Kunming
Green Lake Park
Green Lake Park (Cuihu) is Kunming's living room. A short walk north of the old town, this compact lake park of willow-lined causeways, lotus ponds, and red-pillared pavilions is where the city comes to relax from dawn onward. The lake itself covers about 15 hectares inside a roughly 21-hectare park, and it is free, open into the evening, and one of the easiest places to feel the rhythm of everyday Kunming.
Pavilion with red lanterns in Green Lake Park
A day in the park
Come early and you will find retirees practicing tai chi, choirs singing, and dancers moving in formation under the willows. Four causeways divide the lake into linked pools crossed by arched stone bridges, with tea houses and small pavilions along the way. On Palm Islet, a small statue honors Nie Er, the composer of China's national anthem, a quiet detail most visitors walk straight past. It is a place to slow down rather than tick off sights, and it costs nothing to wander for an hour or two.
Winter gulls in the heart of the city
From mid-November to March the same red-billed gulls that gather on Dianchi also pack into Green Lake, and the park becomes the most central place in Kunming to feed them. Crowds line the bridges with bags of gull food, and the air fills with wheeling white birds; the gulls tend to be hungriest, and most active, before mid-morning. It is the highlight of a winter visit and uniquely accessible: you can be among the gulls minutes from your hotel.
Boat on the willow-lined water of Green Lake Park
Getting there and practical notes
Entry is free and the park stays open from early morning until late evening (as of 2026). It sits next to the Yunnan University campus and the old Confucian quarter, so it is easy to combine with a wander through Kunming's older streets and a bowl of crossing-the-bridge noodles nearby. Kunming Metro Line 2 serves the area, with Cuihu Park and the nearby Dongfeng Square stations both a short walk from the gates; city buses including routes 101, 133, and 235 stop right at the Cuihu Park entrance. Mornings are best for atmosphere; winter mornings are best of all.
Highlights
- Free downtown lake park with willow causeways and red-pillared pavilions
- Winter red-billed gulls (mid-Nov to Mar) in the heart of the city
- Dawn tai chi, choirs and dancers under the willows
- Arched stone bridges, lotus ponds and lakeside tea houses
- A small statue to national-anthem composer Nie Er on Palm Islet
- Next to Yunnan University and Kunming's old Confucian quarter
Travel Tips
Arrive at dawn
Early morning is when locals fill the park with tai chi and music; it is the best atmosphere of the day.
Best in winter, before mid-morning
From mid-November to March bring gull feed and head to the bridges before mid-morning, when the birds are hungriest and most active.
Metro Line 2 gets you close
Cuihu Park and Dongfeng Square stations are both a short walk from the gates; several city buses also stop right at the entrance.
