Green Lake and the Yunnan Military Academy
翠湖公园・云南陆军讲武堂旧址 Green Lake & Yunnan Military Academy · Wuhua District, Kunming, Yunnan, China
In winter watch the black-headed gulls at Green Lake, then step into the yellow corridor-style building on the lake's west shore to learn about the century-long history of the Yunnan Military Academy.
Know before you go
- Do not feed the black-headed gulls bread, snacks or anything other than gull feed
- do not chase or catch the gulls
- do not scratch or climb the railings of the Military Academy's heritage buildings
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Green Lake lies at the western foot of Wuhua Hill in Kunming's old town and is a lake park in the city center; black-headed gulls have flown in to winter here every year since 1985, becoming part of Kunming's cityscape. On the west shore, the Yunnan Military Academy was a military school set up in the late Qing to train the New Army; it formally opened in 1909, was ranked with the Tianjin and Fengtian military academies as the three great military academies, ran 22 classes until 1935, trained large numbers of military talents, and also admitted returning overseas Chinese and Korean and Vietnamese students. The surviving main building is a courtyard complex in the "zouma zhuanjiao lou" style with connected corner galleries, built in 1917–1918 and blending Chinese and Western elements; it was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level in 1988, and the Yunnan Military Academy History Museum was set up in 2009.
Local customs
- Green Lake Park is free to enter and full of residents doing morning exercises, singing and dancing—a great place to observe everyday life in Kunming. During gull season the park sets up dedicated feeding spots
- please use park-approved gull feed. The academy is on Cuihu West Road, with exhibition halls inside the courtyard that you can tour by walking around the galleries.
Religion & beliefs
There are temples and folk worship sites around Green Lake and in the old town, while the academy site has a memorial character, with exhibits covering those who died in the 1911 Revolution and the War of Resistance against Japan. Please remain solemn, do not fool around in the memorial exhibition areas, and do not pose frivolously in ways that pass judgment on historical figures.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
China: At Qingming tomb-sweeping, no burning paper or open flames in wooded areas
Do
- Check whether the cemetery requires a reservation before you go
- Stay quiet while laying flowers, bowing and observing silence
- Consider flowers, tree planting or online memorials instead of burning paper
- Dress soberly for tomb-sweeping
- Take offering wrappers and rubbish with you when you leave
Don’t
- Don't burn paper, incense or candles, or set off firecrackers, in woods or grassland
- Don't talk loudly or joke around in the cemetery
- Don't block cemetery paths for long to take photos
During fire-prevention periods, burning paper, incense and candles is strictly banned in forest and grassland fire zones, and anyone who starts a wildfire may be held legally liable. Whether and where a cemetery allows burning is set by its own rules on site.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Xinhua: Two departments deploy safety measures for the Qingming holiday
China: Go through security before the metro, and park shared bikes in marked zones
Do
- Cooperate with the security check at the entrance and put bags through the scanner
- On the platform, wait beside the doors and let passengers off first
- Register with your real name in the app before riding a shared bike
- Park in a marked bay or an app-designated spot, and make sure the lock clicks shut
- If the brakes or lock don't work, switch bikes and report it in the app
Don’t
- Don't linger in the doorway or force your way through closing doors
- Don't leave bikes in traffic lanes, fire lanes or on tactile paving
- Don't let children under 12 ride shared bikes
If you refuse the security check you will not be let into the station. Badly parked bikes are removed, and riders may face action under local rules and the operator's terms.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: People's Daily Online: Beijing issues standards for shared bike technology, services, parking
China: No smoking anywhere on high-speed trains, and no phone calls in quiet carriages
Do
- Sit in the carriage and seat shown on your ticket
- Put large luggage in the racks at the carriage ends or overhead
- Use headphones for videos and music
- In a quiet carriage, step outside to make or take calls
- Before getting off, check around your seat and take your rubbish and belongings
Don’t
- Don't smoke anywhere on the train, including toilets and vestibules
- Don't take someone else's seat
- Don't choose a quiet carriage when travelling with babies or toddlers (12306 advises against it)
Smoking on a bullet train can set off smoke alarms and slow or even stop the train. Smokers are fined by the police and, according to reports, may also be barred from buying bullet-train tickets; official rules prevail. If someone breaks the quiet-carriage rules, tell the train staff.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Travel China Guide: Smoking on Chinese trains
China: Stay on open sections of the Great Wall and never carve the bricks
Do
- Walk only on open sections and marked routes
- On steep stretches, stop and steady yourself before taking photos, and watch your step
- Wear non-slip shoes, carry enough water, and turn back if you are tired
- Carry your rubbish down or put it in a bin
- Check opening arrangements before you go; official announcements prevail
Don’t
- Don't carve, write on or prise loose the bricks
- Don't climb over fences or onto closed, crumbling walls and watchtowers
- Don't run or push on steep sections
Carving the Great Wall counts as damaging a cultural relic: one visitor who carved his name at Badaling was given administrative detention and a fine by the police and was blacklisted by the scenic area. Closed sections are not maintained and can be dangerous.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China News Service: Man detained for five days and fined 200 yuan for carving on the Badaling Great Wall
China: book popular sights in advance, under your real name, through official channels
Do
- Check the booking rules on the site's official website, mini program or account before you go
- Enter every companion's ID details in advance and pick an entry time slot
- Children, seniors and others with free or reduced tickets also book as required and show ID
- Book early for holidays and summer; popular dates often fill quickly
Don’t
- Don't trust third parties offering to grab tickets or sell 'insider' tickets
- Don't assume a free ticket means no booking is needed
- Don't count on buying tickets at the gate on peak days
Once a popular date is fully booked, you may be turned away. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires sites to keep in-person ticket windows and to accommodate seniors and others, but on-site quotas are limited; booking windows, release times and visitor caps are subject to official announcements.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China Daily: Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires all scenic areas to keep ticket windows
China: set up mobile payment before you go; hotels and tickets are booked under your passport
Do
- Link a foreign bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure
- Carry some cash in yuan for small stalls, remote areas or payment glitches
- Expect real-name checks at hotels, for train tickets and popular sights; use your passport
- Make sure the name and number on bookings match your passport exactly
- If a station gate cannot read your passport, use the staffed lane
Don’t
- Don't wait until you arrive to set up payment; verification can take time
- Don't assume cash alone or a bank card alone will work everywhere
- Don't book with details that differ from your passport
Without a working payment method, or with mismatched ID details, you may be unable to check in, buy tickets or enter sights. Payment limits, fees and platform rules are subject to official announcements.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Gov.cn: Payment services for foreign visitors to China
China: Queue, don't smoke where banned, and never carve on heritage sites
Do
- Wait your turn in line, and follow staff directions when it's crowded
- On buses and the metro, let passengers off first and offer seats to those in need
- Book popular sights and museums in advance, under your real name, through official channels
- Sort your rubbish into the right bins
- Use serving chopsticks and spoons, and order only what you can eat
Don’t
- Don't cut in line or walk side by side blocking the way
- Don't smoke where it is banned; many cities ban smoking in indoor public places and on public transport
- Don't carve or write on historic buildings or ancient trees, or climb on or touch relics
- Don't use flash or tripods in exhibition halls
- Don't talk loudly or play music out loud in public places
Staff will stop you from queue-jumping, smoking where banned or marking relics, and smoking in no-smoking areas or damaging relics can also lead to fines under the law. Fine amounts, booking methods and opening hours are as officially announced.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Palace Museum official site: Visit
Don’t DON'T
- Do not feed the black-headed gulls bread, snacks or anything other than gull feed
- do not chase or catch the gulls
- do not scratch or climb the railings of the Military Academy's heritage buildings
- do not ride e-bikes through crowds in the park
- do not sit at unrailed spots by the lake
- do not make loud noise in the Military Academy's memorial exhibition areas
Locals appreciate DO
- In winter (roughly November to March) go to Green Lake in the morning to see the black-headed gulls
- stroll around the lake to see the zigzag bridge and the mid-lake pavilion
- look at architectural details in the courtyard corridors of the Military Academy
- wander the old streets around Yunnan University and Wenlin Street on the way
- have a bowl of crossing-the-bridge rice noodles nearby
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Allow 1 hour for a walk around Green Lake and 1–1.5 hours for the Military Academy, half a day in total. Green Lake is in central Kunming
- take the Kunming Metro to Wuyi Road or a nearby station and walk, or walk over from the Nanping Street area of the old city. The Military Academy is at 22 Cuihu West Road on the west side of the lake. Much of Green Lake Park is open all day
- opening hours and whether reservation is needed for the Yunnan Military Academy History Museum are subject to its notices, and it may close on Mondays. The arrival and departure of the black-headed gulls varies each year, so go by that year's actual conditions. Nearby, combine Huize Hall of Yunnan University, the Military Academy, Wenlin Street and Yuantong Hill for a walking route through the old city.
Photos
Photos
Zhangzhugang · CC BY-SA 3.0
N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0
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