Xishan Forest Park — Attraction in Kunming

If you arrive by Metro (Line 3), there are two exits: one that faces food stalls, the other on the opposite side of the road.

The tickets for the shuttle bus to the main entrance are sold at a table behind a green metal fence on the same side as the food stalls.

Look for a break in the fence, it’s not obvious.

You will be approached by enterprising women who will offer you a lift for double the bus fare.

The bus costs 12.5 one way per person.

There are several stops between the metro station and the main entrance where the ticket office is located.

Very few signs have English translations.

The main ticket office is in the back right corner of the entrance square. If you’re lucky the ticket seller may speak a little English.

You need a ticket to visit the Dragons Gate and grottoes. It’s also worth getting a ticket for the shuttle bus back to the main entrance from Dragons Gate if you’re pressed for time or just feeling lazy.

You can get a ticket back to the metro from the main ticket office or a stand in the square.

We visited at the end of Golden Week and there were lots of noisy family groups and tour groups led by guides with loud hailers.

The queue for the chair lift was long but the ride is pleasant. The best views are coming down.

Some parts of the park were quiet but not any of the best known sites.

There were plenty of food options at the main entrance ,and to our delight, a cafe (The Canvas) that sold flat whites up to...

龙门西山风景区，Xishan Forest Park, also called Western Hills, is basically Kunming’s mix of nature, temples, and staircases that exist solely to test your life insurance. The place is gorgeous, misty cliffs over Dianchi Lake, temples carved into rock, and pavilions where poets once wrote verses, probably while gasping for air from the hike.

The famous Dragon Gate grottoes were hand carved by monks with infinite patience and apparently zero hobbies. Today you can admire the intricate details while wedged between selfie sticks and snack vendors who turn enlightenment into a concession stand experience.

Locals call it ‘having the beauty of Sleeping Beauty’s profile,’ which is poetic until you realize the only thing sleeping is your left leg from climbing so many stairs. Cable cars and chairlifts exist for the lazy or the sane, but even then you’ll still end up walking enough to question all your life choices.

It’s crowded, it’s touristy, and it’s exhausting, but the views over Dianchi Lake are spectacular if you catch a clear day. Just don’t expect serenity, expect cardio disguised as culture, with side effects of vertigo and existential dread. Highly...

Nice view but also cold but if ur scared of heights not for you because it's not like cable car you can drop things but for safety they will...