Yunnan University, founded in 1922, occupies a hilly campus immediately north of Cuihu Park. The original buildings, in a restrained Republican-era style mixing French and Chinese elements, are clustered around a long flight of granite steps known as Yi'ou — "the 95 steps" — that climbs the hillside to the old main building.
The campus is open to visitors and is the most pleasant green space in central Kunming after Cuihu itself. Old trees, period architecture, and the steady traffic of students on bicycles make it a good place to walk between visits to the lake and Yuantong Temple. The historic library and the Republican-era teaching halls along the southern edge are particularly worth a look.