Qujing is in Eastern Yunnan.
Understand
[edit]The second largest city in Yunnan province, Qujing has a population of roughly 6 million. It is a blue collar town with light industry, and is frequented by domestic businessmen more than visitors. While the city is not known as a tourist destination, it has a few points of interest if you find yourself in the area or are passing through.
Get in
[edit]By train
[edit]Qujing has two train stations. The older and more central is 1 Qujing Train Station (曲靖站), 250 Jianning West Road (建宁西路250号). This is the preferred way to travel to Kunming, as even though the train is slower (about 1.5 hours), both stations are located in the center of their respective cities with frequent service. It otherwise has little use for tourists unless you are traveling to other villages in the area.
The high speed station is 2 Qujing North Station (曲靖北站), 77 Jiaoshuxia Village, Longquan Community (沾益区龙泉社区椒树下村77号). The station is located outside of the city proper, roughly a 30 minute car or bus ride. Every high speed train to and from Kunming will pass through here, so there are plenty of connections to other destinations in Yunnan or beyond. The train to Kunming is roughly 1 hour, but all trains stop at Kunming South Station, which itself is 30 minutes or more from the city proper.
By bus
[edit]Qujing is along the G56 Highway from Kunming and onward to Guiyang Province. Most buses will depart and arrive at the 3 Qujing High Speed Bus Station (曲靖高快汽车客运站), 交通路189号. The travel time to Kunming proper is roughly 2 hours, dependent on traffic. There are also shuttles directly to and from Kunming Changshui Airport (the nearest airport, as Qujing does not have one). They arrive and depart from the City Airport Bus Terminal(s) at 4 Huibao Hotel (汇宝大酒店), 361 Qilin West Road. and 5 Weisheng Stone Forest International Hotel (维生石林国际大酒店), 126 Yuanlin Road. Buses usually depart and arrive every 30 minutes, alternating between the two hotels. Travel time from Qujing to the airport is about 1.5 hours. It's recommended to buy tickets a few hours or a day in advance by visiting in person, or by searching "曲交出行" on WeChat.
Get around
[edit]
Qujing has very developed roads with light traffic. While years ago it was very chaotic, there has been a great deal of effort to normalize traffic rules. If you have your own car, it's a pretty low-stress city to drive in. All street signs are bilingual in Chinese and English. All public transport other than the rare metered taxi is cashless.
By taxi
[edit]Standard metered taxis that you flag down are becoming a thing of the past, being replaced with ride-sharing apps. Didi is a large player, but apps like Amap (高德) can queue up with many different companies at the same time. Traveling by car is very affordable compared to large cities like Shanghai or Kunming, with rates starting at ¥4 and rarely exceeding ¥10 in the city.
By bus
[edit]Qujing has a very extensive bus system that reaches into the far suburbs and beyond. Similar to taxis, your best bet is to download an app like Amap or Baidu Maps to tell you which lines to take. You will need to use the WeChat or Alipay mini-program. Fares are ¥2.
By bicycle
[edit]There are numerous dock-less bikes around the city from Meituan and HelloBike. As some parts of Qujing are hilly, many of the bikes are electric. Fares start at ¥2 depending on the type of bike, which covers 30 minutes of use. If you will use the bikes frequently, purchasing a package in advance will save a little bit of money.
See
[edit]1 Jingning Pagoda (静宁宝塔) (Enter the park near Weisheng Stone Forest Hotel, or on Liaokuo South Road). A tower on top of a hill visible from most of the city, with an impressive view of the area. Depending on fitness level and how direct of a path you choose, the hike could take 30 minutes to one hour. The trails up are mostly covered and paved. You can visit the interior of the tower to see some local art, but there are no windows. A shuttle up to the tower is available. Free, Shuttle ¥10.
2 Tiansheng Cave (天生洞) (Along Z014 road, Zhanyi District). A park with a very large and impressive cave. There are colored lights inside that make for some very nice photos. The trail inside is well marked and is an easy walk. Free..
3 Emerald Mountain Film and TV Set (翠山影视基地), 370 Wangsantun Village, Cuifeng Street. A filming location that is also a theme park. There is a roughly 4km road up to the summit, and on the way there are different attractions such as a Chinese village with some shopping, temples, a glass bridge, and a mountain slide. Entrance is ¥10, includes the temples and village. Round trip shuttle to the summit is ¥20. Other attractions ¥20 each.
4 Qilin Water Town (麒麟水乡), Xinwei Community, Yanjiang Subdistrict. A wetland park with trails, boat rides, and lots of flowers. Very striking when the lavender and lotus are blooming. Free.
Do
[edit]1 Qujing Bund (曲靖外滩), 168 Sanjiang Ave. A large outdoor market with shops, street food, restaurants, and bars. Especially busy on weekends. It is popular with young people and is the nightlife capital of the city.
2 Qilin Alley Commercial Street (麒麟巷立得商业街), Off of Qilin South Road. A popular shopping street with tea, coffee, and restaurants.
3 Tanghang Road (糖行街). Relatively quiet during the day, in the late afternoon vendors come out to sell snacks and other crafts. It also has many teahouses and bars, with a much more quiet vibe than the Bund.
Buy
[edit]1 218 Square (曲靖218广场), 218 Liaokuo South Road. Not as international as Kunming or larger cities, but this is where you'll find KFC, Starbucks, etc along with many other shops. There is a pop-up afternoon market on the terrace.
2 Wanda Square (曲靖麒麟万达广场), 361 Xuefu Street. The other big mall in Qujing, a bit east of downtown and nearby the Bund. Similar to 218 Square.
3 Walmart (沃尔玛), 28 Jiaotong Street. Unlike other cities in China, Walmart is still going strong in Qujing. A very large store that has just about everything you could need.
Eat
[edit]- Steamed Rice Noodles (蒸饵丝; zhēng ěr sī) is a local specialty, and difficult to find outside of Qujing. It is a steamed rice cake that is sliced into thin strips, tossed in oil, and topped with chives, pickled vegetables, and meat sauce. It is often eaten dry, but you can choose to add a bone broth soup as well.
- Qujing Braised Pork Rice Noodles (曲靖卤肉米线; qūjìng lǔ ròu mǐxiàn) is a similar rice noodle dish topped with a slightly sweet meat sauce and pickled vegetables. It is topped with chives, cilantro, or chili oil according to preference.
- Zhanyi Xiaobaba (沾益小粑粑; zhānyì xiǎo bābā), also known as Qujing Xiaobaba, is a dense pastry with a slightly crispy outside and flaky inside, similar to a scone. They are filled with red bean paste, powdered sugar, or other fillings. They are often given as gifts for special events.
- Flower Cakes (鲜花饼; xiānhuā bǐng) are a lighter, very flaky pastry filled with rose petals. Depending on the brand, they may be sweetened with sugar or honey.
- Over-the-Bridge Rice Noodles (过桥米线; guòqiáo mǐxiàn) are famous throughout Yunnan, and Qujing is no different. It is a noodle dish where you assemble it yourself with the raw ingredients and piping hot broth on the table.
- Small Pot Rice Noodles (小锅米线; xiǎoguō mǐxiàn) are the rustic, no frills version of Over-the-Bridge Noodles. They are sold at every noodle shop, and are served ready to eat. They are spicy and tangy due to the pickled vegetables, and are a common staple food for locals.
- Xuanwei Ham (宣威火腿; xuānwēi huǒtuǐ) is a preserved ham from the nearby village of Xuanwei. Famous throughout all of Yunnan and China, it has a strong smoky taste. You can find it fresh, in pastries, or in a dried/canned version that travels well.
- Shao Er Kuai (烧饵块; shāo ěrkuài) is a wrap made out of chewy rice cake. It is filled with yóutiáo (fried dough), egg, sausage, hash browns, vegetables, or anything else depending on your preference. It is often sold street-side and eaten for breakfast.
- Wild Mushrooms (菌子; jùnzǐ) are a local specialty, often foraged by the locals from nearby mountains. They can be found fresh in every market, incorporated into dishes at local restaurants, or even fried and eaten by themselves (zhà jùnzǐ). Supermarkets also sell them pre-packaged and stay fresh for months.
Restaurants
[edit]1 Yuan Yi (源一), A-29, Qilin Xiang Walking Street. A restaurant that cannot be missed. It has a stylish wood decor with lots of little alcoves, a large selection of western food, and a full bar. They also pride themselves on employing women who otherwise find it difficult to find work. The pin is their primary location, not to be confused with their offshoot hotpot restaurant around the corner. They also have a new location on the east side of town. On weekends the queue can be very long. Moderately priced.
Joy Bakery (嘉华饼屋). A chain with many locations throughout the city. An excellent bakery that makes good sandwiches, cakes, and other baked goods.
Jingchen Garden (靖宸园). A Qujing chain that is rapidly expanding throughout Yunnan. A clean, budget restaurant that has many local specialties. There are many in the city, and definitely worth a visit.
Drink
[edit]The best place to get a western cocktail is Yuan Yi. Otherwise, The Qujing Bund and Tanghang Road have local bars.
Sleep
[edit]Connect
[edit]Go next
[edit]Kunming is 1-2 hours away by train or bus.