Quick Facts

Visitors should check information likely to change.

Area: 394,000 square kilometres

Capital City: Kunming

Population: Approximately 45 million

Language: Mandarin is the official language, though local dialects are also spoken. Outside of large hotels, very little English is spoken.

Religion: Buddhism, Taoism, Islam and Christianity.

Climate: Varies widely according to latitude and elevation, from subtropical in the south to high tundra in northern areas.

Local Time: GMT +8

Currency: Chinese Renminbi (RMB) is the medium of exchange. The basic unit of RMB is yuan, and comes in denominations of 100, 50, 10, 5, 2 and 1. The yuan is divided into 10 jiao, which is further divided into 10 fen.

Credit cards are accepted in large hotels, but are generally not in wide use. Travellers cheques and currencies may be exchanged into yuan in major banks and hotels.

Business Hours: Government Offices are open Monday to Friday (except holidays) from 08.00-12.00 and 14.30-18.30, businesses daily from 08.30-12:.00 and 14.30-18.00, banks from 08.30-12.00 and 14:30-18:00 and post offices from 08.00-19.00.

Postal Service: Airmail from Kunming is efficient and reliable. Express mail service is available in all large cities. Major hotels provide convenient postal services for letters and parcels.

Telephone: Telephone services are generally efficient and good. International call are expensive by world standards.

Emergency Services
There are about 120 emergency first aid medical centres in the province

English Newspapers: The English language China Daily is usually provided free in tourist hotels.

Email/Internet: Internet shops and connections in hotel rooms are available in Kunming. Access in smaller urban centres is limited but available. Guestrooms of the better hotels also have internet connections.

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Tap Water: Only drink sealed bottled water, which is readily available.

Medical: Visitors must fill in a Health Declaration Form on arrival. Medical records may be required for stays exceeding six months. Inoculations against tetanus, influenza, hepatitis B and tuberculosis are recommended for longer stays.

Tipping: Small tips are expected in addition to hotel and restaurant services charges.

Airport Tax: International flights: US$12.

Photography: Discretion should be used when photographing people, and permission should be asked.

Tourist Information: Yunnan Provincial Tourism Information Centre’s official site, www.yunnantourism.com.