Kunming History

Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, is the center of politics, economy, culture, science and technology, and transportation in Yunnan Province. As a first-grade port city, Kunming is the center of five-hour-flight circle in Asia, the portal to Southeast Asia and South Asia, and also it is the only metropolis in China facing to ASEAN. Kunming is praised as "Spring City" because of its pleasant climate.
 

Origin of Kunming

The word "Kunming" was traced to Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-220 A.D.), but it was originally as the title of a minority nationality in ancient Yunnan. "Kunming" as a place name appeared in Tang Dynasty (618-907).
 

Historical Culture

Kunming has a long history of 2,200 years. There was human beings living in Lake Dianchi districts about 30,000 years ago, and they settled there to do farming about 4000 to 7000 years ago. Dian people around Lake Dianchi built Kingdom Dian in Warring State Period (475-221 B.C.) and the early Eastern Han Dynasty, which created the distinctive "Dian Culture". In 765, Kingdom Nanzhao built Tuodong City, which was the beginning of Kunming City. In 1276, Kunming set Zhongqing City, and it was first as a capital city. In Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), a lot of migrants flowed into Yunnan, the Han people first surpassed local native people. Since the late Ming Dynasty, Kunming witnessed several uprisings and wars. In the anti-Japanese War, Kunming was one of the most important economic, cultural and military cities. Kunming got peaceful liberation on December 9, 1949.
 

Historical Organization System

Dianchi Lake districts have a civilized history of 3,000 years. In Bronze Age, Dianchi Lake districts were mainly clan tribes and Sou (ancient nationality in southwestern China) dominated. In 109, Western Han brought Lake Dianchi into its territory, and it set Yizhou Jun (the ancient administrative region), and Kunming was under the domination of Guchang County in Yizhou Jun, which marked that ancient Yunnan began to be ruled directly by central government and it improved national reunification. From Eastern Jin Dynasty (318-420), Cuan Family grew strong gradually, and it became the ruler of central Yunnan province. In 339, Jin admitted its hereditary rule. With the development of 200 years, Kunming kept a stable society away from political turmoil and ethnic dispeace, and it was more flourishing and rich district in southwestern China.
 

Rudiment o Kunming in Kingdom Nanzhao

In the mid period of Tang Dynasty, Meng Family arisen in Lake Erhai districts and it founded Kingdom Nanzhao, which extirpated Cuan Family in 746 and 747. In 765, Kingdom Nanzhao built Tuodong City (now Kunming city center), which was the beginning of Kunming City. Tuodong City laid the foundation of ancient Kunming City, and it developed as the second political, economic, military and cultural center in Kingdom Nanzhao, and it was the important transportation hub to Guangxi, Guizhou and Vietnam, which played the key role to social economy of southwestern China and international exchange with Southeast Asia. Kingdom Dali replaced Kingdom Nanzhao and unified Yunnan in 937.
 

First as the Administrative Center

In 1253, the armies of Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368) occupies Yunnan, in 1276, Yuan moved the administrative center to Kunming from Dali, since then, Kunming was the Yunnan's center of politics, economy and culture. Lake Dianchi districts had great development in Yuan Dynasty.
 

Development in the War

After the late period of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), especially, the Sino-France War in 1885, French and English power invaded Yunnan.
In 1884, Yunnan Machine Bureau was founded, which marked the beginning of Kunming modern industry;
In 1900, Kunming appeared commercial enterprises, until 1911 there were about ten kinds of industries, and match industry developed most;
In 1905, Qing government made Kunming as commercial port;
In 1910, Yunnan-Vietnam railway was completed to Kunming;
In 1937, war industry began to flourish because of anti-Japanese War, which driven a short economic blooming for Kunming.
On December 9, 1949, Kunming got peaceful liberation.