Caoxi Temple in Anning City, Kunming
Caoxi Temple (曹溪寺) is located in the northwest of Anning City (安宁市), Kunming (昆明市), Yunnan Province (云南省). It was originally built during the Song Dynasty (宋朝) and was reconstructed in an ancient style during the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty (清光绪, 1875–1908).
Architectural Layout
Caoxi Temple sits facing east, following a traditional temple layout that ascends the mountainside with tiered steps. The symmetrical arrangement includes a mountain gate, the Weituo Hall (韦驮殿), the Main Hall (大殿), and the Back Hall (后殿). To the sides, there are the Bell Tower (钟楼), Drum Tower (鼓楼), Zen rooms (禅房), and guest halls (客堂).
The Main Hall features a double-eaved hip roof, measuring five bays wide (12.3 meters) and five bays deep (11 meters), constructed in a bracket structure style. The eaves exhibit a sturdy, spacious design characteristic of the Song Dynasty (宋代). The outer eaves are adorned with cross-braces, while the inner lower eaves showcase a five-section heavy arch.
The temple houses various cultural relics, including a wooden sculpture from the Southern Song Dynasty (南宋) depicting the Three Saints of Nanhai (南海三圣像: Guanyin (观音), Wenshu (文殊), and Puxian (普贤菩萨)), a Ming Dynasty (明代) sculpture of the Three Saints of the Western Paradise (西方三圣像: Amitabha (阿弥陀佛), Guanyin, and Da Shizhi (大势至菩萨)), and bronze statues from the Qing Dynasty (清代) of Mahakala (大黑天) and the Three Saints of Nanhai.
Additionally, the temple features inscriptions by prominent scholars, such as Yang Shen (杨慎), a top scholar of the late Ming Dynasty, and Fan Chengxun (范承勋), a governor of Yunnan and Guizhou during the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (清康熙, 1662–1722). These inscriptions are known for their elegant language and exquisite calligraphy.
Historical Background
Caoxi Temple was initially built during the Song Dynasty. The temple has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, suffering damage during the Tongzhi era (同治, 1869) due to warfare. It was reconstructed in an ancient style during the Guangxu era (1875–1908).
Cultural Heritage
On the back wall of the Back Hall, there is a “Three Uniques Stele” (三绝碑) dated to the twelfth year of the Jiajing era (嘉靖十二年, 1533). The stele, titled “Record of the Reconstruction of Caoxi Temple” (重修曹溪寺记), was composed by Yang Shen and features the running script of the famous Tang Dynasty (唐代) calligrapher Li Yong (李邕). This stele is praised for its literary quality, calligraphy, and craftsmanship.
Within the temple grounds, there are also remnants of a red plum tree (红梅) and plants from the Yuan Dynasty (元代), which, after being damaged during warfare in the late Ming period, sprouted anew in the early Qing Dynasty (清初). To the north of the temple lies the Golden Toad Sacred Spring (金蟾圣泉), also known as the Holy Water of San Tide (三潮圣水). The temple features numerous inscriptions from the Ming and Qing periods, including a large inscription of “Pine Wind and Water Moon” (松风水月) penned by Emperor Chongzhen (崇祯).
Unique Features
Generally, in most Buddhist temples, the statue of Maitreya (弥勒) is positioned behind a statue of Weituo (韦驮). However, in Caoxi Temple, the statue of Guanyin is placed behind the Maitreya statue. This unusual arrangement is said to be due to a leaking hexagonal pavilion that originally housed the Guanyin statue. To protect the clay Guanyin statue, it was moved to the Weituo’s position, while the bronze Weituo was relocated to the pavilion.
Another account suggests that since the bronze Weituo statue is more valuable than the clay Guanyin, the monks feared it might be stolen and decided to keep it inside the hexagonal pavilion, while the clay Guanyin was placed in the outer Heavenly King Hall (天王殿).
Pathways and Buddhist Statues
To reach the inner courtyard, visitors can ascend along two pathways flanking the sides, where twelve Buddha statues are arranged against the walls. When combined with the thousand-handed and thousand-eyed Guanyin statue from the hexagonal pavilion, they collectively represent the Twenty-Five Universal Bodhisattvas (二十五圆通). Here, “圆” symbolizes the fulfillment of enlightenment, while “通” represents a thorough understanding of the Dao. These bodhisattvas exemplify the ideals of complete awakening and realization, transcending ordinary human achievement.
Conservation Efforts
On May 25, 2006, Caoxi Temple was officially designated as a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit (第六批全国重点文物保护单位) by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China (中华人民共和国国务院).
Visitor Information
Address
Caoxi Temple is located in the northwest of Anning City (安宁市), Kunming (昆明市), Yunnan Province (云南省).
Transportation
By Public Transport: Take bus No. 18 from the Kunming Bus Company’s fifth company yard in the city center to the terminal stop.
By Car: Drive along the Kunming Ring Road (G56-X) to the hot spring exit or take the Hangu Highway (G56) to the Anning exit. It takes about one hour to reach the temple.
