Yuantong Temple

» Kunming, Yun Nan

Yuantong Temple Overview & Map Weather Transportation Information

Yuantong Temple is at the foot of Yuantong Hill in the northern part of Kunming. With a history of more than 1,200 years, Yuantong Temple is the grandest as well as the most important Buddhist temple in Yunnan Province.

A Buddhist temple

With a history of more than 1,200 years, Yuantong Temple is the grandest as well as the most important Buddhist temple in Yunnan. The Yuantong Temple, after several large - scale renovations in the Ming and Qing dynasties and after the founding of the People's Republic of China, has become the most famous temple of Yunnan.

Yuantong Temple is a working temple that also represents the Buddhism of China today. Along with the patronage of the local people of Kunming and Yunnan in general, Buddhists from around the world come here on pilgrimages to pay homage, there are special Buddhist services two times each month.

Play an important role in history

Yuantong Temple plays a very important role in history and in the modern world. In 1956, the grand ceremony of greeting and consecrating the Buddha's tooth was held in it. It was in the list among the key Buddhist temples in China issued by the State Council in 1983.

Who work for it

King Yimouxun of the Nanzhao Kingdom built the temple during the late eighth century as a continuation of Putuoluo Temple, and the restorations to the temple performed from the Qing Dynasty onward had not changed Yuantong Temple's unique mixed architectural style of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties.

What used to be

At the beginning of the Twentieth Century, Yuantong Temple temporarily served a purpose other than providing a place of worship. During the time in which French consul Auguste Francois was based in Kunming working on the railway from Vietnam to Kunming, his engineer on the project lived in the temple's main building, Yuantong Treasure Hall.

During this time, there were few foreigners living in Kunming and few places in which Westerners wanted to live C hence the engineer's selection of the building as his residence. Not surprisingly, his selection of a major Buddhist temple as his home led to some clashes with local residents who wished to worship, burn incense and present offerings to Buddha there.

After several months, Francois' engineer had had enough of altercations with local Buddhists and he moved out of Yuantong Temple, but not before Francois captured the building on film in 1902.

What to see

Unlike all other Buddhist temples, Yuantong Temple are built on an ascendant, you enter it from above and descend along a gently sloping garden path. The view before you starting your peaceful walk beneath the gigantic cypress trees that line the garden path to the temple with its extensive array of flowers and foliage is deeply restful and impressive. A memorial archway with four Chinese characters -Yuantong Shengjing (Yuantong Wonderland)-is standing on the halfway, you could see the entire temple from here.

The temple complex is built around Yuantong Hall (Mahavira Hall), which is known as the Fane on the Water for it is surrounded by a very large pond filled with limpid water and fish. A delicate stone bridge which has an elegant octagonal pavilion stands in the center connects Mahavira Hall and the temple entrance. The pavilion is connected to the rest of the complex by various bridges and walkways.

Surrounding the temple pond are a series of halls where visitors will find old women praying, people sitting and chatting, ongoing classes in Buddhist scriptures, a magnificent calligraphy studio, an exhibit of temple photographs taken at the end of the Qing Dynasty by Auguste de Francois, a temple shop, a restaurant, and more.

Yuantong Hall

This structure of a Buddhist hall surrounded by water is unique in China. The main hall maintains the style of the Yuan Dynasty architecture. Circling the two central pillars inside the hall are two giant dragons carved during the Ming Dynasty. The blue and yellow dragons face each other, as if they are ready to fight.

Outside the Yuantong Hall

Outside, on each side of the main hall, there are stone staircases that are carved out of the mountainside and wind their way to the top of the hill. As you climb these stairs, there are ancient inscriptions along the way and various tone artworks that are considered the most important historical relics in Kunming. From the top of the stairs, you are presented with a terrific panoramic view of the entire complex. It is from here that you can most appreciate the architecture of the remarkable temple complex.

Inside the Yuantong Hall

Sakymuni, Amitabha and the Medicine Buddha, all Yuan Dynasty statues, are found in the main hall. The surrounding 500 Buddhist Arhats who are carved in the walls are rare treasures noted for their perfect proportions and lively appearances.

Also in this temple hall are two ten meter high pillars from the Ming Dynasty that are each engraved with a dragon - one yellow and one green - who are trying to extend their bodies and claws into the air as if they are ready to fly. Like the Arhats, they impart the feeling that at any moment they could spring into action.

Behind the Yuantong Hall

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 NanZhao Kingdom, a monk built a temple beside the cliff to entice the dragons. When the temple was destroyed, he built a terrace on which to perform magic on the dragons. Sun Ranweng, author and writer of the long antithetical couplet hung on the Daguan Belvedere, used to make a living by predicting people's fortunes here.

Copper Buddha Hall

In 1982, Thai Buddhists sent a copper statue of Sakymuni to Yuantong Temple as a symbol of friendship, and the statue is three and a half meters high and four tons in weight. A few years later, in 1985, a Copper Buddha Hall was built in a combination of Chinese and Tai styles to house this exquisite gift.

When to visit

• Opening Hours: 8:00a.m - 6:00p.m.
  
• On the first and fifteenth of each lunar month: 5:30a.m. - 5:00p.m

Buddhist Activities used to be held here

On the 1st and 15th of each lunar month, people gather here to take part in all kinds of Buddhist services.

Where to eat

There is also a good vegetarian restaurant on the premises serving lunch and dinner.

Getting there

By taxi

Yuantong Temple is conveniently located in the northern area of the city on Yuantong Jie. The easiest way to reach the temple is by taxi from the city center, which should cost RMB10.

By train

From the railway station, bus 101 can also take you to the Yuantong Temple.

Attractions around » Kunming, Yun Nan

Natural Scene

• Stone Forest
• Lake Dianchi
• Black Dragon Pool

Historical Site

• Golden Temple
• Yuantong Temple
• Qiongzhu Temple

Cultural Site

• West Hill
• Village of Ethnic Culture
• Grand View Tower
• Green Lake Park

Nightlife

• Kundu Bar Street

Day Entertainment & Sports

• Lake View Golf Club
• Spring City Lake Resort

Shopping & Leisure

• Kundu Bar Street

Yuantong Temple Highlights

Temple & Monastery in Great China

• Shaolin Temple
• Temple of Heaven
• Jokhang Temple
• Confucius Temple
• A-Ma Temple
• Palkhor Monastery
• Sera Temple
• Drepung Temple
• Rongbuk Temple
• Songzanlin Temple
• Id Kah Mosque
• Lingyin Temple
• Labrang Temple
• Great Buddha at Lingshan
• Golden Temple
• Yuantong Temple
• Tashilhunpo Temple
• Sakya Temple
• Temple of Universal Peace
• Putuo Zongcheng Temple
• Eight Outer Temples
• Famen Temple
• Great Mosque
• Nanputuo Temple
• Jade Buddha Temple
• Town God Temple
• Confucius Temple
• Lama Temple
• White Cloud Temple
• Tar Temple
• Santa Sophia Church
• 108 Dagobas
• Memorial Temple of Lord Bao
• White Horse Temple
• Qiongzhu Temple
• Hanging Temple
• Hanshan Temple
• Gaomiao Temple at Zhongwei
• Giant Buddha Temple
• Xiangguo Temple
• Yufeng Lamastery
• Chongshansi Temple
• Dule Temple
• Anyuan Temple
• White Horse Pagoda
• Trandruk Temple
• Dai Temple
• Pagoda of Songyue Temple
• Ramoche Temple
• Guanlin Temple
• Huayan Temple
• Kaiyuan Temple
• Samye Temple
• Jinci Temple
• Confucius Temple
• Ganden Temple
• Dabeiyuan Temple
• Wuhou Memorial Temple
• Shanhua Temple
• Ruins of St. Paul's
• Temple of Universal Happiness
• Great Bell Temple
• Qingjing Mosque
• Hongfu Temple
• Dazhao Temple
• Five Pagoda Temple
• Baoguo Temple
• Wudangzhao Temple
• Shalu Temple
• Bailin Temple, Great Zen Buddhist Center
• Longhua Temple
• Jile Temple
• Chengtiansi Pagoda
• Nanguan Muslim Mosque
• Qingyanggong Temple
• Ba Xian An Temple
• Tianhou Palace
• Guiyuan Temple
• Linggu Temple
• Najiahu Mosque at Yongning
• Haibao Pagoda
• Xilitu Zhao
• Dongguan Mosque
• Jiegu Temple

Yuantong Temple FAQ & Travelers's Tips

  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.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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.



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• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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Emergency Numbers:

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

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