City of Kunming and Yunnan Province

4. Green Lake in Kunming

Green Lake in Kunming lies northwest of the city. Green Lake (Cuihu) is Kunming's answer to Central Park in New York. Lined with willows, the lake is gorgeous, crisscrossed by small arched bridges in imitation of Hangzhou's more famous West Lake. The best time to come is on Sunday, when the pathways are crowded with families on their weekly outings. The best season is winter, when days are warm and sunny and the large flocks of "Laughing Gulls" with their cackling cries as they arrive from their breeding grounds in Siberia. The gulls enjoy the legendary "eternal spring" weather in Kunming.