Arrival at Kunming Changshui International Airport 昆明长水国际机场

One thing I sort of missed when flying was airline food. I know, they aren’t exactly the best by any measure but in the advent of budget airlines, I have long since forgotten about in-flight meals. This is something which Chinese domestic airlines still have. With a country this large, one would definitely be expected to serve lunch or dinner. The food wasn’t spectacular either but tolerable. My flight from Guangzhou on China Eastern Airlines is bringing me to the southwestern city of Kunming 昆明 in Yunnan 云南 province. I have read and heard a lot about the raw beauty of Yunnan province and I was hoping I would be able to witness parts of it. This is a large province, good enough for an entire month’s trip.

My first encounter with Kunming is their brand new airport. This airport opened literally just a few days before I arrived. The delay of my flight could be attributed to hiccups with the new airport. The brand new airport is a new one located outside the city and it is the country’s fourth largest airport, presumably after Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The new airport is part of the country’s push to go west, that is to bring the development of the coastal cities to the relatively less developed western frontier. The province of Yunnan is mountainous with parts of the country already part of the Tibetan Plateau, the elevation of 2000 meters above sea level is already quite high by my standards. This is the first time I will be visiting such a new airport, from the looks of it, it won’t disappoint.

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