All this, set in a city of perpetual spring, where verdant landscapes flash every shade of green and flowers crackle color like fireworks in every season. It has long been a bastion for bohemians, from ancient literati to dreadlocked hippies today－for good reason. DAY 1: Stone ForestCountless stone daggers slice the Stone Forest's skyline, lacerating the horizon to sculpt one of our planet's most unearthly places. That includes the sandy lakeshore that locals half-jokingly call "Kunming's Maldives". The ancient Chinese statue stands in contrast to the European and Russian architecture, including the "haunted" clock tower.

Source: The Nation Bangkok November 18, 2016 02:35 UTC