Our day started with a visit to a Flower and Bird Market, which has expanded to include a variety of other animals for pets and also food and souvenir stalls. I enjoyed the flowers, but was surprised at the many animals for sale, in addition to large and small birds, there were mice, chinchillas, rabbits, chicks, ducklings, snails, snakes, crickets, lizards, dogs and cats. We were assured that all of these were offered as pets and not for other purposes.

Our second stop was at Green Lake Park, which originated in the 13th century and contains many platforms, pavilions, dykes, and bridges . Because it was Sunday and the last day of the 8 day National Day holiday, it was filled with local people, dancing, singing, performing bands,and single musicians. There were also picnicking families, and seniors playing cards or mahjong, or just visiting with friends, and all seemed to be enjoying their Sunday in the park.

Our final stop in Kunming was the 1,000 year old Buddhist site, Yuantong Temple. The complex includes a series of temples placed in gardens, and including a large fish pond. We were lucky enough to visit while two separate ceremonies were being performed. In one area was a private funeral service, but there was also a large ceremony including many chanting monks and lay followers. Our guides could not explain the significance of this ceremony, but it lasted the entire time we were in the temple and included drums and chanting.

After leaving the temple we headed for the airport with a stop along the way for dinner. Our flight to Chungqing was late, and we did not arrive until after 10, and it was 11 p.m. before we reached our ship, which had delayed its departure for our group. Chungqing is now the largest city in the world, with a population of 33 million. However, we were not able to see much of the city.