Sixty kilometres south of Kunming, on the western shore of Dianchi Lake at Kunyang, a memorial park commemorates Zheng He, the great Ming-dynasty admiral born in the town. The park opened in 1980 on the site of his ancestral home and includes a museum, a memorial pavilion, the tomb of Zheng's father Ma Haizi, and a series of reliefs depicting the admiral's seven treasure voyages.
The exhibits inside the museum are modest but worth the trip if Zheng He's voyages interest you — model ships, period maps, and a thoughtful presentation of the admiral's Muslim Yunnanese background. The park itself is a pleasant lakeside spot for a couple of hours. Getting here is easiest as a half-day taxi or organised tour from Kunming.