Gantong Temple
感通寺
A thousand-year-old temple under Shengying Peak of Cang Mountain, set among tea trees, where the Ming monk Dan Dang's memorial pagoda stands; the Gantong cable car starts beside it.
Gantong Temple is said to date back to the Han dynasty. It was a famous temple in Dali during the Tang and Song dynasties, and in the Ming dynasty it was among Dali's largest monasteries, known as the "Thirty-Six Courtyards". Most of the surviving halls were rebuilt later. Ancient trees shade the grounds, and tea bushes grow here, producing Gantong tea. Behind the temple are memorial pagodas for Ming-dynasty eminent monks, including Chuan Hui and Dan Dang. Admission is inexpensive. The lower station of the Gantong cable car is beside the temple, and from there you can ride up to Qingbi Creek and the Jade Belt Road on Cang Mountain. It can be combined with Jizhao Nunnery for a half-day trip.
Opening hours
About 08:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- Jizhao Nunnery
- Guanyin Pond Temple
- Tianlong Babu Film City
- Dali Old Town
- Renmin Road (Dali Old Town)
- Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple
- Cangshan Mountain
- Longkan Pier