It took us only over two-and-a-half hours to get to Kunming, I kid you not. And once we got there, it was like we crashed into a flowerbed. There were flowers everywhere! It was so surreal. Welcome to Kunming, the land of eternal spring.
From the bright lights of and urban sprawl of Shanghai, Kunming came as a bit of a shock because of all the natural beauty everywhere I looked. If you haven’t heard of Kunming before, it’s the capital city of the Yunnan Province, China’s must-see tourist destination. I guess this is why the China International Travel Mart, the largest travel show in Asia, alternates between Shanghai and Kunming.
At the Kunming International Convention and Exhibition Center (KICEC), we brought a bit of natural Philippine beauty (aside from yours truly, of course) along for display. Photos of beaches were backlit as the backdrop to our booth, and they were so realistic that it was as if all you had to do was take off your shoes to step on the sand or jump into the blue waters and you’re there. Kunming may be the land of eternal spring, but they don’t have our fabulous beaches. Just click your heels and say it with me: "There’s no place like Boracay. There’s no place like Boracay."
The DOT is certainly pulling out all stops in its campaign to get more Chinese to come to the Philippines for their vacations. Not only are we showing off the gorgeous sites of our dear country, we are also letting them get a sneak peak at our colorful culture which not only promises a great stay but even better memories for them to take home.
Every morning for the entire travel fair, the tireless Bayanihan Dance Company performed for the thousands of visitors who went to the KICEC. I really don’t know how they did it. Even if I have seen them dance before, they never cease to amaze me with all their energy. I guess it was the cool fresh air that reminded me of Baguio when I was young – and no, I’m not going to say how long ago that was.
We visited the Yunnan Nationalities Villages, not far from Kunming. It was the bigger Nayong Filipino of the Yunnan Province. But Nayong Filipino came first, mind you! Yunnan Province is a big chunk of China, home to 26 Chinese ethnic groups, 15 of them existing only in Yunnan. I guess you can call the Yunnan Nationalities Village a big melting pot of different Chinese cultures condensed. So far, there are 12 villages out of 26 that are already completed – those of the Dai, Bai, Yi, Naxi, Wa, Bulang, Jin o, Lahu, Tibetan, Jingpo, Hani, and De’ang villages, as well as the "Mosuo Family." There are the scaled-down versions of historical landmarks found all over Yunnan, but they still look like the real thing. Too bad, we couldn’t stay long enough for one of the many festivals they hold there almost every month. That would’ve made a good story to bring home. They also have ethnic restaurants that are really targeted for all ranges of tourists. Whatever. But from what I could see, Yunnan is just gorgeous!
After a few more days at the travel mart, we packed up our booth, our picturesque beach, chairs, and finally allowed ourselves a sigh of relief. It was a great experience, talking with the people of China (in English, and in Mandarin, no less!), telling them about how great it is to visit the Philippines, and taking in the sites in Shanghai and Kunming along the way. But in the end, it was always great to be back home. – Keren Pascual