Grand View Tower
» Kunming, Yun Nan

大观楼 '曾经沧海难为水,欲上高楼且泊舟'

Daguanlou

Grand View Park (Daguan Gongyuan) sits on the northern shores of the Dian Lake. Completed in 1690 during the Qing Dynasty, the park consists of hills, ponds, pavilions and rockeries in a style similar to that of the gardens of the Yangtze River Delta.

Several times rebuilt

In 1682, a monk named Qianyin built a small temple here to give Buddhist lessons; eight years later, in 1690, the satrap of Yunnan Province Wang Jiwen was attracted by the beautiful natural views here and began to construct a whole park including many halls, pavilions, bonsais, rockeries, trees and porches.

Like many other Chinese ancient buildings, Daguan Pavilion also had been in disarray, destroyed and restored several times because of the dynastic changes and the civil wars. The present-day square, three-storied pavilion was established in 1883. Daguan Park became an attraction from then on and the most famous spot among them is the Daguan Pavilion.

What to see

The Grand View Tower (Daguanlou) itself offers great views of Dian Lake. It is also inscribed with an 180 character poem describing the beauty and history of the area. This poem is the longest of its kind in Chinese literature. The construction of the Tower is that of a typical well-preserved wooden pagoda.

Grand View Tower Park possesses both the natural landscape and elegance of an ancient garden. The entire park is dotted with green embankments, graceful pavilions, and colorful flowers in four seasons. Other sceneries like Santan Yingyue, Louwailou and Lu Garden are also deserve a visit.

Couplet

At the entrance there is the longest antithetical couplet which is one of the most valued cultural treasures in Yunnan Province. The first part of the couplet describes the beautiful and magnificent natural views before your sight, tell people to enjoy and treasure. The second part reviews the 2000 years' history of Yunnan,awakens to that no matter how successful or frustrated you are, all will be in nothingness in the end.

Santan Yingyue

Santan Yingyue is a pool with three stone towers which divides the pool into three parts. Therefore when there is a moon in the sky there are three moons in the water.

Louwailou

Louwailou is a stone pavilion built like a ship. Standing on it you can see Santan Yingyue on the right and the ocean of grass on the left. Dianchi Lake in front and levee behind.

Lu Garden

In the south of Daguan Park is the Lu Garden which was a private villa in 1937, with water lilies, roses, weeping willows and oleanders everywhere. Lu Garden looks like a little peaceful fairyland which is hiding in the corner of Daguan Park.

Getting there

The park is 3km away from the city center. Bus No.52 runs between the park, the airport and other sites. The park can also be reached by taking buses No.4 and No.54. From the city center, a taxi can reach the park in 20 minutes for around RMB15.

When to visit

  • Opening hours: 8a.m. - 6p.m.
  • Recommended time for a visit: One hour

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  Weather

  1. Is Kunming's weather like Spring all year round?

  Transportation

  1. Noitce this when you take a bus
  2. Noitce this if you plan to rent a car

  Shopping

  1. Avoid buying fake goods
  2. If you have bought some ivory or ivory handicrafts...

  Travel

  1. Is it safe to travel in Kunming?

  Other Hints

  1. Tips for you to have a pleasant tour in Kunming
  2. Is it easy for me to make a call?
  3. Toilet Facilities
  4. Keep healthy
  5. Emergency
  6. Useful Numbers

  • Is Kunming's weather like Spring all year round?

    Kunming belongs to the subtropical plateau monsoon climatic zone; the annual average temperature is 14.7 and the yearly precipitation is 1,024 mm. It has the best climate of all Chinese cities, popularly known as the "Spring City". Kunming does not have severe winters or hot summers and the natural features of the four seasons are clearly defined. For the visitor, this means that Kunming is in bloom all year and a year round destination.


  • Noitce this when you take a bus

    Stand close to the door to get off at the next stop, otherwise, the bus driver does not stop.


  • Noitce this if you plan to rent a car

    Foreigners must have a Chinese driver's license. We suggest tourists rent a car with a local driver to avoid going crooked road.


  • Avoid buying fake goods

    Fake goods are prevalent on the streets of Kunming and while they might seem like tempting purchases, beware that you could be faced with their being impounded and charges brought against you when attempting to bring them back into your home country.So, please try to avoid buying goods from peddlers on streets. Instead, please choose large stores as your shooping places.


  • If you have bought some ivory or ivory handicrafts...

    As a rule, ivory and ivory articles are forbidden to be taken out of China. In China, bring out ivory articles or ivory carving needs strict checkup. The testimonial issued by relative governmental department is required.


  • Is it safe to travel in Kunming?

    The city of Kunming is a safe place to be with low levels of crime and few obvious threats to visitors. Like any big city however, it has its rogue element so the usual caveats with regards to pickpockets and bag snatchers apply. Keep money, wallets, purses and personal items of value well hidden and in hard to reach places. Avoid frequenting run-down or sparsely populated areas especially at night and be particularly conscientious with regards to personal safety if you are a lone female traveller.


  • Tips for you to have a pleasant tour in Kunming

    You should also wear sunglasses to shad their eyes from ultraviolet ray.

    When the lack of oxygen at high altitude occurs, it is necessary to take good rest or receive treatment by sucking oxygen.

    The southwest is an area where the minority nationalities live in compact communities and their culture, customs and habits vary from place to place. Attention should be paid to the following situation.

    • The Dai nationality resent outsiders entering their stockade village on horse back;
    • in the Jingpo village, the place where the Jingpo (Chingpaw) nationality hang the ox head cannot be touched;
    • when seeing logs placed at the door of the va (wa) nationality, one must avoid putting on short pants, must not step on the threshold, not to spit in the presence of other People and what is more, one must not hurt animals and birds at random.



  • Is it easy for me to make a call?

    While public phones are easily found in small shops along streets in Kunming, we suggest tourists make low-cost IDD or DDD calls in post offices or telecom buildings.


  • Toilet Facilities

    Most toilets in Kunming charge no more than 0.5 yuan. Tourists can find free sanitary toilets in some large department stores or fast food restaurants.


  • Keep healthy

    Be wary of where you choose to eat in Kunming, hygiene standards at street vendors and some restaurants may not meet western standards and you could end up with a whole lot more than just a portion of fried rice if you're not careful.

    Water from the tapsshould be avoided for drinking purposes and for brushing teeth and bottled water, which is cheap, can be found everywhere and should be used instead.

    Health care in Kunming's public hospitals is below what is considered international standard so visitors requiring medical care are advised to make use of the newly-opened Richland International Hospital.


  • Emergency Numbers:

    • Fire: 119
    • Ambulance: 120
    • Police: 110
    • Traffic: 122

  • Useful Numbers:

    • Weather forecast of the scenic spots: 16800122
    • Zip code inquiry: 3139491
    • Consumption Complaint: 12315
    • Kunming Tourism Complaint: 3164961


Destroyed and restored several times, the present square, three-storied Grand View Tower established in 1883. The longest antithetical couplet at the entrance is one of the most valued cultural treasures in Yunnan Province. The park possesses both the natural landscape and elegance of an ancient garden. It is dotted with green embankments, graceful pavilions, and colorful flowers in four seasons.

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