Grand View Tower (Daguan Park)
大观楼
A three-story historic pavilion on the north shore of Lake Dian, famous for Sun Ranweng's 180-character “Longest Couplet under Heaven.” Red-billed gulls visit in winter.
Daguan Tower was first built during the Kangxi era of the Qing dynasty. It has three stories and overlooks the Caohai (Grass Sea) of Lake Dian. Hanging in front is a 180-character couplet written in the Qianlong era by Sun Ranweng. The upper line describes the scenery of Lake Dian, and the lower line recounts Yunnan's history. It is hailed as the greatest couplet of all time. The park has lakeside embankments, pavilions, corridors, and flower beds. Cherry blossoms and tulips bloom in spring, and red-billed gulls arrive in winter. Admission is about 10 yuan. It's reachable by bus, or you can take a boat from Daguan Wharf to cruise the Caohai.
Opening hours
07:00–20:00 (shorter hours in winter)
Nearby sights
- Chuangku Art Zone (Loft Kunming)
- Zhuanxin Farmers' Market
- Yunnan Military Academy
- Wenlin Street & Wenhua Lane
- Jingxing Flower and Bird Market
- Jinma & Biji Archways / Nanping Street
- Green Lake Park (Cuihu)
- Kunming Old Street (Wenming Street)