Education, Culture and Public Health
In 2003 academic year, yunnan possessed 31 institution of higher learning, of which 14 are undergraduat colleges,17 are training schools, Meanwhile, yunnan possessed 121 trade schools, 2,267 middle schools and 20,595 primary schools. The number of students in higher education. middle school and primary school is 326.7 thousand. 2.51 millon and 4.51 million respectively.Over 170 scientific research institutes have been set up in the province, employing a large number of highly qualified scientific research personnel.
In 2001, there were 126 cultural centers and 147 public libraries in the province. The rapid expansion of broadcasting and TV programs has enabled the dissemination and popularization of culture and knowledge. 89% of the provincial population can now receive broadcasts, and the TV coverage rate has reached 90.5%.
Yunnan has 12,552 public health institutions, 1,540 of which are rural hospitals. The majority of the population now has access to some form of medical and health care.
Entertainment and Shopping
Yunnan is a province with rich tourism resources. Natural scenic areas, places of historic and cultural interest are too numerous to mention individually. Recently, tourism facilities and administrative service systems have been improved and many cultural, sports and recreation centers have been established, including Yunnan Nationalities’ Village, Kunming World Horti-Expo Garden and several international standard golf courses. There are also many song and dance halls, bars, KTV halls, stadiums and gymnasiums in the province. These facilities can provide leisure activities to suit different people.
Commercial networks and free markets which are scattered all over the province provide convenient shopping for local residents, tourists and investors. Here they can purchase daily necessities, foodstuffs and many more specialized souvenirs. Visitors can make their choice of the many special locally grown teas and herbs, and can purchase high quality jade and unique ethnic handicrafts.
Food and Hotels
The abundant natural resources and diversified local produce in Yunnan constitute a rich base of raw materials. They also provide great development potential and possibilities for use in food preparation in all nations, ethnic groups and catering schools. Not only can Chinese and foreign friends taste many delicious foods with varied Yunnan local flavors, but they can also appreciate other Chinese foods from Sichuan, Guangdong, Beijing, Hunan and Huaiyang cuisines and many foreign foods including Western, Japanese and Korean food.
Yunnan has opened many star hotels, and guesthouses are open in and around most scenic areas and tourist resorts. These hotels and guesthouses provide temporary accommodation for tourists and business people. Office buildings, garden villas and commercial apartments are also available for rent or purchase in all large and medium-sized cities, meeting the needs of business people from both home and abroad.
Climatic Conditions
Located on a low-latitude plateau, Yunnan has a unique geographical location and highly complex topography. Due to the atmospheric circulation, its climate is controlled by the dry continental monsoon in the winter and the humid oceanic monsoon in the summer. Thus, it has both the low-latitude mountain and plateau monsoon climates. Climatic types are rich and varied throughout the province. Seven major climatic types, from the tropical zone to the frigid zone and a unique high-altitude plateau climate, can all be found in Yunnan.
The regional differences and vertical alterations in climate throughout Yunnan are obvious. A large part of the province is mountainous, and there is a saying ‘the climate on a mountain is divided into four seasons where each season is only a short distance from the next’. The annual variation in temperature is small but the daily variation is large. Rainfall in the province is abundant but is distributed unevenly and there are clearly delineated dry seasons and rainy seasons.
With its high elevation, clear air, strong sunshine quality with a long duration, solar resources in Yunnan are abundant. Together with its rich water and soil conditions, Yunnan has become an important base for the growth of medicinal herbs, flowers, spices and and other specialized cash crops in China.