continued to develop rapidly under China's modernization efforts. 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 sports a proliferation of high-rises and luxury hotels.
Kunming long profited from its position on the caravan roads through to South-East Asia , India and Tibet. Early townships in the southern edge of Lake Dianchi outside the contemporary city perimeter can be dated back to BC, although they have been long lost to history. Early settlements in the area around Lake Dian date back to Neolithic times. The Dian Kingdom , whose original language was likely related to Tibeto-Burman languages was also established near the area.
