Qiongzhu Temple, Buddhist temple in Yu'an Mountains, Kunming, China

Qiongzhu Temple climbs the slope of Yu'an Mountain northwest of Kunming along a central axis in four successive courts and three main yards. Its core buildings are the Tianwang Hall, the Daxiong Hall and the Huayan Pavilion, with bell and drum towers, the Shanmen gate, the Fanyin and Tiantai pavilions and the Haihui Pagoda completing the line. The Tianwang Hall holds a Maitreya Buddha flanked by the Four Heavenly Kings, and the Daxiong Hall keeps Yuan-dynasty statues of the three Buddhas of past, present and future.

Founded in the Tang Zhenguan era, Qiongzhu Temple was expanded by the Gao Guang and Gao Zhi brothers of Shanshan Prefecture in the Dali Kingdom. The monk Xiong Bian taught and practised here in the early Yuan, and in 1419 a fire destroyed the temple, which was rebuilt over seven years from 1422. In 1477 the Ming eunuch Qian Neng established a "thousand-day retreat" that enlarged the complex; governor Cen Yuying funded a six-year restoration from 1885, and in the Republican era Master Jiechen lowered the main hall roof by one metre.

The temple houses roughly 500 clay Arhat sculptures that display distinct facial expressions and varied body positions reflecting Buddhist teachings. These figures represent different spiritual practitioners and their individual journeys on the path to enlightenment.

The temple sits about 7 kilometers from downtown Kunming and is easily accessible by public bus from the city center. Wear comfortable shoes since exploring the different levels and courtyards involves walking across the sloped grounds.

The arhats were modelled by Sichuan clay artist Li Guangxiu and his pupils between 1883 and 1890, a seven-year campaign. Look for figures drawn from everyday life rather than scripture: emperors and generals, scholars, and foreign missionaries in Western dress appear among the monks, along with scenes of buying, selling and reading.