Tanhua Temple Park: Thursday was the first day of the expo, so Peep and her coworkers were busy there as I headed out to view a couple temples and museums. I had asked to see the Yuantong Temple first, but somehow ended up at the Tanhua Temple instead, which was also on my list. Within the park surrounding the temple, I saw many people walking, doing aerobics, practicing Tai Chi, playing instruments, singing, dancing, playing cards or mahjong, fishing and one little girl was even riding a merry-go-round, one of the several carnival rides set up there. After making my way through the gardens and up the hill to the back of the temple grounds, I was faced with an imposing seven story pagoda. I climbed the stairs to the top and got treated to views of the park below nestled in the surrounding city.
Tanhua Temple: Tanhua Temple was built in 1634, but has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. It is well known in the area for its beautiful flowers and plants, a legacy of one-time abbot Yingding.
Yuantong Temple: Originally meant to be my first stop of the day, I decided to go to this temple next on the suggestion of the driver, not knowing what might happen in the afternoon. It was top on my list of sites to visit for the day and did not disappoint, even though I missed seeing it in the beautiful morning light. Walking down a gently sloping path from the main entrance, I passed through a large gate and then past a large prayer hall, as well as several other buildings, before reaching the centerpiece of the temple, Yuantong Hall.
Yuantong Hall: This octagonal hall sits in middle of a lake, connected to the shore on two sides with stone bridges. Sitting beyond Yuantong Hall is the Main Prayer Hall and, to one side, a turtle pond. Directly behind the Main Prayer Hall is the Copper Buddha Hall, constructed in 1985 to hold a statue presented to the temple from the Thai. Dating from the late eighth century, with major expansions in the mid-fifteenth and late seventeenth centuries, this temple is unusual in that the prayer halls sit downhill from the main entrance.
Kunming International Convention and Exhibition Center: For lunch I rode over to the convention center and entered using the exhibitor's badge and special ticket I had received the day before. Several vendors were working the aisles selling ready-made lunches, of which we purchased some and ate within the booth. For the first two days the exhibition was only open to dealers such as travel agents and tour operators, but was very busy. Peep found out early on that very few of the people attending spoke any English, so she tracked down a Lao student studying in the city and hired him for the remaining three and a half days to help communicate with visitors to their booth. Of course, that required me handing over my exhibitor's pass to the exposition.
Yunnan Provincial Museum: My first stop after lunch was at the Yunnan Provincial Museum. Displays on both the first and second floors of the museum were undergoing renovation, so I spent my time there at the only remaining exhibit, located on the third floor. The "Traditional Craft Exhibition of Intangible Cultural Heritage" had on display various articles of the ethnic minority groups of Yunnan. These items included writings, paintings, wood block printings, clothes, jewelry, masks, musical instruments, and weapons, among others.
Wrapping up Sightseeing: After my half hour in the museum, it took another fifty minutes for the driver to get to the entrance to pick me up, citing heavy traffic as the cause. There was no time to visit the last place on my list, a second museum. Had we stuck to my original schedule, I may have been able to see everything, since the temples are open much later than the museums. It was back to the hotel from there to meet up with my fellow travelers.
Dinner & Night Market: For dinner, the four of us caught a cab to a restaurant known for its duck, a special request of Pou. The meal was hands down the best of the trip. After we arrived back at our hotel, we headed to the Shuangqiao Road Night Market, a small night market set up on the road next to our hotel. There we saw vendors selling all manner of goods and food items.