Chuxiong Normal University (CNU)is located in the centre of Yunnan province. The site of the university Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture administers 9 counties, 1 municipality and 128 towns. It includes an area of 29,258 square kilometers which lies in a 95% mountainous region. There are 26 nationalities in the total population of 2.54 million, of which 31.3% are minority nationalities and 25.2% are Yi nationalities. Chuxiong Yi Prefecture is known as “the cradle of mankind” and “a treasury of pre-historic life”. The prefecture enjoys a pleasant climate with moderate humidity and temperature, picturesque scenery and profound ethnic cultural tradition. CNU occupies an area of 104.6 acres. The library holds 720,000 volumes. Currently, CNU offers 25 undergraduate majors which include education, law, literature, science, technology, management and other disciplines. CNU has a faculty and staff number of over 600 and a student population of more than 7,000 undergraduates and 8,000 students pursuing continuing education. Qualified teaching facilities and the neat campus make CNU one of the most beautiful universities in Yunnan.   CNU continues to grow each year. Approved by the State Education Ministry in May 2001, the former Chuxiong Teachers College (train high school teachers)and Chuxiong Normal School (train elementary school teachers) merged into one in order to build a university dominated by undergraduate programs. In the past five years, CNU developed from a college with 9 departments, 11 associate-degree programs into a university with 13 departments, 25 undergraduate majors and 17 associate-degree programs now. CNU admits students from 17 other provinces besides Yunnan. Of the faculty there are 14 professors, 121 associate professors, 198 lecturers, and 6 international teachers.    CNU includs both old and new campuses. The old campus covers 46 acres and is famous for one of the eight Lucheng Scenic Spots Yan Ta Pogoda since winding paths, greens trees and meadows, cherry roads are neatly arranged on the sloping campus. On Yan Ta hill, the ancient pagoda implied as a Chinese Writing Brush is widely known and called the Pearl of Yi Prefecture by visitors and specialists at home and from other provinces. The new campus includes an area of 59 acres. The teaching building, cafeteria, student dorms and the office building are already done on new campus. The distance education center and the stadium are under construction. The teaching facilities are worth 18.6 million Yuan. The library of CNU owns 720,000 books. The university has set up a computer net that is connected to the INTERNET and the CERNET (the Chinese Education and Research Net). CNU campus is equipped with multi-functional facilities, such as multimedia classrooms, research labs, music instrument practice rooms, art studios, gymnasium, volleyball, basketball and football fields, and aｎ Olympic size swimming pool.
CNU is facing great challenges in education reform since China entered the WTO. It drives to improve the quality and effectiveness of the teaching and other educational activities. CNU expects sincerely to cooperate with universities both at home and abroad. CNU employs international teachers to teach English courses and encourages experts and scholars to come to give lectures or to conduct their scientific research. In the past ten years, CNU has employed international teachers from the west, and has received more than 100 British and American college student visitors. The teaching and visiting has not only made CNU known to the outer world but has also helped more international friends get a better understanding of the university and the area, Chuxiong Yi Prefecture.