Daguan (Grand View) Pavilion Park

Daguan Pavilion Park, located in the southwestern suburb of Kunming City, is a picturesque lakeside park. In the 35th year of Emperor Kangxi (1696), Wang Jiwen, governor of Yunnan, carried out a large scale construction of a two-storeys pavilion.

Ponds were dug, embankment was constructed, and trees and flowers were planted. With a good view of the waters and hills in the distance, and the sailing boats and trees in mist, the pavilion was titled Daguan (Grand View) pavilion. In the later years, the Daguan pavilion had twice been reduced to ruins by warfare and flood.

In the 9th year of Emperor Guangxu(1883), Chen Yuying, governor of Yunnan and Guizhou Provinces, ordered Monk Xingtian to take charge of the renovation of the pavilion, and the pavilion has remained intact ever since.

Since the Daguan pavilion was built, men of letters coming from far and near have often gathered here, composing and reciting poems. During the past two to three hundred years, many excellent works and poems have been created.

Among them, the Long Couplet written by Sun Rangweng has for many years enjoyed the highest reputation around the world. Daguan Park has become famous due to Sun Rangweng’s Long Couplet.

Like many other Chinese ancient buildings, Daguan Pavilion also had been in disarray, destroyed and restored several times because of the dynastic changes and the civil wars. The present-day square, three-storied pavilion was established in 1883.

At the entrance there is the longest antithetical couplet which was written by a famous Qing Dynasty scholar named Sun Ranweng (also called Sun Ran); this couplet of 180 characters is one of the most valued cultural treasures in Yunnan Province. The first part of the couplet describes the beautiful and magnificent natural views before your sight, tell people to enjoy and treasure. The second part reviews the 2000 years’ history of Yunnan, awakens to that no matter how successful or frustrated you are, all will be in nothingness in the end.

Other sceneries like Santan Yingyue, Louwailou and Lu Garden, also beautiful places, deserve a visit. Santan Yingyue is a pool with three stone towers which divides the pool into three parts. Therefore when there is a moon in the sky there are three moons in the water; Louwailou is a stone pavilion built like a ship. Standing on it you can see Santan Yingyue on the right and the ocean of grass on the left, Dianchi Lake in front and levee behind; in the south of Daguan Park is the Lu Garden which was a private villa in 1937, with water lilies, roses, weeping willows and oleanders everywhere. Lu Garden looks like a little peaceful fairyland which is hiding in the corner of Daguan Park.

True to its name, Daguan Park and the attractions in it provide spectacular and grand views in different styles. From the sparkling Dianchi Lake to the superb Western Hills, the natural beauties create a perfect place to spend your holiday.