List of Famous people born in Kunming, People's Republic of China

Benedict Richard O'Gorman Anderson (August 26, 1936 – December 13, 2015) was a Chinese-born Anglo-Irish political scientist and historian who lived and taught in the United States. Anderson is best known for his 1983 book Imagined Communities, which explored the origins of nationalism. A polyglot with an interest in southeast Asia, he was the Aaron L. Binenkorb Professor Emeritus of International Studies, Government & Asian Studies at Cornell University. His work on the "Cornell Paper", which debunked the official story of Indonesia's 30 September Movement and the subsequent anti-Communist purges of 1965–1966, led to his expulsion from that country. Benedict Anderson was the elder brother of the historian Perry Anderson.

Liu Fang (Chinese: t 劉芳, s 刘芳, p Liú Fāng; b. 1974) is a Chinese–Canadian musician who is one of the most prominent pipa players in the world. Described in the media as the "empress of pipa" (L'actualité), "divine mediator" (World), "the greatest ambassadress of the art of the pipa", Liu Fang is known as "possessing virtuoso technique, grace and a unique empathy toward the music she plays – whether it is a traditional and folk tune or a modern Western composition". "She has an extraordinary focused, poised presence in her manner and her playing. In a lesser player this is just a trained formality; the body of material and techniques for her instruments is extremely highly developed, passed down through centuries. But Liu Fang’s total devotion to her playing has moved her beyond perfect execution to the creativity and flexibility that marks a true musician."(in the fRoots Magazine, 06.2006).

Nie Er, born Nie Shouxin, courtesy name Ziyi, was a Chinese composer best known for "March of the Volunteers", the national anthem of China. In numerous Shanghai magazines, he went by the English name George Njal, after a character in Njal's Saga.

Anthony Zee is a Chinese-American physicist, writer, and currently a professor at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics and the physics department of the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Frank H. Shu, is an American astrophysicist, astronomer and author. He is currently a university professor emeritus of astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley and University of California, San Diego.