China Guide
Yunnan
Yuantong Si
Opening time: Daily 8am–6pm
Price: ¥10
Address: Yuantong Jie
The Qing-vintage Yuantong Si, northern Yunnan's major Buddhist site, is an active place of pilgrimage. A bridge over the central pond crosses through an octagonal pavilion dedicated to a multi-armed Guanyin and white marble Sakyamuni, to the threshold of the main hall, where two huge central pillars wrapped in colourful, Manga-esque dragons support the ornate wooden ceiling. Faded frescoes on the back wall were painted in the thirteenth century, while a new annexe out the back houses a graceful gilded bronze Buddha flanked by peacocks, donated by the Thai government.