Yuantong Temple

Yuantong Temple is the biggest Buddhist shrine in Kunming. It was originally built over 1000 years ago during the Tang Dynasty. After two restorations and expansions in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the temple took on its present appearance, with covered corridors, bridges and grand halls.

This old Temple is famous for its unusual structure, which is high at the front and low at the back. From the front archway named "Yuantong Shengjing" (Wonderland), one has a view of the entire garden. Behind a haze of smoke created by all the incense that worshippers leave burning, a majestic octagonal temple pavilion, elegantly furnished and infused with a tone of antiquity, sits in the middle of a big pond with stone bridges in front and behind. Inside the pavilion there is a golden statue of Buddha, and to the north is the splendid main hall in the style of the Yuan Dynasty. Entwining the two central pillars inside the hall are two giant flying dragons carved in the Ming Dynasty. The blue and yellow dragons face each other as if they were ready to fight. On both sides of the hall are covered corridors running alongside the clear water pool. The stone staircases on both sides of the main hall are carved out of the cliff and are known as the "Caizhilu." From here one can climb to the top of the mountain. Beside the path are the most ancient inscriptions in Kunming. The characters are still clear today in spite of suffering from centuries of wind and rain. They are one of the most important historical relics of Kunming.

Behind the main hall are two caves, the "Yougu" and "Chaoying". The caves wind far into the mysterious depths of the mountain, and, according to local legend, were once the home of dragons. In the Yuan Dynasty, a monk named Juezhao built a temple beside the cliff to placate the troublesome dragons. When the temple was destroyed, he built a terrace on which he could perform his magic arts to subdue the dragons and conjure them away.