Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, with a history of more than 2400 years, owes its importance to the fact that it was the gateway to the celebrated Silk Road that facilitated trade with Tibet, Sichuan, Myanmar and India. Today the city is the political, economical and cultural center of Yunnan and the provincial center for transport, science and technology and consequently has become the most popular center for tourism in Southwest China. Kunming enjoys a pleasant climate and does its best to live up to its title of "the City of Eternal Spring". Whenever you are planning to go, the temperature is always pleasant. With its convenient transport links in and out of the city, Kunming welcomes and sees off tens of thousands of tourists every day.Kunming is the focal point of Yunnan minority culture. Some 26 ethnic minorities such as Han, Yi, Bai, Miao, Dai, Hani and more inhabit the region. Each group has its own-featured festivals such as the Torch festival of Yi people, the Golden Temple Fair and so on. The hugely successful 1999 International Horticultural Exposition enhanced Kunming's influence in the world resulting in a snowball effect upon tourism as more and more foreigners come to discover this enchanting part of China.

Its alluring highland scenery, bewitching karst landform, varied and exotic habitats and customs and places of historical interest can be found at major scenic spots such as Dianchi Lake, Stone Forest, the Village of Ethnic Culture, Grand View Pavilion, etc. Kunming has more than one hundred star rated hotels and a variety of a thousand or so guesthouses. These provide astronomers a wide choice of somewhere to relax after a whole day's meeting. Kunming is also renowned for many delicious local dishes; the most famous ones are Across Bridge Rice Noodle and Xuanwei Ham. You can enjoy them both at local famous restaurants or the night market. In the night markets you will find many pubs, bars and cafes that serve good quality meals. Yunnan is populated by 25 minority nationalities. With colorful costumes and fascinating dances and songs, the 25 ethnic minority groups carry on their own ways of living, their own cultures. And the traditional ceremonies and festivals are indivisible parts of their cultures. Their festivals and ceremonies also reflect their different life styles, productive habits, ideological concept and social structures constituted under different periods of history, different areas and different cultural background. The IAU 10th Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting will be held in Yunnan Hotel which is located near to Dianchi Lake and under the foot of Xishan Mountain in the west of Kunming city. Renowned for its comprehensive meeting and banquet facilities, Yunnan Hotel offers special designed packages to make every event a resounding success. The elegant 15000sqm assembly hall can accommodate up to 1000 guests for theatre style plenary session. A choice of 34 medium and small conference rooms equipped with modern technology services and luxurious conference facilities makes Yunnan Hotel the ideal venue for the meeting. A wide range of services and facilities within walking distance, including Hairdressing &Beauty Salon, Massage, Chinese chess, Ping-pong room, KTV Box, Ballroom, Bowling room, Badminton hall, Swimming pool, complements the hotel. Yunnan Hotel has four buildings with 854 well-furnished guestrooms (including 3-star to 5-star guestrooms) and three restaurants that feature the cuisines of many nations and can hold 1200 guests. There are all kinds of advanced guest amenities in the guest room including a special plug, which can connect PC with other electronic communication equipment.