Western Hills Forest Park is beside the Dianchi Lake in the western suburbs of Kunming about 15 km away from the city, covering an area of 889 hectares. It consists of a number of mountains increasing in altitude from the north to the south. The highest mountain is Luohan Mountain, about 2,507 metres above sea level and 620 metres above Dianchi Lake. The Western Hills are famous for their verdant landscape, lush vegetation, and clear mountain streams. Viewed from afar, the Western Hills look like a giant sleeping Buddha or a girl lying on her back, so there are also called “Reclining Buddha Mountains” or “Sleeping Beauty”.
From the 11th to the 20th century, a series of palaces, temples and pavilions were built in the Western Hills area. Some of them fell into ruin and were never rebuilt. By 2000, some ancient constructions, such as Huating Temple, Taihua Temple, Sanqing Taoist Temple, have survived the time hidden in the depths of the forests or on the top of cliffs. Since 1980, the government has increased its investment in the reconstruction of the Western Hills Park and the renovation of the buildings. Highways have been built upon the mountains. In
1984, a rocky mountain path was built between Longmen to Xiaoshilin Forest, which made the Xiaoshilin Forest accessible to tourists. In 1986, Taihuazhuang Service Centre was established. Now Western Hills Forest Park has become a great scenic attraction and provides comprehensive service for tourists.
From the park, Anshi Highway, Mingbo Highway, Gaohai Highway and Dianmian Road lead to the city of Kunming; from the city, there are six buses or shuttle buses for the Western Hills. You can get to Yunnan Ethnic Village by Haigeng Ropeway across Dianchi Lake. In the scenic zone there are tarred roads leading to all the scenic spots. Shuttle battery cars will take you from Taihuashanzhuang to Sanqing Taoist Temple, and Longmen Ropeway will take you from Taihuashanzhuang to Xiaoshilin Forest. There are parking lots for large-sized cars and small cars in Taihuashanzhuang. In the Western Hills Park you can choose from a number of tourist routes including the mountain-climbing route, Taihuagudao route, the roundabout route and the ropeway route. These many routes have made sight-seeing easier for tourists especially in the Sanqing Taoist Temple scenic spot.
The Western Hills Forest Park Attractions:
The Reclining Buddha Mountains
The Western Hills Forest Park Stories:
Longmen Grottoes
There is a woeful story about the sculptor of Longmen Grottoes:
At the bottom of Western Hills there lived a poor yet talented young sculptor. He could turn an ordinary rock into a lively work of art. The sculptures he made, such as lions, dragons and birds, seemed to be alive; and the flowers and grass seemed to be giving off a fragrant scent. A girl in the village appreciated his work and they soon fell in love. Love had given him many inspirations and he made great progress in his skills.
One day a local lord took the girl by force and the young lovers could not see each other anymore. The girl kept crying everyday. Her tears gathered in a pool to form Dianchi Lake. Not long afterwards she died and her body became the Western Hills. Her death was such a heavy blow to the young sculptor that he could no longer continue with the sculptures with enthusiasm as before.
When the construction of Longmen Grottoes began, the heartbroken sculptor joined the other sculptors in the project. He proposed that they build the grottoes in the highest and steepest place in the mountain. The supervisors agreed to his suggestion and he quickly set about making the sculptures. Into his work he poured all his misfortunes, his sorrows and his feelings for the girl. He wanted to keep they love alive in his sculptures so that it could last for generations.
Time ticked away, and the young sculptor had turned into an old man. The grand grotto project was finished except for the final touch—the brush in the hand of Kuixing. The sculptor started working on the tip of the brush with great concentration. Because of excitement or old age, the tip broke under his hands. He could not bear to think that the work on which he had spent all his life and feelings was faulty. Extremely frustrated, he decided that he would be with his love after death. He jumped off the cliff and drowned himself in Dianchi Lake. Several hundreds of years later, when people marvel at the exquisite Longmen Gottoes, they also witness the devotion and dedication of the sculptor.
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