If you join in a summer program in China and travel to the city of Kunming in Yunnan province, you will find the way Kunminger gives name to places there is quite different.
It is quite noticeable for a student studying summer program in China that many place names in Kunming are called with these words as “山，江，河，湖，湾”, such as “五华山” (Wu Hua Mountain), “盘龙江”(Pan Long River), “金汁河”( Jin Zhi River), “翠湖”( Green Lake )and “莲花池”(the lotus’ pool). If you come to study in China, you’ll understand all these names have shown that Kunming is rich in mountains and the rivers.
Generally speaking, the places named with “湾 bay” also have something to do with water. There are plenty of snail shells in the place. Therefore, this place is named after the snail shells. It is known as snail shells bay in Yunnan province or even the whole country. A detailed explanation of this phenomenon will be covered in our summer studying program in China. If you are studying summer program in China, then a trip to Kunming will be very wonderful as its weather always makes you feel comfortable. Kunming is mountainous and it is surrounded by mountains in three directions.
What’s more, it is abundant in water resources. There are six rives across the city. However, it is wide and flat in the middle part of Kunming city. Kunming is in the high altitudes but in the low latitude and all foreign students who study in China knows it. It is highly affected by the solar radiation. On the other hand, it has abundant rainfall every year. On these accounts, it is a livable city with quite agreeable climate depending on the geographical environment. The climate in Kunming city is always like in the spring so that various flowers blooming all the year round. A satisfying summer program in China always contains parts for you to experience the life of Chinese people and the culture of China.
As you will know during summer program in China, on the other hand, the place names also reflect that Kunming is rich in the plants. There are more than 20 places named after the plants and fruits, such as Plum lane, banana lane, pepper lane, ginkgo seed lane and so on. Different kinds of the plants grow in all the large streets and small lanes. This has been a unique and singular landscape in Kunming streets and lanes. And it has been handed down generations by generations. Some of the plants reflected on the place names are important for the travelers and students who take summer program in China to have a profound knowledge of Kunming city. There is a place named as Louisiana mountain valley. This is a precious and infrequent plant all over the world so that it is national first-class protective plant. So far, it only can be found in the certain place in Teng Chong city in Yunnan province.
A interesting fact is mentioned in the summer program in China, that is, even some of the Kunming people do not know the meaning and significance of some place names in Kunming, because some of them have the profound history from the ancient times. For example, the Yu Ke Si Street, most of people could not know the meaning of this place according to the place name. In fact, this street has a long history that you may know from your summer program in China. And the Yu Ke Si is on of the governmental institution to collect taxes of fishing in Nanzhao period.
Besides, some of the streets in Kunming have been named afte good wishes from the Kunming people. For example, the Tai He Street, Bao Shan Street and Fu Zhao Street have reflected the best wishes from the Kunming people that they are praying for peace of the whole world.