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Temples in Kunming

Posted in: Forums > Living in Kunming • 56 posts • Newest

• • Natsymir
    February 17, 2013
    80 posts
  • I want to visit -all- the temples in Kunming. I will shortly list the ones I know of and/or have already visited, but google maps hints there might be several more temples hidden away, at least in the mountains, though some things that really sound like temples, like 地台寺 and 菩萨店 are just, it would seem, neighborhoods named after temples that once where there.

    The temples I have visited (except for the Golden temple) are:
    - All the ones in the Western hill complex
    - The Golden Temple
    - The Bamboo Temple

    - Haiyuan Temple (along the mountainside in the western suburbs)
    - Yuantong Temple and the tibetan buddhist one in an alley close by
    - A Daoist temple on Tuodong road close to the East bus station
    - The temple on the slopes of Mt Changchong
    - The Confucian temple on Renmin lu
    - The four temples in Guandu Old Town
    - The temples in Black Dragon Pool park

    Does somebody know of any more temples in Kunming? As I said, there are several on google maps up in the hills in the north and east, but I don't know enough chinese to check on google whether they actually exist or not.

    Wikitravel mentions one that I have yet to visit, has anyone maybe been there?: Tanhua Temple (昙华寺; Tánhuàsì; also known as Taohu Nunnery), Guangming Road, Panlong District (盘龙区光明路; Pánlóngqū Guāngmínglù) (At the foot of Tuiying Mountain in the eastern outskirts of Kunming City, about 4km from the city centre)

• • Geezer
    February 18, 2013
    394 posts
  • Another temple: 百邑寺,bai yi si, or in the old way 寺邑百。

    Located north of Second Ring Road North, east of Beijing Lu then east of Chuanjin Lu, 穿金路. Driving from Second Ring Road get off at Chuanjin Lu and head north. Turn right (east) on Longhua 龙华路。Go 300-400m until you come to an intersection, turn right. Now you are going south toward the Second Ring Road, turn right (west) on the frontage road. Entrance is on the right.

    Or walking, from Chuanjin Lu head east on the north frontage road. Entrance will be on your left.

    You can find it on google maps. The marker shows the correct location. It will tell you "baiyisi, Side Road of 2nd Ring Road East,

    Kunming."

    Another, small but working temple is on Jiangdong Siji Yuan Lu, 江东四季园路。 West side of the street. The street is behind Richland Clinic and runs north/south. Seach google maps for the street or luozhangcun.

    Also, search for Lanlongsi, Tanhuasi, Nantiantaisi, Yungansi

• • tigertiger
    February 18, 2013
    1510 posts
  • There is the Dragon Temple that is directly behind the cable car station near Haigeng Gong Yuan. If you look on Google maps there appears to be an out of date photo of derelict land. The temple was torn down and re-constructed a few years ago.
    On the other side of the causway from here near the water protection agency at Longmencun (directly below XiShan LongMen), below the highway) is a home/shrine dedicated to some ancient poet/scribe. On the site he used to live at. I'm sorry, I can't remember who.

    Travel south from here another few Kilometers on the old road, after you cross under the highway, so that the highway and lake are both on your left, there is a temple just after one of the villages, on the hillside. You cannot see it, but there is a big sign from the road. You need to park the car and walk up the hill. It is a small temple for locals. Not big, or highly decorated.

• • HFCAMPO
    February 18, 2013
    441 posts
  • I have several temples listed here.

    www.hugoyunnantravel.com/des_kunming.asp

• • Ocean
    February 18, 2013
    320 posts
  • There's a small temple on JinDingShan, near the XueFuLu end which I'm hoping to explore sometime this week.

• • Geezer
    February 18, 2013
    394 posts
  • Hugo, I had not looked at your website for over a year. I got to tell you I, for one, really appreciate the work you have done and the advice you give. The info on temples is very good, the best, longest and most informative list I've seen. Seems to me, as good as this list is, it is only a beginning. Good job!

    www.hugoyunnantravel.com/index.asp

• • zhubajie
    February 18, 2013
    55 posts
  • There used to be a tu di gong (local area god) shrine near SW Forestry University. It was a on a side street paralleling Bai Long Si Street. Ride bus 55 to the end and ask around.

• • zhubajie
    February 18, 2013
    55 posts
  • In the last few years, a new White Dragon Temple has been built along Long Quan Lou, the big highway going north to Hei Long Tan. Get off the bus at the Xia Mai Xi stop, look around for the sign pointing up the alley. On the mountain side of the road. I went to look at it when it was being built, and it was built with the traditional timber frame, not reinforced concrete, like many new "old" buildings.

• • zhubajie
    February 18, 2013
    55 posts
  • Tan Hua Si is a public park as well as a temple, not far from Southwest Forestry University. It has an obvious pagoda, easily seen from a bus.

• • abcdabcd
    February 18, 2013
    260 posts
  • aren't all temples basically the same? i remember in europe the cathedrals starting to look the same after a while.

• • Natsymir
    February 18, 2013
    80 posts
  • abcdabcd: It depends entirely on how interested you are...

• • abcdabcd
    February 18, 2013
    260 posts
  • any monks in these places?

• • tigertiger
    February 18, 2013
    1510 posts
  • Most temples are active and have monks.

• • Natsymir
    February 18, 2013
    80 posts
  • Found in google maps with a quick look:

    Wugu temple 五谷店 (north of Golden temple, across the mountain)
    Yungan si 云感寺 (close to the bamboo temple it seems)
    Jinding si 金鼎寺 (close to xuefu lu; I live close by and have never seen any hint of this temple's existence)
    Zhangjia temple 张家寺 (in the far outskirts of the city in the north, close to the Songhuaba reservoir)
    Baoen temple 报恩寺 (close to Zhangjia temple)
    Gaomiao temple 高庙 (in Chenggong, close to lake Dianchi)
    Baohua si 宝华寺 (in Chenggong north of Gaomiao, close to the Panlong river)
    Guanyin temple 观音寺 (Close to the Zhangguanyin second hand market off Puji road; I've been in the area several times and never seen any hint of its existence).

    Whatcha think, guys? Have you heard about any of these?

• • AlexKMG
    February 19, 2013
    384 posts
  • Wugu temple 五谷店

    Exceedingly difficult to find or inaccessible or Google just has it plain wrong. I spent 30 minutes on a bike looking for trails to this temple. I asked the locals around the area for directions. Many had not heard of this temple, and one old woman pointed, but I was unable to find a route. There are no signs of any kind pointing to the temple, and it's not visible from any direction, even though I kept checking the gps and where it was on Gmaps. Gave up and finished my ride.

• • AlexKMG
    February 19, 2013
    384 posts
  • Small temple off Dianchi Lake

    Put this in Gmaps. 24.91142,102.648852. You have to look at the green arrow and use sat imagery.

    It's a small local temple with a superb view of the lake right outside it. No tourists ever make it there. It was very antiquated when I first found it, but has been remodeled since. I like these small out of the way temples with no active monks or even caretakers sometimes. Just a donation box for the candles and incense they leave out. Usually, the ones by water like this have a sea theme, but this one didn't much.

• • BillDan
    February 19, 2013
    139 posts
  • In the same vicinity as Haiyuan Si (temple) is Miaogao Si, up in the mountains a little to the east of Haiyuan Si. The only way I persnally know to get there is by hiking up into the mountains along some trails the villagers here use. There are roads to the temple, but no buses. There are some shrines along the way and construction on a Fengshang Chi (???), or a Buddhist pool for releasing animals to freedom, was stopped but is still there along the trail, and it may get finished one day. All it seems to need is the water, of which is a short supply lately I suppose.

    It is a cool temple and one that not too many people know about really as it requires a hike to get there. Local people used to trek up there with water bottles to get some of the fresh temple spring water for free. Due to abuse of the system the temple controls this more now and the water is not free in quantities and is not always available, but you may be able to get a free bottle of water from the tap still.

• • Gompo
    February 19, 2013
    22 posts
  • Jinding si, i have been there, it exists ! Quite noisy though if you wanted do meditation...

    There is also a shaolin temple in a big compound by bus 31. Is possible train there on donation.

    Seems pretty active members here, would you like we organize something like veget aryan dinner or go temple ?

• • HFCAMPO
    February 20, 2013
    441 posts
  • If anyone is interested in going Temple hunting, I am game. I have found several small temples but did not bother to put them on my website but I know there are a few more I have not seen yet. We can schedule a different temple each week provided there are blue skies and is not cloudy for sake of pictures. I prefer to visit the temples by bus rather than bike because I would like to post the directions online for others to follow.

    Here are the directions for Tan Hua Temple. You can take any of the buses I have listed. My last visit was in April 2012 so the buses listed should still be current. I was lucky to catch a Rabbit Cloud above the temple on the day I visited this Temple.

    www.hugoyunnantravel.com/des_kunming.asp?page=7

• • tallamerican
    February 20, 2013
    152 posts
  • @HFCAMPO, I am fairly new in Kunming and have found your website very helpful for reference. One of my biggest problems navigating kunming is trying to figure out the buses. I know the bus that will take me downtown on Bejing Lu and the 2 buses from my little bus station where i now live in NW Kunming but figuring out where the buses you list to many of the kunming attractions originate from has me lost. My wife who has lived here for the past 10 years does not even know where most of the buses are from or are going to. If you or anyone has helpful advice would be greatly appreciated from this person.

• • Yuantongsi
    February 20, 2013
    339 posts
  • www.baidu.com maps have a function that shows you how to get from one place to another on the public buses, its easy to use,, but only in the Chinese language.

• • HFCAMPO
    February 20, 2013
    441 posts
  • When I first arrived in Kunming 8 years ago I went on daily adventures by hopping on any bus and going to its final destination. I purposely got lost and then had to figure out how to get back home. After doing this for a few times I found it easy to get around. Now I know which buses go to most places in Kunming.

    You can also purchase a map of Kunming and the map will indicate all the bus stops. I can not read Chinese and I speak very little because my wife does all the talking for me but with the map I can easily find any bus stop.

    For anyone who has been to Chengdu, they have great bus maps at each bus stop. I wish Kunming would do the same and make life easy for everyone.

    My wife uses this website and she just types in the point of origin and the destination and it will give you the bus # you need to take as well as the transfer points.

    map.baidu.com/[...]

• • Natsymir
    February 21, 2013
    80 posts
  • Google maps usually have rather accurate bus routes, actually.

    HFCAMPO: I'm so on for temple hunting. Bus is what I prefer too, as I have no bike and can't (won't) afford cabs. And I'm a student so I have tons of spare time. Wanna schedule something?

• • HFCAMPO
    February 21, 2013
    441 posts
  • Natsymir - Geezer has also contacted me about Temple hunting. Please send us both a PM and we can schedule something after next week when everyone has returned to work and school.

• • Gompo
    February 22, 2013
    22 posts
  • ok am in, though next week i might go in sz see dear students and maybe grave of st francois xavier from society of jesus

• • Gompo
    February 25, 2013
    22 posts
  • Am still in ! i guess week end would b best, hf campo i send u pm !

• • HFCAMPO
    February 25, 2013
    441 posts
  • Natsymir - Geezer - Gompo - I sent you all a PM so lets find a way to contact each other so we can make this happen. Geezer you have first choice for the temple this week.

• • HFCAMPO
    February 28, 2013
    441 posts
  • Bus 147 - From Golden Temple to Shuang Long Xiang.

    Wo Long Si - 卧龙寺 - Reclining Dragon Temple - is located in Mai Chong Village (4th Stop) on bus 147. The temple was built during the Qing Dynasty and is only opened on weekends.

    Wugu Miao - 五谷庙 - 5 Grain Temple - According to the locals the temple was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. The ruins of Wu Gu Temple are located in Ha Ma Zhe Yi Village (7th stop) on bus 147. Walk down to the bottom of the hill to find the village and ask the locals where the ruins of the temple are located.

    Wild Duck Park - Stay on bus 147 until it reaches the last stop at Shuang Long Xiang (Double Dragon Township). Walk 1 km until you reach the main gate of the Wild Duck Park. There is a beautiful clear lake with paddle boats as well as a training (Obstacle) course where companies come to do training. Tickets are 20 Yuan.

• • Ocean
    February 28, 2013
    320 posts
  • Great info HFCAMPO, thank you - that's an outing I definitely plan to make some day soon. Sounds like a good day out.

• • HFCAMPO
    March 1, 2013
    441 posts
  • Jin Ding Si - 金鼎寺 - is located at #11 Jin Ding North Road. There are 3 major bus stops that stop within 20 meters of this small road. (1) Jin Ding Yuan Bus stop (1, 29, 70, 83, 146, 168) on Xue Fu Road, (2) Huang Tu Po Hou Jie Bus stop (8, C3, C68, C69, 153, 168) on Puji Road, and (3) Pu Ji Lu Kou Bus stop (1, 8, 151, 153, 189, C1, C3, C16, C68, C69) on Puji Road.

    There is a very big triangular intersection here. Do NOT ask for the temple because no one seems to know where it is but rather LOOK or ASK for the Kunming Oxygen Company - Kun Ming Yang Qi Gong Si (昆明氧气公司 - # 730 Xue Fu Road) which is located at the corner of Xue Fu Road + Jin Ding North Road. Walk uphill on Jin Ding North Road for 100 meters and you will pass many restaurants and some grafitti art as well as a dinosaur sculpture. You can't miss the temple of your right.

• • HFCAMPO
    March 1, 2013
    441 posts
  • Guan Yin Temple - 观音寺 - Was located near the Guan Yin Si Bus Stop near the corner of PuJi Road + Yang Xian Po Nan Road. The temple was either moved or demolished in 1999 to make room for 3 new buildings which are now near completion.

• • HFCAMPO
    March 2, 2013
    441 posts
  • Directions to Miao Gao Temple - 妙高寺 -

    From Nan Ping Jie, take bus K13 to the end of the line and get off at the Long Yuan Xin Cun Bus stop. Walk about 100 meters until you reach the large intersection of Hai Tun Road + West 3rd Ring Road. (Miao Gao Temple is about 2 km away from Hai Yuan Temple so do not confuse Hai Tun Road with Hai Yuan Road). You will be facing a church that is presently under construction as evidenced by the large cross at the top of the building. As you are facing the church, face right and walk 100 meters until you reach a narrow alley that is between 2 buildings with brick walls. Walk up that hill and follow the many pilgrims who are on the same road to collect water from the mountain. There are many forks in the trail but do not worry as all the trails will lead you to the temple. The temple trails vary in steepness for the people who are carrying the heavy loads of water bottles. The temple is very nice but the best part of this trip is the many pilgrims who climb up to fill bottles with water. The entire trip from the 3rd Ring Road to the temple and back to 3rd Ring Road was 2.5 hours. I took my time, took many pictures, talked to pilgrims, and searched for landmarks in the 2.5 hours. It is about a 40 minute walk to the temple. You can also drive directly to the temple and only walk 400 meters from the parking lot. If you want clear directions to drive to the temple please let me know. If you have a camera that takes Panorama pictures be sure to take it with you as there are many scenic spots to make use of it. For me, the journey was more memorable than the destination, especially the interaction with the pilgrims who are there to collect water.

• • zhubajie
    March 3, 2013
    55 posts
  • Re bus routes, you can buy little pamphlets with the bus routes at the north city bus terminus, bei shi qu ba shi zhan. You do have to be able to read Chinese. Vendors sell new editions ea. month.

• • Geezer
    March 3, 2013
    394 posts
  • Miao Gao Temple

    Hugo, is the Miao Gao Temple west of 3rd Ring Road?

    There appears to be two Hai Tun Roads. One south of Haiyuan Si which I think is the wrong one. The other is north of Haiyuan Si and this one looks right.

    The little alley would be on the west side of 3rd Ring Road I think.

    Thanks Hugo, good info!

• • chris
    March 3, 2013
    146 posts
  • Not sure if Natsymir means Kunming's four main urban districts or Kunming municipality when saying all the temples in Kunming, but Panlong Temple (盘龙寺) on the south end of Dianchi near Jinning is one of the largest and best-known temple compounds in the Dianchi Basin. I'm not an expert on it, but it seems to be one of the more important temples for Kunmingers - it is packed with locals who usually drive there from the city. Definitely worth including in your temple hunt, in my opinion.

• • HFCAMPO
    March 4, 2013
    441 posts
  • Bai Yi Si - 百邑寺 - Is located on the corner of Chuan Jin Road + Er Huan Dong Road (2nd Ring East Road). Take Bus 10, 57, 60, 67, 71, 91 or 119 to the Xiao Ba Li Jiao Qiao Bus Stop. You can see the temple from this bus stop. There is a small park next to the temple.

• • DanTheMan
    March 4, 2013
    280 posts
  • Tanhua Temple is worth a visit. It's been mentioned in a GK article before:

    www.gokunming.com/[...]

    www.gokunming.com/en/listings/item/32337/tanhua_temple

• • Natsymir
    March 5, 2013
    80 posts
  • chris: I was vague of course, generally I think I meant more or less within the four urban district, I'd be open to things outside them for sure, but the main point is; if you can't get there by public bus, I probably can't afford to visit it.

• • HFCAMPO
    March 6, 2013
    441 posts
  • I have a near complete list of the temples in Kunming. I have seperated them by district.

    Cheng Gong - 13
    Guan Du - 54 -

    Pan Long - 31
    Wu Hua - 37
    Xi Shan - 33

    As I live in Xi Shan District I have nearly completed my visit to all the temples. I plan to make a FULL day trip to Cheng Gong in April to see the 13 temples there after I have completed my research on their specific location.

• • Natsymir
    March 10, 2013
    80 posts
  • -That- many? Amituofo, where are they? I mean, I live in Wuhua, and I only know of like four temples here. Do your list have adresses or something? Could I have it, then?

    Though sure, sometimes the temples might be well hidden I guess, I was in/around Guandu Old Town today (my fourth visit maybe, love the place), and discovered two small temples (well, one was a shrine really) that I hadn't seen before (in addition to the four main ones marked on the maps along the Old Town's main street); unfortunately, they were both locked, hopefully just because I was there rather late. But one of them (the small shrine) I've passed before and it's always been locked, it seems. In case this might be useful to you, Guandu Old Town has three temples in the main square, and one (Guanyin si) hidden away a bit to the left along the first street that intersects the old town's main streat (coming from the direction of the K4 bus stop). Then, if you follow the main street past the pagoda square, there's a four-way intersection with 'new old' buildings on all sides; to the left here is the small shrine. If you instead continue straight ahead, out of the Old Town, but following the same main pedestrian street, after a while there'll be an alley to the left next to a convenience store; in this alley is a small neighborhood temple.

    I'd gladly join you for the Chenggong tour if you want, I can probably take a day of from school for that.

• • HFCAMPO
    March 11, 2013
    441 posts
  • The Mother of all Temples - Today I visited a temple in Wu Hua District I never heard of before. It was wonderful! Xu Ning Si - 虚宁寺 - It is located on Long Quan Road. Take bus 9, 76, 84, or 115 and get off at the Sha Ba Ying bus stop. Walk towards the blue pedestrian overpass and walk to the side of the mountain. You will see a sign in Chinese that reads - 虚寧寺 - 前行1500米. Walk up the only mountain road for 1.5 km and you will see the Prayer Flags as you approach the temple.

    This temple has been completely renovated and is absolutely beautiful. In my opinion, it is much better than many of the other large temples most people visit - Yuan Tong, Hai Yuan, or Bamboo temples. Must See!

    There are 2 more temples on Long Quan Road in the next 2 bus stops. Bai Long Si (White Dragon) and Lan Long Si (Blue Dragon).

• • Natsymir
    March 16, 2013
    80 posts
  • I stumpled upon a medium-sized temple today just by accident; 护国寺, Huguosi. It's dedicated to Guanshiyin, judging by the focus on statues of her, but there's also a bunch of arhats that can be recognized from the Bamboo temple. The exterior of the temple is very beautiful, with a feature I haven't seen before; shops built into the red temple wall, and it's in a very lively and niceshabby (I just invented that word) area, on 039 Country road in Zijuncun village; the road goes north from Guangfu road, a short walk straight nortwest from the Luosiwan-megaüber-shopping mall. If other Chenggong/Guandu temples are as nice as this one, I definitely wanna see them (the intriguing 'Gaomiao temple' on google maps seem to be within walking distance, as does ofc the Guandu Old Town, and based on the fact that I discovered two new temples in Guandu Old Town the other day it might be worth looking even more around there).

• • HFCAMPO
    March 16, 2013
    441 posts
  • During my recent travels in search of the temples in Kunming, I came upon several large areas I call Destruction Zones. These former villages resemble scenes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki because an entire 1 or 2 block area is completely demolished. However, in the center of all the rubble stands a small temple that has been left untouched. I am left wondering about the fate of this little temple as I have seen some determined homeowners remain in their homes among ruins only to be forced out in the end.

    Today I remain hopeful about the future of some of these temples when I witnessed something very spectacular. I came upon a brand new residential quarter that is no more than 2 or 3 years old. It is a collection of 8 to 10 brand new highrise buildings that are 25 to 30 stories high. One can easily feel the wind that builds up behind these enormous giants as it rushes past only to be temporaily blocked by the next building.

    However, among the towering forest of buildings one will find a small oasis in the center of the complex with a tiny little temple. Yes, the original temple was not demolished and was incorporated into the new residential quarter. The entire outside facade has been repainted and lanscaped to match the new surroundings.

    Yan Jing Si - is located at the intersection of Dian Mian Ave, Chang Yuan Middle Road, and Ke Jin Road. You can take bus 7, 116, 138, 146, 151, C1, C3, or C69 to the Tuan Shan Qian Suo bus stop or take bus 56, 180, C10, or K13 to the Chang Yuan Lu Kou bus stop. You will notice that this area is very close to the Coca Cola bottling Company just 2 blocks away. The new residential Quarter is named Holiday City or Jia Ri Cheng Shi. The shopping center area is called Joy Park.

• • Natsymir
    March 18, 2013
    80 posts
  • HFCAMPO: You got me all excited about Xu Ning Si 虚宁寺, and then I just realized...I have most likely been there already, a year ago, when I climbed Mt Changchong, just didn't think much of it (too new and therefore soulless, and the artwork couldn't compare to the Bamboo temple, though it was certainly not -bad-). Here's pictures of the temple I visited there, a year or so ago:

    i.imgur.com/MXAnEh.jpg

    i.imgur.com/kLknBh.jpg
    The old temple had just been bulldozered down along a slope: i.imgur.com/ouwkPh.jpg

    A google image search seem to confirm, to my dissapointment, that this is indeed 虚宁寺. Still, given that you like it so much, I guess it might be worth giving it a second chance, maybe I didn't stop to appreciate it last time; it could always we combined with the other temples you mentioned along Longquan road.

• • HFCAMPO
    March 18, 2013
    441 posts
  • I have completed my visit to all the temples in WuHua District but I have failed to find one temple; Yun Gan Si Ling.

    YUN GAN SI LING – 云感寺灵 – According to the directions in Baidu, this temple is located very near or is part of LING GAN SI – 灵感寺 – Ling Gan Si is located on the fork in the road that leads to Bamboo Temple and Jiao Ye Park – BUS C61, C62, C63.

    There are a few occassions where one temple is located inside another temple. I searched all throughout Ling Gan Si but was unable to find Yun Gan Si Ling. We questioned many people but where still unable to find this temple.

• • HFCAMPO
    March 20, 2013
    441 posts
  • Zhang Jia Si - 张家寺 + Bao En Si - 报恩寺 - (Song Hua Ba Reservoir)
    From the North Bus Station take bus 126 to the Zhong Ba Cun bus stop. Bao En Temple has been renamed and is inside a larger temple named CHANG CHUN SI – 常春寺.

    Zhang Jia Temple was destroyed long ago and some old houses were built on the remains of the temple. The house is now also destroyed and some of the steps and walls from the original temple are still visible.

    I also had a chance to visit the reservoir near by and took some great Panoramic shots of the Shui Ku = Reservoir.

• • DanTheMan
    March 20, 2013
    280 posts
  • I haven't been to many, but, for my money, Bamboo Temple is the best. This is due in some part to its tranquility, enormous cedar trees, manicured gards and surrounding natural beauty. But mostly it's because of the arhat statues. I have never seen anything like those, anywhere. That's saying a lot in the land of 山寨. Are there any other temples in Kunming that contain artwork of such a bold, expressive and original nature?

• • Natsymir
    March 20, 2013
    80 posts
  • From the temples I've been to, nothing really beats the arhats of the Bamboo temple, nor does anything beat the Bamboo temple in general in terms of art quality; it has the best heavenly kings, the best apsara wall paintings, the best animal statues, etc.

    That being said, there are many temples with the same arhats portrayed in more dynamic ways, for example the two buddhist temples in the Western Hills; one of them, Huating si, has the room filled with arhats in such a way it's almost scary to wander around there; this is the best contender to the Bamboo temple, imo. Similar arrangements, though of arguably inferior quality, can also be found in the temples of Guandu Old Town (one of which is quite lavish), and probably a fair number of smaller ones as well (like the Huguo si that I was in i Chenggong the other day). But the Bamboo temple is considered the best for a reason; you'd probably have to go all the way to Dhondrupling Gompa in Benzilan to see something as awesome. (If you like temples, and are ever going from Shangri-la to Deqin, do NOT miss this temple, it has an eerily awesome room dedicated to the 'evil' bodhisattvas (dharmapalas) all the walls painted pitch black with depictions of skulls and flayed skins and blood and intestines).

• • chris
    March 21, 2013
    146 posts
  • @DantheMan: I agree with Natsymir, Huating Temple's arhats are as bold and expressive than those at Bamboo Temple, if not more so. Not sure how they compare in originality, as Huating's were apparently inspired by Bamboo's. One area in which Huating undoubtedly one-ups Bamboo: It has rubing.

    www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2625/getting_away_xishan

• • HFCAMPO
    March 24, 2013
    441 posts
  • There are 8 temples inside Guan Du Gu Zhen: BUS 32, 165, 185, 186, 210, A12, K15.

    DOU MU GE – 斗姆阁 – Guan Du Zhen –
    FA DING SI – 法定寺 - Guan Du Zhen –
    GUAN DU GU ZHEN SHAO LIN SI – 官渡古镇少林寺 - Guan Du Zhen
    GUAN YIN SI – 观音寺 - Guan Du Zhen –
    HUA GUANG MIAO – 华光庙 - Guan Du Zhen –
    LING YUN GE – 凌云阁 - Guan Du Zhen –
    SONG SHAN SHAO LIN SI KUN WU SENG YUAN – 嵩山少林寺昆武僧院
    TU ZHU MIAO – 土主庙 - Guan Du Zhen –

• • abcdabcd
    March 24, 2013
    260 posts
  • how many of the temples that you visited have little old ladies selling cheap useless trinkets disguised as amulets outside the temples to de-spiritualize the whole experience?

• • Gompo
    March 24, 2013
    22 posts
  • Great, thc !

    Luhon in shaolin bei si and in wuwei si are also astonishing !

    About damapalas (in pali, which was quite certainly the language used by the first budists, and not sanskrit), i m not sure what u mean by 'evil', but ja, i ll try have a look at this temple as i focus more now on this practice than on full budaood

    Tg,sj

• • HFCAMPO
    March 27, 2013
    441 posts
  • Bus 179 from the Luo Si Wan Bus Station. This bus ends at Yu Cun Village and the buses come every 15 minutes. This bus only has 4 stops but there are 4 old temples that can be found along the way.

    1 - Bao Long Si - Right after you cross the Wu La Sui Dao Tunnel
    2 - Bao Yuan An - Yun Long Village
    3 - Xing Guo Si - Gao Miao Village
    4 - Gu Deng Si - Yu Cun Village

• • HFCAMPO
    March 30, 2013
    441 posts
  • Bus 11 from Dong Zhan ( East Bus Station - Corner of Tuo Dong Road + Huan Cheng South Road). There are 9 temples along the way but the best is Long Quan Si located at the last stop of bus 11. This temple is old and large and very beautiful. Must see!

• • abcdabcd
    March 30, 2013
    260 posts
  • i think people's time would be better spent reading a few books on buddhism rather than visiting all 600 temples in kunming. but that's just me.

• • HFCAMPO
    April 3, 2013
    441 posts
  • YUN GAN SI – 云感寺 – According to the directions in Baidu, this temple is located very near or is part of LING GAN SI – 灵感寺 – Ling Gan Si is located on the fork in the road that leads to Bamboo Temple and Jiao Ye Park – BUS C61, C62, C63.

    There are a few occassions where one temple is located inside another temple. I searched all throughout Ling Gan Si but was unable to find Yun Gan Si Ling. We questioned many people but where still unable to find this temple.

    If anyone knows or has been to this temple please let me know.

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