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Yuantong Temple (Yuantong Si) is the grandest and most active temple in Kunming with a history of more than 1200 years. Located on the south side of Yuantong Hill, it is a destination of pilgrimage for pilgrims worldwide. In 1956, the temple held a tooth of the Buddha here for a short time.
Yuantong Temple was built at a time when all of Yunnan belonged to a vast Thai empire, the Nanzhao Kingdom. The Nanzhao King Yimou Xun had it built from the years 780 to 807 and named it the Putuoluo Temple. During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), after the Nanzhao Kingdom had fallen and Yunnan was under the jurisdiction of China, the temple's name was changed to Yuantong. It has undergone a series of renovations since then.
On the 1st and 15th of each lunar month, people gather here to take part in all kinds of Buddhist services. There is also a good vegetarian restaurant on the premises serving lunch and dinner.
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