Kunming History, Yunnan Province, China -- Page 2

Although the completion of the French Indochina Rail Line into Kunming in 1910 stimulated the city's commercial development, major changes and sizable growth did not occur until the Japanese invasion of China and the onset of World War II. When the Nationalists moved their capital to Chongqing, refugees from East China poured westward, with many reaching Kunming. Moreover, thousands of Yunnanese peasants from the countryside migrated to work in the numerous factories that were established. During the Second World War, the US Air Force's "Flying Tigers" were based in Kunming. In fact, the foundation and basic design of Kunming's present airport is a legacy of US military forces. Inevitably the impact of the 1937-45 period eroded the city's parochialism and brought a gradual turn toward more progressive and modern attitudes.

Today, urban Kunming resembles other major Chinese cities. Industrial and commercial districts have been established, new, wide streets and modern office buildings have been built, and roads and railroads now connect the city with the surrounding region and other parts of China.

Kunming, as the center of transportation routes and communications in Yunnan, is served by both the "Burma Road" of World War II fame and the former French Indochina Rail Line, which was originally constructed to facilitate copper extraction. Built between 1910 and 1913, the railroad once stretched 975 km. from Kunming to Haiphong in Vietnam. Industrialization has been aided by a mineral-rich hinterland (including important deposits of coal, iron ore, and copper), and the city's factories produce a wide range of industrial and consumer goods. Kunming also serves as Yunnan's military center. Today there are over 900 major industrial enterprises in the city that manufacture a wide assortment of steel and other metal products, machinery, mining equipment, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles, and several consumer items such as bicycles, watches, and sewing machines.

There are 11 colleges and universities in Kunming, including the tree lined campuses of Yunnan University, Kunming Normal College, Yunnan Agricultural University, and the Institute for Nationalities.