Yunnan Nationalities Museum is located at 1503 Dianchi Road, Kunming, conveniently accessible via the buses A1, A9, 44, 73, 24, and 135. Please get off at Yunnan Nationalities Village and we are right across the road.
1. Yunnan Nationalities Museum offers free admission for the general public since January 1, 2011, and you are warmly welcome to visit us with your family and friends.
2. Admission: If you visit us as an individual visitor, you are supposed to show the reception a valid identity document of yours and get a ticket for a free tour of our Museum. Group visitors are advised to call and make an appointment with us the day before you come.
3. Circuit of Visits: Upon entering our Museum lobby, you can either follow the suggested circuit of visits through all showrooms or choose what to see at your own discretion .
4. Museum Policy:
• Visitors must follow the instructions and guidance of our staff during the visit.
• Visitors must keep the noise level down, respect public facilities and never touch the exhibits.
• Visitors must not litter or smoke on these premises.
• Visitors must never bring state-controlled items or pets into our Museum.
• Visitors must be free from the influence of alcohol and properly dressed, and persons with no or limited capacity for civil conduct must be accompanied by their guardians.
• Picture taking or filming is subject to prior Museum consent.
5. Useful Numbers: Appointments: (0871) 4311385 Visits & Complaints: (0871) 4311216
Chinese Name: 昆明市文林街
English Name: Wenlin Street in Kunming
Kunming Wenlin Street in Wuhua District, travel guide introduces the main attractions, entrance tickets booking, The best time to visit, How to Get there, the highlights, facts, history, photos, weather, accommodation, visiting routes, travel tips, tour maps of Wenlin Street in Kunming.
Wenlin Street is located in Kunming, stretching from the intersection of Cuihu North Road and Qingyun Street in the east to the northern entrance of Dongfeng West Road in the west. It is named “Wenlin Street,” meaning “a grove of literati,” because it is situated near the old examination hall (now part of Yunnan University) where many candidates gathered during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Although Wenlin Street has evolved from its original small dirt path from the Ming and Qing eras, it retains an ancient and simple atmosphere. The street is lined with uniquely designed small shops that add a strong artistic vibe to Wenlin Street, making it a popular tourist destination in Kunming.
On Wenlin Street, there is a row of tall ginkgo trees that don their golden attire every autumn. Sunlight filters through the sparse leaves and casts dappled shadows on the street. A gentle breeze stirs the golden leaves, causing them to flutter down like countless golden butterflies dancing in the air. This scene not only amazes people with the wonders of nature but also allows them to feel the power of life and the endless possibilities of aesthetics. This ginkgo grove is not only a beautiful landscape of Wenlin Street but also an important part of Kunming’s history and culture. It has witnessed the city’s development and changes, as well as the growth and dreams of generations. Accompanied by the ginkgo trees, Wenlin Street becomes more poetic and romantic, attracting countless visitors and locals who stop to admire and take photos. When night falls, the ginkgo trees on Wenlin Street appear particularly tranquil and mysterious under the glow of streetlights. Strolling beneath the ginkgo trees at this time, one can almost hear the passage of time and feel the weight of history. In such an atmosphere, people cannot help but ponder the meaning and value of life, cherishing the beautiful moments before them.
Golden Temple is the biggest and heaviest as well as the best preserved copper temple in China. It is a key national cultural and historical relics. The whole temple reflects the excellent metallurgical and casting technology more than 300 years ago in Yunnan.
The Bell Tower was constructed in 1983. In the middle of the tower hangs a copper bell which is 3.5 meters high, has a circumference of 6.7 meters, and weighs 14 tons.The bell, cast in 1423 A.D., the 21st year of the Yongle Period of the Ming Dynasty, was previously installed in Xuanhua Tower at the south gate of Kunming. It ranks fourth on the list of ancient bells in China.
The Landscape and Botanical Garden of Kunming covers 33 hectares. So far nine flower gardens, such as the Camellia Garden, Yulan Magnolia Garden and Azalea Garden,have already been established in it. The Camellia Garden, the largest camellia garden with the most varieties of camellia trees in China, covers an area of more than 10 hectares and has more than 10,000 camellia trees of 40 varieties.
Golden Temple and Yongle Bell vividly show that Yunnan has been the “kingdom of nonferrous metals”, and the botanical garden exhibits the beauty and elegance of Yunnan as the “kingdom of plants” and the “kingdom of the flowers”.
The famous Golden Temple is part of the Taoist Taihe Palace, founded by Yu Ming for 30 years, and restored by Wu Sangui. Tourists can enjoy the rich culture of Taoism here.
Golden Temple Fair is an ancient traditional folk custom and cultural activities, which aims to pray for the new year. The Golden Temple Fair, held on the ninth day of the first lunar month, has a history of more than 400 years and is a well-known traditional festival of the Spring Festival in Kunming. Whenever the “Golden Temple Fair”, people from all directions are all bustling to the Golden Temple to visit temple fair
Golden Temple enjoy thousands of pots of camellia, also known as camellia, is one of the eight famous flowers in Yunnan, its cultivation history has been more than 500 years. Yunnan is called the hometown of camellia. Camellia is also the city flower of Kunming. In late winter and early spring, a hundred flowers still sleep and leaves fall, but the camellia puff in full bloom.Golden Temple’s camellias welcome the tourists from all directions.
From March to October is the best time to travel, in the spring and summer the scenery is the best. The scenery in winter is simple, and it is not very good to visit as in other season.
1. Take bus 76 to Jindian (Golden Temple) station.
2. Take bus 10, 69, 71, 147, 235, Z85, or Z90 to Jindian Chechang.
It takes tourists about half an hour to get Golden Temple from downtown of Kunming.
It can be reached by cable car from the Expo Garden or by ropeway from the Expo Garden.
Except Golden Temple, you also can enjoy other fascinating attractions nearby.
The Kunming City Museum is a historical museum and one of the popular tourist attractions in Kunming City, which is encompassed by the Yunnan Province in China. The museum is quite comprehensive for a local museum; all in all, it occupies an area of 5,000 square meters.
Western Hills boasts an excellent environment with flourishing flowers and dense forest, providing tourists an excellent environment to enjoy the tranquility and marvelous scenery. They have also been given another name – ‘Sleeping Beauty Hills’ for the hills because its skyline looks like a beautiful young lady laying beside Dianchi Lake with her face upward and her hair trailing into water
Top 3 Golden Temple chosen by most customers to explore Golden Temple in the best way. Check the detailed itinerary, or tailor your own trip now with us. We provide some tour routes for tourists to choose.
1 Day Kunming Temples Tour
4 Days Best Kunming City Tour with The Stone Forest
5 Days Kunming City Tour and Shilin Torch Festival Celebration
1. Food preparation: Meals are available in the scenic spot. To have a good time, it is recommended to bring some dry food and drinking water, the amount depends on your needs.
2. Do not deliberately destroy the building in the Golden Temple.
As Kunming continues to grow and change, green space and public gathering spaces remain in short supply. City planners are looking to address such concerns on the shores of Dianchi Lake (滇池) with a multi-purpose renovation project. Construction will begin April 1 along the entire length of Haigeng Dam (海埂大坝), effectively closing the promenade for the next seven months. The 470 million yuan (US$68 million) undertaking will appear largely cosmetic when finished. However, wholesale changes to the facade will also include improvements to the dam’s overall structural stability as well as the installation of a lake water filtration system. The upgrades are part of a large scheme meant to beautify tourist attractions across the Spring City.
Currently, the Haigeng, or Dianchi, promenade is on average eight meters wide, a space that will be doubled to 16 meters once the makeover is complete. In addition to a vastly expanded walkway, the ‘City Garden’ project calls for extensive park and wetland landscaping, the construction of rest areas, concession stands and modernized lighting, as well as new boat docking facilities.
Pedestrian visitors will no doubt enjoy the enhancements, but the changes they will not be able to see are the most important. The 2,400 meter-long Haigeng Dam was originally built in the 1960s as bulwark between Dianchi Lake and extensive wetlands on its northeastern shore. Once the embankment was finished, the wetlands were drained and filled in with farmland. After 55 years, the dam is in serious need of new support pilings, especially considering it will soon double in size. As the foundation is rebuilt, engineers will also install a filtration system positioned under the dam designed to remove Dianchi’s ever-present but thankfully shrinking sheen of lake-killing algae. The filters are expected to augment other ongoing efforts to clean the lake of its bacterial infestation by seven to ten percent each year.
Located by the Dianchi Lake and at the foot of the Western Hill, the Village is a major part of Kunming Dianchi National Tourist and Holiday Zone. Opened to the public on February 18, 1992, the community is 8 km away from the city of Kunming proper and covers an area of 1,340 mus. The whole community contains 26 villages, and so far the Dai Village, the Bai Village, the Yi Village, the Naxi Village, the Wa Village, the Jinuo Village, the Lahu Village, the Bulang Village and 4 other villages have been completed.
Haigeng Park is mainly a natural scenic spot and a lakeside bathing beach with green willows, sky-piercing eucalyptuses, and blooming flowers. The part and the nearby fishing villages merge harmoniously into one. On bright sunny days, the water stretches out in a boundless expanse; white clouds float lazily across the blue sky while gentle waves are rippling, sails are drifting with the current and sea gulls are skimming over the water.
The Dianchi Scenic Area is quite mesmerizing, where natural scenery and human landscape blend perfectly. It can be divided into two districts, namely West district and East district. What makes Dianchi Lake distinctive is that the color of its water changes with the clouds and sunshine of the day. Around Dianchi Lake also lie many places of interest, such as West Hill, Daguan Park, Yunnan Ethnic Village and so on. These featured attractions are all ideal getaways for visitors to get close to nature to relax.
Western Hills boasts an excellent environment with flourishing flowers and dense forest, providing tourists an excellent environment to enjoy the tranquility and marvelous scenery. They have also been given another name – ‘Sleeping Beauty Hills’ for the hills because its skyline looks like a beautiful young lady laying beside Dianchi Lake with her face upward and her hair trailling into water.
Take bus No. 171, 183 and get off Haigeng Dam Station.
It take tourists 30 minutes to Haigeng Dam from Down of Kunming.
Top 3 Haigeng Dam tours chosen by most customers to explore Haigeng Dam in the best way. Check the detailed itinerary, or tailor your own trip now with us. We provide some tour routes for tourists to choose.
6 Days Northeast Yunnan Winter Birding Tour to Dianchi Lake, Nianhu Lake and Dashanbao
8 Days Yunnan Winter Birding Tour to Dongchuan Red Land, Nianhu Lake and Dashanbao Nature Reserve
9 Days Yunnan-Guizhou Winter Birding Tour with Dianchi Lake, Caohai Lake, Nianhu Lake and Dashanbao Nature Reserve
1. Visitors can also go to the West Hill Forest Park for a visit, then take the cable car from Longmen (the gate of the dragon) to Dianchi lake (Ticket price at RMB30).
2. There is no entrance fee charged at the Dianchi Lake, the entrance fee for Haigeng Park is RMB8 yuan. If guest do not want to take boat during the visit, a half day is enough for a visit to Dianchi Lake. If you want to explore the lake further, you can rent a bicycle and spend two days to cycle around the Dianchi, it is about 200 km.
Jiuxiang Cave has about a hundred karst caves and the most wonderful in-cave scenes in China. The caves in Jiuxiang fall into 4 cave clusters: Sanjiao Cave, Dashang Cave, Diehong Cave and Dasha Dam Cave. 66 out of the numerous caves in the area are profitably exploitable and the karst cave cluster is the largest of its kind on Yunnan-Guizhou plateau. The caves in the area are praised for their grandeur, wonder grotesquerie and natural beauty.
Jiuxiang Caves is 20 sq km in area and includes 5 tourist attractions, Diehong Bridge (5 km southeast from Jiuxiang Street, famous for the karst caves, the twin waterfalls and the huge natural stone dam cluster), Dasha Dam (consisting of picturesque karst caves and thick forest), Sanjiao Cave (5 km north of Jiuxiang Street, famous for the karst caves), Alu Long [a scenic area 6 km west of Jiuxiang Street, famous for the excavated Yi Nationality cliff paintings of Qin 221BC-206BC) and Han (206BC-220AD) dynasties] and Mingyue (meaning the bright moon) Lake.
Jiuxiang, the birthplace of the aboriginal Yi ethnic people, has a strong minority custom color, a long cultural history, and widely spread old myths and tales. These include Hunting Festival, the Worship the White Dragon Festival, Love Song Contest, Bullfighting, Wrestling, Sanxian Dance (Sanxian is a three-stringed plucked instrument), Rattle Stick Dance and so on.
Yincui Valley
It is located in the north of Jiuxiang Scenic Spot. Its total length is 1 km. Ii got its name for the the lush vegetation in it. It is also called Lover Valley. They said that it was place for young girls and boys to sing love songs. Girls stood at the right side and boys stood at the left side. They sang songs until they found their right persons. There’s a river named Maitian River flowing in the valley. It’s a branch of Nanpan River. People can take a boat for a distance of 700 meters.
Lying Dragon Cave
Male Lion Hall
It is a slant underground hall. Its height is about 20-30 meters and its length and width are more than 200 meters. Its volume is 1 million cubic meters. It is a typical example hall of Karst caves. There’s no any support in the hall and it can be said the most big underground hall among the carst caves.
Jiuxiang Scenic Spot can be visited all the year round for the warm climate. In spring, flowers are in full bloom, the weather is neither too hot nor too cold. In summer, people can take a boat there and step into the caves to avoid summer heat.
Jiuxiang Cave is about 108 kilometers away from Kunming, and it’s very convenient to get there from the city center. There are many public buses driving from the city center to Jiuxiang, and public bus will take about 1.5 hours to get there.
Top 3 Jiuxiang Cave tours chosen by most customers to explore Jiuxiang Cave in the best way. Check the detailed itinerary, or tailor your own trip now with us. We provide some tour routes for tourists to choose.
1 Day Kunming Stone Forest Tour with Jiuxiang Cave
4 Days Best Kunming City Tour with The Stone Forest
1. Tourists should take enough clothes since they may get wet in boats when they visit the karst caves and the gorges. 2. Visitors can spend their time watching folk songs and dance or tasting local food, which are interesting.
Yangzonghai Lake Scenic Spot and Little White Dragon Forest Park are not far from Jiuxiang Scenic Spot. Tourists can take buses at the gate of the Jiuxiang to go there.
The Mount Gaoligong flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus gaoligongensis云南鼯鼠,云南大鼯鼠,云南飞鼠) is a species of large, arboreal flying squirrel endemic to highland forests in southwestern China.
Kunming Botanical Garden (KBG) was established in 1938. It is affiliated to the Kunming Institute of Botany under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It has an area of 44 hectares. The Garden is a comprehensive institution with the main task of ex-situ conserving and sustainably utilising the rare and endangered plants, endemic taxa, and economically important plant species in the Hengduan Mountains and in the Yunnan Plateau. The Camellia Garden is one the oldest and most important specialized gardens within KBG.
In the wider KBG landscape we have 13 other specialised gardens which include: YUESAI Rhododendron Garden, Rock Garden, Monocotyledons, Medicinal Herbs, Magnolias, Arboretum, Gymnosperm Plants, Ornamental Fruits and Foliage, Endangered Plants Section, Sweetgum Avenue, Glasshouses, Rosaceae Section and the Begonia Collection. You could see many “3E” plants (Endemic, Endangered and of Economic Importance) in KBG. The Sweetgum Avenue is the main attraction in the Autumn.
Around 8000 individuals of 1025 taxa (78 species and 1000 cultivars) in the genus Camellia are now displayed in KBG. The species C.reticulata is the city flower of Kunming. The most important scenic area is the beautiful forest of 800 trees of C.reticulata many of which are more than 70 years old in this large area. These plants are in full bloom during the Chinese New Year and this ensures that the Camellia Garden is a colourful and exciting place for celebrating this special holiday. The golden camellia collection is another important feature in KBG which has 30 species with yellow flowers. The Camellia garden has several collections with special theme: the Reticulata Zone,the Japonica Zone, the Sasanqua Zone, the Wild Species Zone, Camellia Greenhouse and the International Camellia Garden of Friendship set up in 1984, where camellias were planted by some 40 members of the ICS in four areas: Asia, Europe, N. America and Australasia.
The park is divided into two parks: East and West. It has been built into Mountain and Tea Garden, Rock Garden, Bamboo Garden, Yuxi Rhododendron Garden, Leaf View Orchard, Baicao Garden, Magnolia Garden, witch hazel orchard, very small population plant orchard, gymnosperms and other 15 special types of gardens (regions).
1. Camellia Garden: It covers 150 Mu (Chinese acres), it has been planted with more than 15,000 camellia trees of 200 kinds, including Camellia reticulate, Camellia japonica, Camellia sasanqua, and Camellia nitidissima, etc.
2. Azalea Garden: There are nearly 10,000 azalea trees of 100 kinds including Rhododendron simsii, Rhododendron delavayi, and Rhododendron irroratum Franch, etc.
3. Greenhouse Area Greenhouse Area: It includes halls of Orchids, Foliage plants, Begonia, Tropical Plants, Palm tree, Cactus, and Succulent plants, etc.
4. Arbor Trees Area Arbor Area: It includes Magnolia Garden, Rosaceae Garden, and Bamboo Garden etc. rare plants inside are delavay magnolia, michelia chartacea, Manglietia insgnis, and Magnolia campbellii, etc.
5. Ferns Garden: Ferns Garden covers 50 Mu. There are nearly 400 kinds of ferns planted with it including tree fern, brake fern, Cheilosoria hancockii (lip fern), adiantum, Coniogramme intermedia, Allantodia megaphylla, Cyclosorus interruptus, and Asplenium ensiforme (sword-leaved spleenwort), etc.
Popular Science Activities: Planning and holding “Small Microfamily of the Botanical World” of High School Science Camp, “Finding Plant Baby” of Parent-child Science Popularization activities, “Re-understanding Botanical Gardens”, “where to go in summer” and “Botanical Garden at Night” and other special theme science popularization activities have been more than 50 times
Kunming Botanical Garden is mainly concerned with the introduction and conservation of rare and endangered plants, endemic groups and important economic plants in Yunnan Plateau and the southern tip of Hengduan Mountain, and the introduction and domestication of resource plants and the protection of germplasm resources.
Since the establishment of the park, it has received more than 40 awards at the provincial and ministerial levels, published more than 600 papers, more than 50 patents authorized to invent, registered more than 100 new plant varieties, and published more than 60 monographs.
Since 2012, Kunming Botanical Garden has successfully undertaken four training courses on Garden Horticulture and Landscape Construction of the Chinese Botanical Garden Association. A total of 100 students from 40 botanical gardens and related units in the country have been trained in advanced garden gardening, and 12 excellent students have been sent to the Royal Botanical Garden in Edinburgh for further study and improvement.
The Kunming Botanical Garden has been named “National Science Popularization Education Base”, “Yunnan Province Science Popularization Education Base”, “National Youth entering the Science and Technology World demonstration Base”, “National Youth Science and Technology Education Base”, Kunming Science Popularization Base, etc., Mountain Tea Garden won the title of “International Outstanding Tea Garden”. [1] won the excellent national science popularization education base of 2016. Awarded the “2011 Kunming City Science Popularization Base” title.
Kunming Institute of Botany is a research institution in the field of Botany, which is located in Kunming. The Institute is one of the major herbariums in China and maintains a collection of over 1,000,000 specimens of plant. There are also over 200,000 specimens of fungi, lichens, and mosses, many of which were donated by mycologist Mu Zang.
The Institute also has a botanical garden. Currently there are around 5,000 species of vascular plants in the botanical garden. There are several sections, with specific collections, such as: Arboretum, Collection of herbs, Endangered species and rare species, Aquatic species, Gardens of specimens of the genus Camellia, Magnolia, and Begonia, Ferns.
All the plants that are hosted in the botanical garden are a foundation on which to work, for the research and experience of the staff of scientists at the Institute. Studies are conducted to improve the cultivation of plants of economic interest, with a view to better use, both nutritionally and industrially. Currently a digital database of the botanical garden is being prepared, as well as of wild plants in the province of Yunnan.
By Bus
1.Take bus No. 9, 79, 128, 159, 249 directly to north gate station of Kunming botanical garden or Heilongjiang Pool station about 8 minutes walk to east garden of botanical garden.
2.Take bus No. 115 to Ciba Terminal, then walk about 15 minutes to the north gate of Kunming Botanical Garden.
Self-driving
Drive from the center of Kunming city along Longquan road for about 30 minutes to the north gate of Kunming Botanical Garden.
1. Disabled persons, people over 70 years old (including) and children below 1.2 meters in height are free of charge; 2. Retired cadres can go with one person free of charge;
3. Active serviceman, 60-69 years old and the student group may purchase the discount ticket to enter the park;
4. Group visitors buy a full fare of 16 free 1.
In 1682 a monk named Qianyin built a small temple here to teach Buddhist dharma; eight years later, that’s in 1690, the official of Yunnan Province, Wang Jiwen, was so attracted by the beautiful natural views here, began to construct a whole park including halls, pavilions, bonsais, rockeries, trees and terraces. Grand View Tower has been an attraction ever since with the most visited spot being Daguan Park.
In 1696, Wang Jiwen, the governor of Yunnan, carried out a largescale construction of a two-story pavilion. Ponds were dug, embankments were constructed, and trees and flowers were planted. With a good view of the waters and hills in the distance, and the sailing boats and trees in mist, the pavilion was titled Daguan (“Grand View”) pavilion. In the later years, the Daguan pavilion had twice been reduced to ruins by warfare and flood. In 1883, Chen Yuying, governor of Yunnan and Guizhou Provinces, ordered Monk Xingtian to take charge of the renovation of the pavilion, and the pavilion has remained intact ever since.
Since the Daguan pavilion was built, men of letters coming from far and near in the country have often gathered here, composing and reciting poems. During the past two to three hundred years, many excellent works and poems have been created. Among them, the Long Couplet written by Sun Rangweng has for many years enjoyed the highest reputation around the world. Daguan Park has become famous due to Sun Rangweng’s Long Couplet.
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. At the entrance there is the longest antithetical couplet which was written by a famous Qing Dynasty scholar named Sun Ranweng (also called Sun Ran); this couplet of 180 characters 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.
East garden is located in the east side of Jinhuapu, consist of “Qiushang and cypress garden” two private garden, east and south facing Grand View River going into Dianchi lake Caohai channel. Inside the garden pond there is interweaved lotus, surrounded by willow embankment, bridge across the creek, pavilion and corridor is near the lake, deep and serene scenery.
In the southeast of Building Beyond Building, it is separated by Dianchi Lake channel. Garden pond streams are around willow embankment, zigzag bridge arch bridge, the small pavilion arbor, the south garden main building is a two-storey building match well of Chinese and western style “Jinhou Building”. There is equipped with guest room, dining, conference reception and other service facilities.
Grand View Park miniascape garden covers an area of 4500 square meters, is one of the largest miniascape garden in Kunming area. In the garden the trees are luxuriantly green, flowers are bright-colored, landscape set each other off, pavilion corridor is splendor, all kinds of bonsai scattered all over like stars in the sky. Besides the winding white wall, in front of the pavilion corridor are filled with trees, match with rock bonsai. Beautiful old trees are in sight: towering stands, each tree has its own form and each is graceful in its own way. The garden has a lot of the old pile with more than one hundred year of history. A crape myrtle planted during Qing dynasty Qianlong period, so far, more than two hundred years old, it is said that the early 60s, a Chinese-American paid $30000 to buy but failed, now it has become a miniascape garden treasure.
Jinhuapu is bounded by water on three sides and it is the main scenic area of Grand View Pavilion Park. Park entrance is facing Jinhuapu double-hipped roof arch gate. The north and east is a large lotus pond. “Grand View Pavilion” is the main building of Jinhuapu, pavilion, hall and other ancient architectural complexes constructed in Qing dynasty Kangxi period, and connected by the corridor, the past two years there are new cultural attractions like “Huaxia Long Couplet Corridor”, “the Grand View Pavilion inscription rubbings exhibition”, “long couplet history cultural center” and other cultural attractions. Here gather together the history humanities landscape of the Grand View Pavilion and it is also the main exhibition area of flowers exhibitions during the spring and autumn.
West Park is located in the west side of Jinpuhua, which is new long couplet culture park of 200 mu of land requisition in 1998. There are 30 acres water area, willow embankment arch bridge, green grass, waterside pavilion and stone path, waterside pavilion.
It is located in the southeast of Grand View Tower, surrounded by water, willow embankment, facing the Grand View Tower by three pools of Yinyue Lake. Building outside the Building is three-storey, the green colored glaze gable and hip roof looks like gaily-painted pleasure-boat.
Construction of Daguanlou was completed in the 1690s. Perhaps more famous than the view provided by the pavilion is the poem carved into the gateposts of the south-facing door. It is comprised of a series of rhyming couplets composed by the poet Sun Ranweng (孙髯翁) and is purportedly the longest series of its kind ever composed in China.
The “Long Couplet” (长联) was written during the Qing Dynasty and is considered to be one of Yunnan’s most important pieces of cultural heritage.
The poem is divided into three sections. The first describes the scenery around the pavilion and then moves on to a lengthy explanation of Yunnan’s history before ending with a meditation on the Buddhist concept of nirvana.
The buildings adjoining Daguanlou are often congregating places for people to play Chinese chess, majiang or cards. Currently three of the buildings house a hundred year photo retrospective of Dianchi Lake called “A Clear Dianchi, A Prosperous Kunming” (滇池清,昆明兴). The exhibit of more than 100 landscape photos is free to visitors.
Many of the photographs show scenes of Dianchi Lake in its healthier days — often of people swimming in clear blue water in times before algae-blooms made such recreation impossible. Other photos show massive storm systems boiling over the city or beautiful sunsets over Kunming’s Xishan.
Daguan Pavilion Park is a botanical garden rich in ornamental plants. Of its plant varieties of more than 600, more than 200 are indigenous plants. Compared with other parks, its over 800 potted landscapes and 300 breeds of chrysanthemums take the lead in Kunming. Moreover, the about 70,000-square-meter pond with over 10 breeds of water lilies makes it the biggest water lily watching base in Kunming.
Towering above everything in the park is the 90-meter Ferris wheel. When entering the city from the west, it is Kunming’s first and most unmistakable man-made landmark. Giant, silent and ponderously slow, the wheel takes 30 minutes to complete one revolution. Upon reaching the top, passengers are provided with some of the most spectacular views of Kunming available in the city. Tickets for the ride cost 30 yuan.
Littered around the Ferris wheel are several other rides. Some are well-maintained and routinely in operation. Three roller coasters, small, medium and large, are the biggest attractions and all offer riders the chance to hurtle upside down, even if just for a moment.
Daguan has at least five carousels although only the two-storey one was in operation the day we visited. There are also patriotic bumper cars sporting US flag and Statue of Liberty motifs, as well as several revolving rides.
One ride we saw was so covered in drying laundry and rust that we were unable to tell what it used to be. Admission to the park does not include entry to any of the various attractions or access to the haunted house located underneath the Ferris wheel.
Tickets for the smallest rides are 10 yuan and prices max out at 50 for the largest roller-coaster. Photographs of you enjoying, or not enjoying, your experience are available for 10 yuan.
The main gate of Daguan Park is located at the terminus of Daguan Road.
People can take public bus No.4, 22, 95, 100, 104, 124 and 131 to Daguan Pavilion Park Stop, or take bus No.97, 143, 166 and c8 to Daguan Pavilion South Garden.
A taxi to the park entrance from the Green Lake Area should cost roughly 15 yuan.
1. Visitors are advised to always carry changes of clothing due to the large variations in temperature between day and night.
2. The climate is relatively dry, so drink more water every day.
3 Protecting oneself from strong UV radiation at high altitude.
4. Protecting oneself from altitude sickness. Lessen the effects of altitude sickness, avoid strenuous exercise and have plenty of rest.
5. Respect local customs , habits, and religious beliefs.
In the Naigu Stone Forest, oddly-shaped stones in dark shadow pierce into the sky like angry waves, with full of power and grandeur, or stand there like frightening ancient battle fields, which may arouse visitors’ all kinds of thoughts and imaginations. Some precipices are hundreds of meters high, as flat as knife-cut, some stone posts pierce into the sky, some are as big as mounds, some are like Zhuge Liang’s Eight Diagram Formations, or ‘Taishang Laojun in front of a pill oven’, or a castle, mushroom, elephant, field, pig and goat, etc.
“Naigu” means old and black in the Sani language of the Yi People. It is about 10 kilometers from the Big Stone Forest and covers an area of 10 square kilometers, which is composed of the east area, west area, Baiyun Lake, Baiyun Cave and ancient battlefield, etc.
Many beautiful legends originate in this magical place, passed along by the native people known as Sani, a branch of the Yi ethnic group. One particular story about the faithful love of Ashima, a beautiful, clever and warm-hearted Sani girl, is the most popular and has been told for thousands of years. As the legend goes, Ashima was kidnapped by an lanlord’s son and forced into marriage. Her lover, Ahei, made every effort to save her. However, on the way home, Ashima was swept away by a flood and turned into what is known as the Ashima Rock, which can be found in the Minor Stone Forest. Her passion and perseverance for freedom and true love still encourage today’s Sani people.
The Sani people celebrate their national festival – the Torch Festival – every lunar year on June 24. They take part in traditional performances such as wrestling, bull fighting, pole-climbing, dragon-playing, lion-dancing and the A-xi Moon Dance. During this time, the Stone Forest is alive with a particular0ve atmosphere, making the area even more attractive than usual.
The rocks are ancient, simple and black, giving visitors a feeling of mystery and vastness under such a mysterious atmosphere. In the scenic area, there is an exotic and beautiful underground cave, which is called white cloud cave or crystal palace, and is belonged to underground lava topography.
The scenes inside are of different kind of shapes, such as terraced paddies, peasants’ cottages, and animals and plants. Some can produce chimes with percussion. At the bottom of the mountain is the White Cloud Lake which is extraordinarily tranquil.
● Minor Stone Forest(小石林)
The Minor Stone Forest is also call Ashima Scenic Area. The big and thick stone walls like a screen deliver this scenic area into several parts. Of all, the most famous scenic spot is ‘Ashima’. When the night comes, it is colorful and charming under the glittering lights.
The Major Stone Forest consists of intensive stone peaks, just like a stretch of stone basin. The stone forests here have straight shapes and smooth lines, among which the highest stone pillar is more than 40 meters in height.The magnificent, strange, and steep landscape creates countless sights, including Lotus Peak, Ashima Rock, Sword Peak Pond, Shilin Lake, and ‘a Gleam of Sky’.
Long Lake is a karst lake that is three kilometers (two miles) long but only 300 meters wide. The lake features underwater stalagmites and stalactites and a small island in the center of the water.The source of the Dadie Waterfall, Ba River, is a branch of Nanpan River. In the rainy season, up to 150 cubic meters (196 cubic yards) of water per square inch plummet down the 88 meter (288 feet) drop.
March to October. The temperature at that time is warm. From September, cosmoses bloom and last for about one month. Try to avoid Chinese public holidays, such as Labor Day (May 1st to 7th) and National Day (October 1st to 7th). It is recommended that you start your day early so as to avoid tourist crowds.
1. You can take a regular bus from Kunming East Coach Station to the site, CNY 25 per person.
2. From Kunming Changshui International Airport, travelers can take the travel bus to there, and it will take about 2 hours. Shilin Yi Autonomous County also has a train station, and it has trains to Kunming, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanning, Zhanjiang, Guiyang, Hongguo, etc. Shilin Train Station is only about 4km from Naigu Stone Forest, so traveler can get the spot easily.
Another way to get to Stone Forest is taking a private car, and this is the fastest and most convenient way. It only takes about 1 hour. If you book tour with us, we will provide you the private car with a private driver and a tour guide to make your trip worry-free.
Top 3 Naigu Stone Forest tours chosen by most customers to explore Naigu Stone Forest in the best way. Check the detailed itinerary, or tailor your own trip now with us. We provide some tour routes for tourists to choose.
1. Naigu Stone Forest dosen’t have any services, or food or water for sale. Please prepare before coming.
2. Torch Festival: June 24th in Chinese lunar calendar is the traditional Torch Festival of Yi people. At this time, Stone Forest will hold grand bullfight, wrestling and song and dance activities to celebrate. Yi people will dress in their traditional costumes to anticipate the celebration. At nightfall, the bonfire and torches will be lit up, and people will dance and sing around the bonfire. This is the best time to experience the ethnic culture of Yi people.
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