Autumn is the season of harvest. Two destinations let you experience a Different Kunming by enjoying the seasonal treats which are the Pearl Pear of Chenggong District and the Ginseng fruit of Shilin County.

 

Wangxichong (Chenggong District), 34 km from Kunming
September 23 saw the opening ceremony held for the Third Pearl Pear (Baozhu Pear) Festival of Wanxichong Sub-district of Chenggong District, Kunming. In the following week, a series of activities will be held for the event including cultural performances, campaign for selecting the King Pear, and picking pears in the orchards etc. 

 

Chenggong known for the Dounan Flower Market is located at the east bank of the Dianchi Lake and gets named after the Yi ethnic dialect Caigu which means a bay abundant in rice. In September 2011, the Pearl Pear of Chenggong was authenticated as China Geographical Indications Product and at the recently held 2015 Kunming Pan-Asian Agriculture Expo it won the silver medal. 

 

In Wanxichong Subdistrict, lots of local famers run restaurants serving nice food with reasonable price. 

 

Transport
(1)-Public bus
No. 170, stop at the terminal then transfer No.223 directly to Wanxichong

(2)-Metro
No.1, stop at the University Town, then transfer bus No. 223

(3)-A tour organised by travel agents in Kunming is much better.

 

Xijiekou (Shilin County), 104 km from Kunming
While in Xijiekou Town of Shilin County, the focus is the First Ginseng Fruit Festival that is opened on 25 September. Besides picking fruits in the orchards, visitors can enjoy the primitive cultural shows of the Yi ethnic minority.

 

During the period of 25 September-25 November, visitors can enjoy the "Ginseng fruit banquet" at several hotels and restaurants in Shilin County like the YiManLou Hotel and YiMiShuiXiang hotel etc. 

 

Over 1,300 hectares of Ginseng fruit
The Ginseng fruit was first introduced to Xijiekou Town in 1996. In 2014, the scale of plantation had reached more than 20,000 mu (1,333 hectares). In the villages of Dazichu, Luhua and Laomuwa, orchards are open to visitors to pick the fruits from 25 September to 25 October. The entry fee is 10 Yuan on the basis of "Eat inside, No Takeout".

 

Transport
Bus ride from Kunming East Bus Station to Shilin County then transfer for Xijiekou Town, but it is much better to resort to travel agencies in Kunming.