Traces of the Nanzhao Dali Kingdom丨Guandu Ancient Town in Kunming

Guandu Ancient Town is located in the southeastern suburbs of Kunming, on the north shore of Dianchi Lake and the lower reaches of Baoxiang River. It was a major commercial town in the Dianchi Lake area in history and an important post station on the ancient Tea Horse Road in ancient Yunnan. It was once a famous ancient ferry in central Yunnan and one of the ancient towns of Kunming, a historical and cultural city. During the Tang and Song dynasties, it was already a major town on the east bank of Dianchi Lake and an ideal stop for the nobles of the Nanzhao and Dali Kingdoms when touring Dianchi Lake. In the past, Guandu was a gathering place for merchants, with high towers reflecting each other. It had five mountains, six temples, seven pavilions, eight temples, and many cultural landscapes. Many cultural building sites are still preserved today. When you come to Guandu Ancient Town, besides admiring those ancient temples and cultural landscapes, an important purpose is to eat snacks. These include Guandu Baba, such as Li Family Wheat Baba and Glasses Wheat Baba. Guandu Ancient Town is an ideal place to seek antiquity and worship Buddha, and also a great place for taking photos and checking in. 🌟Highlights: ✅Miaozhan Temple: The head of the six temples in Guandu, it was first built in the Yuan Dynasty (1290). It was later relocated to its current location in the ancient town in 1325 after being flooded and collapsed. The temple has two 13-story solid brick pagodas with dense eaves on the east and west sides. The most eye-catching is the Vajra Tower in front of Miaozhan Temple, a national key cultural relic protection unit. ✅Miaozhan Temple Vajra Throne Tower: When Miaozhan Temple was rebuilt in the second year of Tianshun in the Ming Dynasty (1457), the Vajra Throne Tower was built. It is the earliest and oldest one in China. Together with the two dense-eaved brick pagodas of Miaozhan Temple, it not only reflects the Buddhist spirit of "great capacity" and "integration of esoteric and exoteric teachings," but also has a staggered layout and a spectacular appearance, forming the core of the ancient town's ancient building complex. ✅Miaozhan Temple East and West Dense-eaved Solid Brick Pagodas: The two 13-story solid brick pagodas with dense eaves on the east and west sides were built in the Yuan Dynasty. The east pagoda is an ancient relic of the Yuan Dynasty, while the west pagoda was destroyed by an earthquake and rebuilt in 2003. Both pagodas are light yellow in color, with a Garuda on each of the four corners of the pagoda top, commonly known as the Golden Rooster, also known as the "Golden Rooster Tower." ✅Fading Temple: Built by the Gao family of the Dali Kingdom, it is the place where Esoteric Buddhism rose in Guandu. Known as "Snail Peak Overlapping Green," it is one of the famous spots in Guandu. Fading Temple is not large in size but has a relatively high structure. The brackets are inclined at 45 degrees and are richly decorated. It still retains the architectural style of the Song Dynasty and has high architectural artistic value. 📍Detailed Address: Guandu District, southeastern suburbs of Kunming City, Yunnan Province 🚉Transportation Guide: 1️⃣{Get on at Kunming Railway Station}, take Metro Line 1 to Erxiu Road Station, transfer to Bus 169 to Guandu Ancient Town (Yunxiu Road) Station, and walk 51 meters to reach. 2️⃣{Get on at Kunming South Railway Station}, take Metro Line 1 to South Bus Station, transfer to Bus Anning K2 to Guandu Ancient Town (Guangfu Road) Station, and walk 113 meters to reach. 3️⃣{Get on at Kunming Changshui International Airport Central Station}, take Metro Line 6 to Juhua Station, transfer to Metro Line 4 to Yuyuan Road Station, then transfer to Bus 261 to Xinbaoxiang River Bridge Station, and walk 233 meters to reach. 🕙Opening Hours: Open all day ⏳Tour Time: 1-2 hours 🎫Tickets: Free admission