This school has churned out over 9000 distinguished individuals, including marshals of Chinese People's Liberation Army, first class generals of National Revolutionary Army, South Korea's first prime minister and minister of defense, the vice chairman of provisional government of Vietnam, the Senior General and Chairman of Committee North Korean People’s Army, and the list goes on and on. The government of the Qing Dynasty must have been doing something right when they set up this mustard yellow square building, determined to develop a new army to strengthen their defences. Set up near the Green Lake in 1899, the school opened its doors to educated youths from all walks of life to prime them into capable army officers. The building might be humble, but it was a forerunner in the Yunnan Military Academy, which has led to it being deemed a cultural relic that deserves only the best protection. You can tour the original classrooms, offices and dormitories where students and teachers dedicated their lives to becoming highly trained soldiers capable of defending the region. View the graduation certificates that they eagerly waited to hold in their hands from day one, a symbol of their success, the uniforms that they donned with pride every morning, and in the courtyard, see examples of the gruelling military exercises that pushed them to be the best. From the displays, the key role that this military school played in Kunming’s history is elucidated, and the accomplishments of this esteemed school go far beyond its simple exterior.