Yunnan Travel III (Kunming City)

August 6, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
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(continued from Yunnan Travel II)

Yunnan Travel III

(Kunming City)

Day 6 Friday, June 2011

Travelling Back to Kunming City

At 8 in the morning, we travelled from Dali City back to Kunming City. After over four hours of sitting in the moving bus and rocking inside whenever it travelled on bad roads, we, finally, reached the city. We, immediately, went to a restaurant for a late lunch.

Xishan Scenic Spot(West Hill Scenic Spot)

After lunch, we went to a famous Yunnan tourists’ spot, Xishan Scenic Spot(West Hill Scenic Spot). Located close to the Dianchi Lake and 15 km from Kunming City, this lush-green mountainous area has some places of interest to visit. But the only place our local tour-guide, Swee Poh, thought it was worth visiting was the Dragon Gate. He told us that some Chinese leaders had visited that spot, like Zou Enlai, Liu Shoqi, Jiang Zemin and Zho Rongji. Besides, foreign dignitaries, like Queen Elizabeth(Britain), Henry Kissinger(ex-Secretary of State of USA) and Helmut Kohl(ex-Chancellor of West Germany), had visited the place too.

Picture showing the location of Dragon Gate

Picture showing the location of Dragon Gate

Entrance to Dragon Gate, Xishan

Entrance to Dragon Gate, Xishan

A 10-seater tourist car, Xishan

A 10-seater tourist car, Xishan

 

On arrival at the scenic spot by our tour bus, we hopped onto a 10-seater car and went straight to the entrance to Dragon Gate near the Taoist Sanqing Pavilion. Starting from the entrance, we climbed a long flight of stairs to the Dragon Gate.

The flight of stone-stairs is built on the steep slope of the Xishan Hill(Western Hill). Along the flight, there are some interesting things to see, such as the breathtaking view of the large Dianchi Lake, Kunming City in the distance and temples along the way.

A long climb to Dragon Gate

A long climb to Dragon Gate

Znen Hu Pavilion(Temple)

Zhen Hu Pavilion(Temple)

Dianchi Lake

Dianchi Lake

 

Dianchi Lake

Dianchi Lake which is at the foot of Xishan Hill covers an area of 200 sq. km. Shaped like a crescent, it is 39 km long and 13 km wide at the broadest. Over 20 rivers from the surrounding mountains flow into the lake. It is the largest freshwater lake in Yunnan and the 6th. in China.

Temple of the Goddess of Mercy

Temple of the Goddess of Mercy

Zhen Wu Deity

Zhen Wu Deity

Daitian Pavilion(Temple)

Daitian Pavilion(Temple)

 

Temples

Among the temples along the flight of stairs are Sanqing Pavilion, Lingguan Pavilion, Doumn Taoist Pavilion, Hall of the Divine Parents and Daitian Pavilion. But the most important thing that all the tourists want to see at the scenic spot is the little, simple arch known as Dragon Gate. It is located at 2300m above sea-level and 300m above Dianchi Lake. Most of these structures were constructed during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

As we went up the crowded stairs, we stopped at some of the temples to find out the kinds of deities that were worshipped. We also stopped at different heights to see the stunning scenery of the Dianchi Lake and the city.

Three Divine Statues

Three Divine Statues

God of Fortune

God of Fortune

Goddess of Mercy

Goddess of Mercy

 

God of Fortune

In the middle of the climb to the Dragon Gate, there is a dark red statute of a fierce-looking deity holding a golden egg in his left hand and a sword in his right hand. Besides, he is stepping on the head of his carnivorous pet with his right foot. Two Chinese characters are written on his tummy that say he is the God of Fortune.

According to our tour-guide, Swee Poh, this deity may give you wealth if you can jump and touch his golden egg. While I was there, I watched with amusement some tourists trying their luck. As the God of Fortune was standing on a rock, many failed to reach it. Those who failed would touch his pet’s nose hoping that it would give them wealth instead.

Dragon Gate

After less than an hour of slow climbing and occasional, accidental jostling against some people on the crowded steps, we, finally, reached a spot where we could see the Dragon Gate that was 200m further up on a cliff. To reach that structure, we had to climb narrow, steep steps through a small but short tunnel, Yunhua Cave.

Dragon Gate on a cliff

Dragon Gate on a cliff

Yunhua Cave(a tunnel to Dragon Gate)

Yunhua Cave(a tunnel to Dragon Gate)

Phoenix Rock

Phoenix Rock

 

According to the information given there, there was a diligent Taoist monk who took 14 years(1781-1795) to cut a path and tunnel(Yunhua Cave) on the cliff from the Phoenix Rock to Dragon Gate and another tunnel(Ciyun Cave) higher up. The person who risked his life doing that on the cliff of  Xishan Hill(West Hill) was Wu Laiqing.

The Dragon Gate is a well-known small, low arch of height about 2m and width 1m. Just below the arch is a “dragon ball“. Lots of people like to touch it, as they believe that the “dragon” will bring them riches. Adjacent to it is a small temple, Daitian Temple which houses three divine deities.

A narrow passage to Dragon Gate

A narrow passage to Dragon Gate

Heavy rain over Kunming City

Heavy rain over Kunming City

Dragon Gate

Dragon Gate

 

Spectacular Panoramic View

When we reached the Dragon Gate, we felt a sense of achievement in climbing up so high. Standing on a platform near the Dragon Gate, we got a spectacular panoramic view of the large lake and the city. But when I looked down below it, I could not see the slope of the hill. Then I wondered how the people in the olden days managed to build such a platform on the vertical slope of the hill.

A moment later, we saw heavy rainfall over Kunming City in the north. As we had seen enough of the place, we descended the hill. When we reached the bottom, we were caught in a heavy downpour. A few minutes later when it stopped, we went back to our bus. It then took us to a Chinese medicine shop in the city. In the shop we were introduced to some “miracle cure” medicines. Two of our tour-members bought some of them. Later, we checked in at Yunnan King World International Hotel where we had our dinner and retired for the night.

Day 7 11. June 2011

Day 7 was the last day of our tour in Yunnan. Our local tour guide would bring us to shopping malls in the Kunming City centre to buy something to bring back home.

Jinma Biji Square, Kunming City

Jinma Biji Square, Kunming City

More shopping malls across Jinbi Road

More shopping malls across Jinbi Road

Shopping malls across Jinbi Road

Shopping malls across Jinbi Road

 

Jinma Biji Square

But before we went shopping, Swee Poh brought us to a popular place known as Jinma Biji Square(Golden Horse and Jade Rooster Square) located along Jinbi Road in the city centre. In that square, there are two beautiful, large, similar arches, measuring 12 m high and 18 m wide. One of them is known as Jinma(Golden Horse) Arch and the other Biji(Jade Rooster) Arch. These arches are over 100m apart. They were recently built to replace the old ones which were destroyed during the China Cultural Revolution in the 1960’s. The arches look majestic, exquisite and very ancient. They have become one of the Kunming City’s iconic landmarks.

Bu Hang Road, a pedestrian walkway

Bu Hang Road, a pedestrian walkway

Brilliant Plaza

Brilliant Plaza

Kunming Shopping Plaza

Kunming Shopping Plaza

 

Shopping Malls

Having spent sometime in the square, we crossed Jinbi Road and entered an area of some large shopping malls, like Brilliant Plaza, Splendid Plaza, Yilong Building, etc. These malls are located along Bu Hang Road between Jinbi Road and Tong Fong Xi Road selling branded goods. In this shopping area, there is a large arch which is similar to the two in the Jinma Biji Square. It is known as Zhongai(Faithful Love) Arch.

Bu Hang Road is closed to the traffic and has become a pedestrian walkway with a few rows of shady trees growing in the middle. While we were there we saw five men, each holding a big notice-board telling the public that a person was very sick and required donation for large medical expenses. Many sympathizers donated money which they put into a red tin placed in front of them. My wife and I were touched by the plight of the sick and donated some money, too.

Zhongai Arch(Faithful Love Arch) on Bu Hang Road

Zhongai Arch(Faithful Love Arch) on Bu Hang Road

Back massage by a blind man

Back massage by a blind man

Donation campaign for the sick

Donation campaign for the sick

 

Back Massage by a Blind Man

We spent much time window-shopping inside some malls and browsing some roadside stalls, too. Then we went for a back massage under the trees. My masseur was an elderly blind man, Mr. Chou, who had been in that profession for 30 years. He had done a good job even though he had given me a few painful rubs on my back, shoulders and arms.

Later, we left the shopping centre for lunch at the Weilong Hotel restaurant nearby. After lunch we visited a few more places, e.g. a large shop selling all kinds of herbs for health and diseases, a silk factory selling quilt and other silk products and a coffee museum. Then it was time to go back to our country, Malaysia.

Departure

Writer waiting for departure at the Kunming Airport

Writer waiting for departure at the Kunming Airport

After dinner, we went to the Kunming Airport which was near the city and bade farewell to our local guide, Swee Poh, and tour bus-driver, See. At 11 p.m. (local time), we departed Kunming and flew straight back to Singapore Airport. Less than four hours later, we arrived at the airport where our tour company’s bus brought us back to our respective hometowns.

Well, that was our 7-day tour in Yunnan, another successful and memorable one which I am glad to add to my long list of travels.

Thank you for reading this travel and hope you have gained some information from it. If you have gone there before, I hope this has taken you down memory lane.

 

Acknowledgement

Vin Ng of Vacation Hub Travel & Tours Sdn. Bhd.

Vin Ng of Vacation Hub Travel & Tours Sdn. Bhd.

Here, I would like to thank the tour company, Vacation Hub Travel & Tours Sdn. Bhd., for arranging the interesting tour, its helpful employee, Vin Ng, for showing us a preview of Yunnan tourists’ destinations, its cool, caring and efficient employee, Kent Tay(the tour leader), the Kunming careful and super driver, See, and, lastly but not least, the three diligent China tour guides, Swee Poh(Kunming), Kim Wah(Dali), and Lee(Lijiang).

The End

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Written by Choo Chaw, Kluang, Johor, Malaysia