Guandu Ancient Town
A thousand-year-old ferry town on the north shore of Dianchi Lake; in Tang and Song times it was the water-and-land wharf for officials traveling to and from the lake, hence the name "Guandu"; its "Eight Scenic Views" were famed of old.
Visitor info
- Opening hours
- Open all day
- Ticket
- Free (small fees for Fading Temple, etc.)
Price is indicative — final quote on inquiry.
A thousand-year-old ferry town on the north shore of Dianchi Lake; in Tang and Song times it was the water-and-land wharf for officials traveling to and from the lake, hence the name "Guandu"; its "Eight Scenic Views" were famed of old. The core relic, the Jingang Pagoda (Diamond Throne Pagoda), built in the Ming Tianshun era, is among China's oldest surviving vajra-throne pagodas, its sandstone body with dome and wheel rings intact; the east-west twin pagodas of Miaozhan Temple along with Fading Temple, Tuzhu Temple and more still let you trace the "six temples, seven pavilions and eight shrines" layout. The town is famed for its snacks — Guandu baba (baked flatbread) and erkuai (rice cakes) scent the lanes — a cheap, photogenic half-day trip on Kunming's outskirts.
Getting there: Metro Line 1, Erji Road Station, then transfer to bus
Photos
More in Kunming
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A 'jade within the city' at the heart of Kunming's old town, also known as Nine Dragon Pool because 'nine springs emerge and gather into a pond'; Bamboo Island, Goldfish Island and Lianhua Chan Temple (initiated by Chen Can in the late Qing) on the lake are linked by causeways and bridges; with weeping willows and green water in all seasons, it is the starting point of everyday Kunming life and slow wandering through the old town
- Former Site of the Yunnan Military Academy (Jiangwutang)
A modern-style army school founded in 1909 in the late Qing, ranked together with the Tianjin and Northeast Jiangwutang as the three great military academies of the late Qing; its beige courtyard complex in the 'zouma zhuanjiaolou' style (linked corridors and corner towers) encloses the parade ground, making it one of China's best-preserved modern military academy sites
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Back lanes right next to the west gate of Yunnan University, named 'Wenlin' in the Qing dynasty for their proximity to the Confucian Temple school; today a coffee street where Kunming's young people and international students gather, with dozens of independent cafés, craft-beer bars and second-hand bookshops lining the slope
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- Golden Horse and Jade Rooster Archways
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