Kunming's Yuantong Temple 圆通寺

[abcdefg]

Not only is Yuantong Temple 圆通寺 ancient, beautiful, and peaceful, it's a bargain at only 6 Yuan. In a time where many of China's tourist attractions have become inflated in price and swarmed by crowds of selfie-snapping yokels, Yuantong Temple remains blissfully small scale. It's someplace I visit a couple times every year. Let me take you along on my most recent trip, a week or so ago.

 

Near sections of the approaching block of Yuantong Street 圆通路 are lined with shops selling incense, icons, and assorted religious paraphenalia. One almost always finds soothsayers 算命 squatting on low stools outside under the shade of the trees offering to tell your fortune for a relatively small fee. Some are dressed in special dark robes with sewn-on symbols representing half-moon, stars and streaking meteors; some wear tall peaked "wizard's hats" with a pompom or tassel. They won't allow photographs and will chase you away if you brandish a camera.

 

Beggars with crutches are always parked near the ticket windows (below right.) They will loudly implore you to give alms. Sometimes they are unpleasantly aggressive, doing their best to be difficult to ignore. 

 

(As usual, you can click these photos to enlarge them.)

 

 

But after running that gauntlet, you step across the high threshold and enter a place of peace and quiet. No music, no guides with bullhorns 喇叭, and no ads. An old man points you to a stand off to the right where you can take three free sticks of incense and two short red candles. They trust the honor system will prevent you from helping yourself to more.

 

The layout is a little unusual in that you first must walk down to enter the temple grounds. Since such places are usually constructed on the ascendant, causing pilgrims and visitors to look upward, here you initially oversee the main gate at a downward angle. The gate itself is an eye catcher. Colorful and well maintained. The large gold inscription on the red background says... Well actually you might want to try reading it first, so I'll hide the transcription. 

 

Spoiler

圆通胜景 = Yuantong scenic spot. Yuantong, literally means "flexible, accommodating, tactful, poised."

 

 

 

I promised a friend who is having major surgery that I would burn some incense 烧佛香 for a good outcome. Because of breezes and dry vegetation, one must do that in safe, sandy places. One typically bows three times in each compass direction, holding the lit incense near one's head before planting it safely in the sand. One then proceeds to the main hall to kneel and make prayers to one or another of the the three large Buddha image 佛像 inside.

 

 

One can walk inside the hall to silently admire the images, which include a large collection of lifelike Bodhisattvas. Photos outside are OK, but not inside the main temple hall itself. At one time a tooth of Gautama was allegedly housed here. Not sure what eventually happened to this relic, the story line is unclear.

 

This is still an actual working temple, and as one walks around one sees friendly monks and nuns, in gray clothes with shaved heads. A little before noon on most days one can assemble in an outdoor courtyard off to the left and have a simple vegetarian 吃素 lunch for 10 Yuan. A sign on a wall sets forth the rules: No talking, no phones, and finish what is put on your plate. Second helpings of rice are allowed. 

 

 

The grounds are built around a small lake. Sometimes one finds goldfish. Both sides of the grounds are lined with classrooms and halls devoted to the history of the place. It was built in the late 8th and early 9th century, when Yunnan was center of the Nanzhao Kingdom 南诏, during the Tang 唐朝。People still come here to study and worship. Small groups of pilgrims come from other parts of Southeast Asia as well as from all over China, sometimes spending a week or to doing short courses under learned supervision.

 

 

 

A notable collaboration resulted from the gift of a solid copper statue of Sakayamuni that is three and a half meters high and weighs four tons. Many Thai people come here on religious retreats and it's not uncommon to hear snatches of Thai language as one wanders the grounds.

 

The rear of the compound rises in a steep hill. One can climb steps to the summit, but I didn't do that this time. One passes two caves which at one time were thought to house dragons.

 

I usually stay about an hour before heading out the same way I got in. One passes a hall which is protected by the four traditional temple guardians, posted outside, one for each compass direction. Here's one of them, nearly impossible to photograph because of the protective glass case (lower left.) And then back up the steps to street level again.

 

 

 

Once out on the street, it's only a five or six minute walk east to Yuantong Zoo, which is the best place to see cherry blossoms in early spring. Or one can take a bus for 2 Yuan to Green Lake, ten minutes west.

 

A visit to Yuantong Temple is a very pleasant brief escape from modernity, city hustle and bustle. Something not to be missed if you are going to be in Kunming for a few days. Highly recommended and it won't bust your budget.

 

[Luxi]

What a beautiful peaceful place! It's wonderful to see that it is authentic,  free from hordes of tourists, vendors and scattered rubbish. So well kept too! I could spend a lifetime there...well, at least a few happy months in retreat.

Thanks so much for sharing!

[somethingfunny]

Great place.  Although the thing I remember the most is that the lake seemed to be full of dead (or were they just hibernating?) turtles...

[abcdefg]

You're welcome, @Luxi -- Going there always gives me a feeling of peace. From my casual observations over the years, it seems a large percentage of visitors are locals who just want to spend 20 or 30 minutes of quiet time away from their usual duties. They come, burn some incense, say some prayers and then leave to return to their jobs. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@Somethingfunny-- I guess those turtles must have been cured of their lethargy, because they seem to have wandered off. Either that or they were stolen in the deep of night and eaten. What an impure thought!

[Jim]

In the religious (Buddhist) context 圆通 means something more like 'unimpeded enlightenment'; see the second entry here: http://www.zdic.net/c/6/158/346398.htm

[abcdefg]

Thank you @Jim -- That's helpful. I didn't know how to find that out. Makes a lot of sense that these words would have a special meaning unique to Buddhist beliefs.

 

 

[Jim]

I've worked on a few texts that use that sort of Buddhist language so used to spotting them; had a good dictionary of the various terms but lost it in a house move a while back. Over the years a lot have come into everyday usage and shifted meaning which makes everything a bit more confusing too, wonder if that's the case with 圆通 too?