The Golden Temple

Summary

Golden Temple (Jin Dian) is a famous Taoism temple in Yunnan Province, and the whole temple is built with bronze which makes the temple glittering like gold in the shining of sun, that is why people named the temple with Golden Temple.

Overview

Golden Temple is also known as Taihe Palace (Hall of Supreme Harmony) or Tongwa Temple (Bronze Tile Temple). Located in the charming Mingfeng (Singing Phoenix) Hill, about 15 kilometers from east Kunming urban area, the temple is the largest temple built with bronze in China. The temple was first built in 1602 during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), imitating the Taihe Palace in Wudang Mountain in Hubei Province. In 1637 (the end of the Ming Dynasty), the temple was removed to the top of Tianzhu Peak (天柱峰, that is why Tianzhu Peak is also called Jinding: Golden Top) in Jizu Mountains (鸡足山, the Buddhist shrine in Yunnan Province) in Binchuan County for some political reasons, Dali City, leaving the foundation bed and railings. However, the temple in Tianzhu Peak was damaged in 1960s. The Golden Temple lying in the Mingfeng Mountain now was rebuilt under the order of Wu Sangui (1612–1678, the Satrap of the West China in the Qing Dynasty which lasted from 1644 to 1911), and was well kept till nowadays.

The hall of the temple is 6.7 meter high, weighting 250 ton, and it is the largest copper architecture in China. All the beam columns, doors, windows, roof tiles, Taoist statues, wall decorations, the banner near the gate and couplets and so on are made by bronze. The burnished bronze gleams like gold under the shining of the sun, and makes the temple become the most Taoist shrine in Yunnan Province.

Like most Taoist temples, before approaching the temple, visitors need to climb up hundreds of winding stone steps on the mountainside and get through three ‘Heavenly Gates’ which are highly decorated with well painted archivolts and carded beams and rafters. The stone steps are surrounded by beautiful scenery. Climbing the tone steps, visitors will find a sense of inner harmony if they integrate themselves into the beauty of the Mingfeng Hill.

At the end of the path, situate a miniature city wall built with Lingxing Gate (the gate leading to the temple) and battlements. Inside the Taihe Palace, numerous of historical objects are showed. Among these objects, a double-edged sword with the Big Dipper engraved on, weighting 20 kilograms (44 pounds) is legendarily said to be the magic sword of Zhen Wu, a Taoist deity who guards Mingfeng Hill.

Another broadsword with wooden handle is said to be the saber of Wu Sangui, weighting 12 kilograms (about 24.5 pound). Behind the temple, planted with a camellia tree (signaling the approach of spring every February with its hundreds of exquisite blossoms) and a lagerstriemia indica tree (having a long flowering phase with its gorgeous blossoms), and these more than 600-year-old trees add more energy to the quiet temple.

Travel Essentials

Admission Fee: 20 yuan per person
Hours: 07:00–19:00
How to Get There: Visitors can take Bus 10 and 71 to get there
Recommended Time for a Visit: 2 hours

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