Yunnan is the only Chinese province where all three main branches of Buddhism live side by side: Chinese Mahayana in the cities, Tibetan in the northwest and Theravada among the Dai in the south.
- Good for:
- First-time visitors to China, travelers heading on to Shangri-La or Xishuangbanna
Kunming's Yuantong Temple, founded under the Nanzhao kingdom some 1,200 years ago, brings all three together, including a Theravada hall with a bronze Buddha given by Thai Buddhists in 1985, and unusually you walk downhill from the gate to the main hall. A local guide shows you how to behave in each tradition: which way to walk, where to leave your shoes, how to offer incense and when to put the camera away.
Etiquette and what to know
Cover shoulders and knees. Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels. Take your shoes off in Dai temple halls, and women should not touch monks or hand them things directly. Don't point your feet at an altar, and ask before photographing monks or the inside of halls.
