The Golden Temple Park is named after its main hall, which is made of brass. Under the sunlight, it shines brightly, illuminating the verdant valleys and secluded forests with golden light. Hence, it is also known as the Copper Tile Temple. The renowned Golden Temple is part of the Taoist Taihe Palace, originally built in the Ming Dynasty (1602). It is one of the four major brass temples in China and is the best-preserved among them.
The Golden Temple of Taihe Palace is located within the Taihe Palace Taoist Temple on Mingfeng Mountain (also known as Parrot Mountain), 7 kilometers northeast of Kunming City, Yunnan Province. It is also known as the Golden Tile Temple. The Golden Temple was cast in the 10th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1671) and is entirely made of copper in imitation of wooden structures. It has a square plan, with three bays in width and depth, and features a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. The dougong (bracket sets), beams, caisson ceiling, and exterior eaves decorations all imitate wooden construction styles. The doors and windows are intricately carved with openwork and relief patterns of dragons, phoenixes, flowers, and brocade, making them extremely exquisite. Behind the hall, there is a camellia tree from the Ming Dynasty that blooms every early spring, with flowers as red as fire.
World Butterfly Ecological Park
Currently, there are approximately 14,000 to 16,000 species of butterflies worldwide. In China, 1,758 species of butterflies have been identified, and Yunnan is known as the 'Hometown of Butterflies in China,' with over 700 species. The World Butterfly Ecological Park, based on the climate characteristics and vegetation of Kunming, has introduced 60% of the world's butterfly species, totaling over a billion butterflies, with a density of 7 butterflies per square meter. You will witness three major wonders: the live butterfly garden, the changing seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and the timeless attraction to beauty and freedom, all encapsulated in the butterfly park.
The arboretum covers an area of 25,400 square meters and is located in the central part of the Expo Garden. It has about 40,000 first and second grade rare tree species. Yunnan is one of the regions with the richest forest germplasm resources in China and even the world. Through the arboretum, the effectiveness of China's protection of rare and endangered plants can be demonstrated, as well as Yunnan's important position and role in global magnolia plant research. The arboretum has transplanted and cultivated about 83 families and more than 300 species of plants, totaling more than 20,000 plants, including 50 species of rare and endangered plants and more than 1,000 trees.
The architectural layout of the China Pavilion adopts traditional Chinese garden techniques, forming a courtyard-style architectural complex. Corridors organically combine various functional exhibition halls. The entire building is divided into 2 floors, with the top of the building reaching a height of 18 meters. The basic unit plan is 24×24 meters, with a total of 7 units. The central inner courtyard is divided into Jiangnan Garden, Northern Garden, and Dali Garden, which not only showcase the elegance of Chinese gardens and horticulture but also serve as ideal places for sightseeing and relaxation.
