Jinma & Biji Archways / Nanping Street

金马碧鸡坊

Kunming's city symbol: two Ming-era archways facing each other in the city center. Nearby are Nanping Pedestrian Street, old streets, and the East and West Pagodas, the hub for shopping and dining downtown.

The Golden Horse and Jade Rooster Archways stand at the intersection of Sanshi Street and Jinbi Road in the heart of Kunming. The eastern arch, “Golden Horse,” and the western arch, “Jade Rooster,” face each other. They were first built in the Xuande era of the Ming dynasty and take their names from the two hills east and west of the city, Jinma Hill and Biji Hill. The archways were torn down during the Cultural Revolution and rebuilt in their original form in 1999. They stand about 12 meters tall and 18 meters wide, and have become the city's emblem. Legend says that every 60 years, on the evening of the autumn equinox, the setting sun's afterglow casts the reflection of the Jade Rooster Archway eastward, while the rising moon casts the reflection of the Golden Horse Archway westward, and the two reflections meet in the middle of the street. This is called “Golden and Jade Radiance.” The surrounding area is Kunming's core commercial district. Nanping Street is a pedestrian street with malls, snacks, and lively night markets. Zhengyi Fang and the old streets (Qianwang Street and Wenming Street, with Qing-era houses and time-honored shops like Fulintang Pharmacy and Juikui Tower) make up Kunming Old Street. Nearby are the East and West Pagodas, about 1 km south: twin Nanzhao-era pagodas from the Tang dynasty, and the East Pagoda can be climbed. Zhong'ai Fang, the third archway, stands on the north side of the Golden Horse and Jade Rooster Archways. Admission is free. Photographing the archways is best after the lights come on in the evening. Suggested route: Golden Horse and Jade Rooster Archways, Nanping Street, Kunming Old Street, and the East Pagoda, about 2 hours in total. For dinner, try Guoqiao rice noodles at the old Jianxinyuan restaurant, steamed-pot chicken, or the snacks on nearby Xiangyun Street. Getting there: Metro Line 3 goes directly to Jinma Biji Archways station, or take Metro Line 1 or 2 to Dongfeng Square station and walk about 10 minutes. Note: this is the city center, so it's crowded with people and traffic. Keep an eye on your belongings. Souvenir shops in the old streets sell “Eighteen Oddities of Yunnan” and other trinkets, so compare prices. The archways themselves are reconstructions; the sense of history is in the old streets nearby.

Jinma & Biji Archways / Nanping Street

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Places to eat nearby