China Semester Program House: Kunming, China

Dragons’ China Program House is located in the heart of Kunming, just several minutes walk from Green Lake Park, Yunnan University, and historic Yuantong Temple. Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province is a relatively small city by Chinese standards, with a population of about four million. Kunming is known as the “Spring City” because of it’s year-round temperate climate. The city also enjoys cleaner air than many Chinese cities because of it’s high altitude (at about 6,200 ft.) and minimal heavy industry.

Located on a quiet backstreet on the top two floors of a large apartment building, the China Program House boasts a small library, several language classrooms, a large group meeting and dining space, as well as a kitchen and a rooftop garden/exercise space. Decorated with Chinese paintings and regional artwork, student photo projects, plants and porcelain, the program house provides a comfortable space for students to access wifi, study Chinese, join in group activities and planning sessions, and host guest speakers. The surrounding neighborhood is full of small shops and restaurants and is a great place to begin exploring Kunming and strike up conversations with locals.