Western Hill and Dragon Gate
By admin on 2015-03-04

Attraction Type:

• Mountains, Caves & Valleys in China

• Religious Sites in China

The Western Hill, located at the west bank of the Dianchi Lake of Kunming, is set in mountains well covered by evergreen woods and filled with sweet songs by lovely birds.

The Western Hill, over 2,500 metres above sea level, also called the Green Peacock Mountain, refers to a range of five mountains stretching over 40 kilometers. Seen from afar, its undulating skyline resembles a graceful young lady sleeping on her back, hence the name of the "sleeping beauty". Its luxuriant trees and bamboos set off splendid Huating Temple, Taihua Temple, Sanqing Monastery and the Dragon Gate.

As a Chinese idiom says, 'Once you ascend Longmen (Dragon Gate), you would receive a sudden boost in your prestige'. Dragon Gate is a certain gorge on a river flanked by precipices and with a natural dam. If carps swimming upstream could jump over the dam, they would become dragons. The houses of powerful dignitaries were often compared to dragon gates; if a man could manage to be a guest in these houses, his future would be ensured.