Yuantong Temple which located at the foot of Luofeng Hill in the northern part of the city is the largest as well as the oldest Buddhist temple in Kunming. Moreover, it is also the place where Yunnan Provincial and City's Buddhism Commissions are based. Yuantong Temple was established about 1300 years ago; reconstruction projects as well as enlargement projects were taken place throughout the years.
Different with most of the temples nowadays, Yuantong Temple was built with an ascending entrance which allows visitors to enter the temple from above. In this case, the great hall of the temple is in fact located at the lowest point of the temple. Since the starting point of the path which leads you to the temple, you will be able to enjoy the extensive array of flowers and foliage which is deeply restful and impressive. A memorial archway can be found standing on the halfway and this is where the temple will first come into your eyesight.
Yuantong Temple is magnificent and unique in design. Its brilliant appearance, grand building architecture and tranquil surrounding have all encourage poets and painters throughout the dynasties to leave with plenty of poems and paintings of this place. Moreover, as the only Buddhist temple within Kunming, Yuantong Temple is also famous among tourists and pilgrims alike especially during Qingming Festival which is held the first and fifth days of each lunar month.