"South of the Colorful Cloud" Yunnan, with a total territory of 394,000 square kilometre, is located in the southwest frontier region of China and borders the Vietnam, the Laos PDR and the Myanmar. Yunnan has a total population of 42.4 million composed of diverse ethnic nationalities dwelling in the mountainous landscape. Yunnan has a long-standing history, bril liant cultures, multitudinous ethnic  customs, abundant natural resources, charming historical sites and spectacular landscapes as well as lush primary forests. Yunnan is a mountainous province, its mountain ranges extend from the higher elevation in the northwest to the southeast, like a bundle of colorful fabric dangling from east to west. The elevation difference in Yunnan reaches as high as 6,000 meters,and the landscape extends downward from northwest to southeast.     The sharp elevation differences and changes in latitudes shape the complex landforms and climatic diversity. 
    The climatic differences in Yunnan is nearly equivalent to that between the Hainan Is land in most southern China and Changchun  in the Northeast - a miniature of the climate in China accommodating tropical, temperate and boreal climates. Sharp elevation differences, low altitudes and vertical climatic diversities make Yunnan an ideal site for athletes' training in  plateau conditions, exploration and tourism.     
     Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, has a land area of 2.11 square kilometre falling largely between 1,500 - 2,800 m and a population of 4.8 million, is the political and cultural hub of the province. With the annual aver-age temperature of 16.5°, Kunming enjoys mild and pleasant climate free of sultry summer and severe winter, and is endowed as the "Spring City". The complete assortment of sports facilities and well-equipped gymnasium as well as star-bearing hotels provides top quality services to athletes from around the world.

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