昆明一日游 · 滇池与花市

翠湖在昆明市中心，一年到头都有本地人在这儿散步、打牌、唱戏。最热闹的是冬天到早春：成千上万只红嘴鸥从西伯利亚飞来，在湖上盘旋，有人拿面包一举，鸟就落在手上。公园免费，湖边有柳树和回廊，早上光线好，很适合坐一会儿。

Cuihu sits in the centre of Kunming and locals walk, play cards and sing here all year. The peak is winter into early spring, when thousands of black-headed gulls arrive from Siberia and wheel over the water — hold up a piece of bread and they land on your hand. The park is free, with willows and covered walks around the lake, and the morning light is good for sitting a while.

云南大学的老校区就在翠湖边上，是昆明最漂亮的一片老建筑：会泽院是二十年代建的法式大楼，石阶一路往上，两边是银杏和大树，秋天一片金黄。校园里安静，慢慢走一圈半小时，很多人专门来拍照。

Yunnan University's old campus adjoins Cuihu and holds some of Kunming's loveliest old buildings: Huize Hall, a French-style block from the 1920s, up a long stone stair flanked by ginkgos and mature trees that turn gold in autumn. The campus is quiet and circles in half an hour at an easy pace; many come just to photograph it.

过桥米线是云南的招牌：先上一碗滚烫的鸡汤，上面盖着一层油保温，再把生肉片、鹌鹑蛋、蔬菜和米线按顺序放进去，汤的热度把肉烫熟，一会儿就能吃。讲究的顺序是先放肉、再放菜、最后放米线。汤很烫，别急着喝，可以先舀到小碗里凉一凉。一份量不小，一个人点一份就够。

Crossing-the-bridge noodles are Yunnan's signature: a bowl of scalding chicken broth arrives with a layer of oil holding the heat in, then raw meat slices, quail egg, vegetables and noodles go in in order, cooking through in a moment. The proper sequence is meat first, then vegetables, then noodles. The broth is very hot — do not drink straight away; ladle some into a small bowl to cool. One portion is generous and enough for one.

金马碧鸡坊是两座明代风格的牌坊，一东一西立在市中心，是昆明的老地标，据说每隔六十年会有「金碧交辉」的奇景。牌坊四周是南屏街和步行街，商场、小吃和茶铺挨着，白天逛店、傍晚灯亮起来更好看。

The Golden Horse and Jade Rooster are two Ming-style arches standing east and west in the city centre — an old Kunming landmark, said to produce a rare 'gold and jade in mutual glow' alignment every sixty years. Around them run Nanping Street and the pedestrian lanes, lined with malls, snack shops and teahouses: shop by day, and see them best when the lights come on at dusk.

云南省博物馆是了解云南最快的一站：恐龙化石、青铜器，到二十多个少数民族的服饰、乐器和生活用具都有。云南少数民族多，展厅按族群分，看完会对「一个省有这么多语言和风俗」有个直观印象。免费参观但要预约，周一通常闭馆，展厅冷气足。

The provincial museum is the quickest way into Yunnan: dinosaur fossils and bronzes through to the dress, instruments and household objects of more than twenty ethnic groups. The galleries are arranged by people, and you come away with a real sense of how many languages and customs one province holds. Entry is free but booked, it usually closes Mondays, and the halls are strongly air-conditioned.

滇池是云南最大的淡水湖，昆明人就住在它北边。海埂大坝是一条伸进湖里的长堤，一头连着西山，一头是市区，中间是开阔的水面。冬天到早春，这里也有成群的红嘴鸥，比翠湖的还多。大坝上风大，坐一会儿很舒服，傍晚看对岸西山的轮廓最好。

Dianchi is Yunnan's largest freshwater lake and Kunming sits on its north shore. Haigeng Dam is a long causeway reaching into the water, the Western Hills at one end and the city at the other, with open water between. From winter into early spring the gulls gather here too — more than at Cuihu. The dam is windy and pleasant to sit on, and dusk gives the best outline of the Western Hills opposite.

西山紧挨着滇池，龙门是在悬崖上凿出来的一段石道和石窟，清代工匠花了几十年才打通。走在上面一边是石壁、一边是几百米高的崖，往下就是滇池，视野极开阔。坐索道上去最省力，也可以沿山路走上来。海拔一千九百米左右，走快了会喘，慢慢来。

The Western Hills press against Dianchi, and the Dragon Gate is a passage and grottoes hewn into the cliff — Qing craftsmen took decades to cut through. Walking it, rock wall on one side and a drop of several hundred metres on the other, you look straight down onto the lake with a huge view. The cable car saves the climb; the hill path also works. At around 1,900 metres you will feel short of breath if you hurry, so take it slowly.

斗南花市在呈贡，是亚洲最大的鲜花交易市场，荷兰的拍卖模式在这儿每天走量。白天是批发，入夜才最热闹：一束一束的玫瑰、百合、洋桔梗堆成小山，价格按把算，几块钱一大束。想带花走可以现场打包，也可以只看不买，光是逛就很值。

Dounan, in Chenggong, is Asia's largest cut-flower market, trading in Dutch-auction style every day. Wholesale runs by day; the real bustle comes after dark, when roses, lilies and lisianthus pile up in mountains and prices are per bunch — a big armful for a few yuan. You can have flowers packed on the spot, or simply wander without buying; the browsing alone is worth it.