Travels in Kunming: Yuantong Buddhist Temple and the Kunming Zoo

We started another cloudy and overcast day at the Yuantong Buddhist Temple Complex.

The cherry blossom trees were also blooming here, and so pretty.

The Temple is one of the oldest in the city, and dates back 1200 years, with construction first beginning at the site in 765 AD. All the temples in the complex are dedicated to the Guanyin Bodhisattva. Buildings in the complex had been destroyed over time during different dynasties, but today the temple complex houses many monks (who we heard singing melodically and beautifully during our visit), a reflecting pond, bridges and many flowering plants and of course, some bonsai trees as well.

It was a beautiful and peaceful temple complex with many paths we could traverse and take our time exploring, and one of our favorites so far in China.

Nearby is the Kunming Zoo; and admittedly, Zoos used to be a favorite place of mine to visit, having lived within walking distance of the St Louis Zoo for many years, but as I get older, the sadness of the small enclosures for many of the animals does creep in more. We had never seen a panther before, and this sleek, jet black, stunning, animal was in a small glass enclosure with too many people tapping the glass (when there are signs that specifically say not to) and it looked so defeated. The Kunming Zoo was pretty rough and more run down than one would expect, but there are a couple reasons to visit; one, the peacock area, which is large and the peacocks are free to wander around and interact with people and each other as they choose.

The other reason to visit the Kunming Zoo, and only in Spring, is that it is one of the best places to see Cherry Blossom trees, and that we can confirm. It was stunning, and we joined many others taking photos and having photo shoots. Hiring someone to do a photo shoot is quite popular in China, and there are many “tours” that all they do is find spots for the best photos. The Chinese do love a photo shoot.

We walked a bit more around the zoo, and came upon the back side of the Yuantong Temple:

After leaving the zoo, we walked back through the city, stopping for coffee and sweet treats at a small cafe, and walking past the cool enclosed walking bridge we had passed often on our trips to and from our hotel.

We only have a couple more days left in Kunming, so we will look to end on a high note. Stay tuned!