Kunming History
Early townships in the southern edge of (outside the comtemporary city perimeter) can be dated back to, although long since lost to history.
In AD, Tuodong city was founded.
In the 13th century, Marco Polo is thought to have traveled to this area and written about his fascination. The city was renamed Kunming by the rulers of the Yuan dynasty in 1276.
In the 14th century, Kunming was retaken by the Ming Dynasty, which built a wall surrounding present-day Kunming.
In the 19th century, Kunming suffered at the hands of rebel leader Du Wenxiu, the Sultan of Dali, who attacked and besieged the city several times between 1858 and 1868. Decades later Kunming began to be influenced by the West.
In the 20th Century, Kunming was targetted by the Imperial Japanese Air Force during their campaigns in China. The American Volunteer Group, also known as the Flying Tigers, flew out of Kunming in 1941 and 1942 in defiance of Japanese aggression. They also were tasked with defending China's lifeline to the outside world, the Burma Road, which had Kunming as its Northern terminus.
