Kunming is the capital city of Yunnan Province, and reporters have visited it many times. Especially during my eighth trip to Yunnan recently, an 11-day trip to southeastern Yunnan arrived at this very warm spring city at the first stop.

Kunming Airport (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

At 10:30 a.m. on March 3, 2023, the reporter and his party took off from Beijing Daxing Airport on Capital Airlines Flight JD5629. After a flight of 3 hours and 6 minutes, they arrived at Kunming Changshui Airport more than half an hour early at 13:36. I have been to Yunnan eight times, and six times I have been to Yunnan this airport. It seems that there is a certain fate.

Kunming Street View (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Since the day of the trip was free activities and it was already afternoon when we arrived in Kunming, the reporter was reluctant to give up this rare and beautiful time. After arriving at the Jiaoyuan Hotel where we stayed, he put down his bags and started an unforgettable and beautiful half-day free trip in Kunming. Sightseeing trip.

Road sign at Yongdao Street Entrance (Photo: Wang Jue)

After a simple strategy, the reporter and his party decided to visit Nie Er's former residence for the first stop. After getting on the taxi and announcing the destination, the driver was familiar with the road and arrived at Yongdao Street in Wuhua District, Kunming City in just ten minutes. Since this street belongs to a pedestrian street, the reporter and his party walked through the streets and finally arrived at Nie Er's former residence at No. 73-74 Yongdao Street.

Photo taken in front of Nie Er's former residence (Photo: Wang Jue)

The reporter looked at this ordinary small house. If it weren't for the four big yellow characters inscribed on the black plaque at the front of the door,"Nie Er's Former Residence", he wouldn't be able to see what it was unique to other houses along the street. However, it was here that Nie Er, one of our great musicians in China, was born.

Cheng Chuntang (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

According to the data, in the 30th year of Guangxu (1905), Nie Er's parents came to Kunming from Yuxi, Yunnan to make a living. They rented and opened a small medical center here, named "Chengchun Hall". Nie Er was born here on February 14, 1912 in the last century. In 1920, due to his inability to pay the rent, his family moved to No. 13 Weiyuan Street Vegetable Market, thus moving away from Yongdao Street.

Walking into Nie Er's former residence (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

In 1943, when the Yunnan Province government started construction of "Yunrui Park" on the former site of the Yungui Governor's Office, Yongdao Street was widened and renovated. Houses on both sides of Yongdao Street were demolished and moved back 4- 5 meters for reconstruction. The roads on both sides of the rebuilt Yongdao Street are still paved with shops below and a two-story civil structure building above.

Overlooking the courtyard of the former residence (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

After the founding of New China, Nie Er's third brother Nie Xulun and others went to Yongdao Street to find their family's former house and confirmed its location as No. 73 - 74 Yongdao Street today. To commemorate them, they also hung the plaque of the original "Chengchun Hall" at the door of No. 73 for photos.

The room where Nie Er was born (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Walking into this small courtyard facing east to west and having three rooms with two-story civil-structure houses, the reporter followed the stairs to the second floor. The house on the right here is Nie Er's parents 'bedroom, and Nie Er was born on the sleeping cabinet in this room.

Musical instruments used at that time (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The other two rooms next to this house are exhibition rooms, which display a large number of photos, relics and daily necessities of Nie Er's three life stages in Kunming, Shanghai and overseas. Among them, Nie Er used violin and other musical instruments and music scores are particularly eye-catching.

Nie Er's graduation certificate (Photo: Wang Jue)

There are also copies of some manuscripts of Nie Er's songs in the exhibition cabinet, including "Little Worker" and "Song of Hunger and Cold", which left a deep impression on visiting visitors.

Corner of the exhibition room (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

In Nie Er's short life, he left more than 30 immortal songs for people, including "March of the Volunteers","Road Song" and "Graduation Song". Among them,"March of the Volunteers" was designated as the national anthem of the People's Republic of China.

Anti-Japanese War Victory Hall (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Not far from Nie Er's former residence and walking right, you will find Kunming Old Street. There is an Anti-Japanese War Victory Hall, which houses a monument to the people's heroes. There is an open garden square around it, especially a symmetrical view of the west building of the wine glass building, which is very distinctive.

Landscape of the Wine Glass Tower (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The history of Kunming Old Street can be traced back to the Dali Dynasty and was founded in the Yuan, Ming, Qing, Republic of China and New China. The pattern of the existing Kunming Old Street was gradually formed when the Governor of Yunnan and Guizhou established the office here during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. The buildings of the existing Kunming Old Street mainly reflect the historical features of the Republic of China.

Photo taken in Kunming Old Street (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Guanghua Street, an old street in Kunming, starts from Zhengyi Road in the east and ends at Wuyi Road in the west, with a total length of 435 meters. It is the only remaining old street in Kunming with its simple and simple style. On today's Guanghua Street, you can eat authentic small pot rice noodles, find strange Yunnan antiques, and find century-old medicine shops. Guanghua Street embraces Kunming's ancient and modern times with its mottled and simple mind.

Corner of the old street building (Photo: Wang Jue)

Jingxing Street, an old street in Kunming, is always crowded with people every day. Locals or tourists come in droves, shopping or idle. All kinds of strange things can be found here. Jingxing Street carries too many beautiful childhood memories of Kunming people and also brings endless surprises to various foreign tourists.

Street View of Old Street (Photo: Wang Jue)

Kunming Old Street has experienced more than 900 years of vicissitudes and more than 900 years of cultural accumulation, which contains rich information from the past years. Kunming Old Street is not only the most perfectly preserved and existing old neighborhood in Kunming, but also one of the most important symbols of Kunming's famous historical and cultural city.

Cuihu Park (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

After finishing the sightseeing of Nie Er's former residence and Kunming Old Street, we drove on to Kunming Cuihu Park for sightseeing. This is my third time here. However, this trip is the active period of red-billed gulls here, so the scene of birds flying is still very spectacular. The green lake is full of water, shaded by trees, pavilions, and beautiful environment. It enjoys the reputation of the jade in the city.

Beautiful scenery of Cuihu Park (Photo: Wang Jue)

Cuihu Lake is located at the western foot of Wuhua Mountain in Kunming City and is a central tourist spot in the Urban area. Because it has green water on all sides, green bamboo in all seasons, and green willows in spring and summer, it is called the "Cuihu". "Ten acres of lotus fish world, half a city of willows covering towers", Cuihu is known as the "emerald" inlaid in Kunming City.

Cherry blossom umbrella landscape in the garden (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Back in history, before the Yuan Dynasty, the water level in Dianchi Lake was high. It still belonged to the small lake bay outside the city, with many rice fields, vegetable gardens, and lotus ponds, so it was called "Caihaizi". Li Zhuan's poem "Travel in the Sea of Vegetables" said: "Kunming has 300 miles of water, and the sea of vegetables is one with it.

Nie Er Statue (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Today's Cuihu Park is one of the most beautiful parks in downtown Kunming. In addition to its unique beautiful scenery, tourists can also feel the very strong cultural atmosphere, because China's famous Yunnan University is here, where Shen Congwen, Zhu Ziqing, Wu Mi and other places where they drank tea, read books, and talked about the past. There is also a statue in the park commemorating people's musician Nie Er.

Flying scene of red-billed gull (Photo: Wang Jue)

What is particularly worth mentioning is the beauty of today's green lake, with the addition of snow-white red-billed gulls. From November of the first year to March of the next year, flocks fly here from the far north for the winter, once a year, without interruption.

Photo taken in Cuihu Park (Photo: passers-by)

It can be said that watching red-billed gulls is one of the biggest attractions for tourists when they come here. "Gull-watching on the Green Lake" has naturally become one of the popular landscapes in Kunming.

Golden Horse Archway (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

At 18 o'clock that day, the reporters and his party finished their sightseeing at Cuihu and took a taxi to the last stop of the half-day free tour: Kunming Jinma Biji Square. It is located at the confluence of Sanshi Street and Jinbi Road in the center of Kunming City. It is 12 meters high and 18 meters wide. The Diaoliang and Painted Buildings are exquisite. The east square is adjacent to Jinma Mountain and is named Jinma Square. The west square is adjacent to Biji Mountain and is named Biji Square. It is a symbol of Kunming. Jinma Biji Square was built during the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty and has a history of nearly 400 years.

Photo taken by Biji Archway (Photo: passers-by)

According to the data, whenever the sun is about to set, the afterglow shines on Biji Square from the west, and its reflection shines on the east street; at the same time, the moon has just risen from the east, and its silver light shines on Jinma Square, casting its reflection on the west street. On the surface; the shadows of the two archways gradually move closer and closer, and finally intersect with each other. This is the spectacle of the "golden jade intersection" that only appears once in 60 years. Legend has it that this spectacle appeared once during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty.

Biji Archway (Photo: Wang Jue)

Jinma Biji Workshop was demolished in the late 1960s. In the old days,"Jinbi Jiaohui" was once one of Kunming's "eight scenic spots". In 1998, during the reconstruction and expansion of Jinbi Road, the Kunming City People's Government once again rebuilt Jinma Biji Second Square. Today, the city's famous landmark landscape attracts countless tourists from home and abroad every day to pay homage, and leave beautiful photos taken with them to record a wonderful moment of time. At this point, my half-day free trip to Kunming has come to a successful conclusion. (Photo and text: Feng Ganyong)