About / Why Visit?
The Bamboo Temple is located in the forested Yu’an Mountains, northwest of Kunming. It was first built-in the Song Dynasty (960–1279), but the temple was rebuilt and renovated several times in its almost 1000 years’ history. The Bamboo Temple is called 筇竹寺 (Qiongzhu Si) in Chinese, which refers to a special kind of bamboo used to make canes for monks. With its unique structural system and rich artistic decorations, the very beauty of a traditional Chinese temple architecture can be enjoyed here.
Two towering cypress trees shading the temple’s gate were planted in the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368). The 500 colorfully painted statues of Buddhist arhats are considered to be one of the most important cultural heritage of its kind in China, also because other than in similar Buddhist temples, the creators jumped out of the rigid mode of Buddhist tradition and formed the statues like sentient beings.
How to Get There?
- By bus: Take bus No.C61 from Huangtupo (黄土坡) or bus No.C63 from Hongshan East Road (Hongshan Donglu 虹山东路), and get off at the station of Qiongzhusi (筇竹寺), 5 RMB per person.
- By taxi: Because of the rather long distance from the city center to this remote area, it might be necessary to negotiate the price upfront with the driver. Up to 100 RMB
- Rental car with driver: Contact us for your personal transportation service and how to include this sight into your itinerary!
More Important Information
- Entrance Fee: 6 RMB
- Bamboo Temple on Wikipedia
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