Lesser-known temples in Kunming | This was once the emperor's retreat
| This was once the emperor's retreat. While hiking in Chenggong, I stumbled upon an unremarkable temple hidden in the city. It is surrounded by self-built houses and vegetable markets, but inside is a different world. The temple is small, but it has a strong sense of history, and the buildings and sculptures look like they have been through hundreds of years of wind and rain.
The temple is not particularly protected, nor are there any tourists. There are many women chatting and working inside, and occasionally one or two people who seem to live nearby come to burn incense and worship.
There is not much Zen here, but more human touch and fireworks. But when you stand inside, you can feel a sense of peace and tranquility. The golden Buddha statue is embedded in the root carving, which is a very special way. The Buddha Light Pagoda in the depths of the courtyard stands quietly, with Buddha statues on the red pagoda, overlooking the temple and all living beings.
I found out that Yinglong Temple was built in the Ming Dynasty, and it has a history of seven or eight hundred years. It is said that Emperor Jianwen Zhu Yunwen, the grandson of Zhu Yuanzhang, once lived in seclusion here. No wonder it has a quiet and tranquil feeling, and I imagine Zhu Yunwen once wore a plain robe and paced in this courtyard.