|
 Lying 15 km west of Kunming City, the Dragon Gate
in the Western Hills is close to the west shore of the Dianchi
Lake. It consists of the Sanqing Temple Complex and the Dragon
Gate Grotto Complex. The buildings of the Sanqing Taoist Temple
are arranged in nine tiers: They are the Lingguan Hall, the
Chunyang Pavilion, the Sanqing Hall, the Yuhuang Temple, the
Taiqing Palace, the Zhenwu Hall, the Luzu Temple, the Qisheng
Temple, Lingxiao Pavilion, the Laojun Pavilion and the Taiji
Palace. The Dragon Gate Grotto Complex, on the other hand,
includes Lanhaichu, the Ciyun Cave, the Yunhua Cave and the Datian
Pavilion.
The marvelous Dragon Gate Grotto Complex was
accomplished through 72 years hard work (1781-1853).
Its consists of 3 parts: a stone archway, a
platform, a stone room and a number of sculptures, all carved out
of the same rock.
 It is both the summit of the grotto and the
highlight of the grotto as well. The characters "Longmen-Dragon
Gate, (the sign of the Dragon Gate)" are inscribed in red and gold
upon the arch. On the left,a platform surrounded by a stone
railing is the ideal place to welcome the wind and to view the
bold cliff. When looking far into the distance by the railing, one
will be carried away by the beauty of the misty, 500 square
kilometers Dianchi Lake: the glistening waves, the sailing boats,
the green mountains and the floating clouds. The elevation of the
Dragon Gate is over 2,300 meters, 300 meters higher than the water
surface of the Dianchi Lake. The scene is well noted for its
dangerousness and uniqueness.
|
