We arrive at Kunming in the morning. And because our flight back to Beijing is in the evening, so our guide (Kunming Guide) bring us to explore Kunming.
She took us to Jinma Biji Square. But because it’s still morning, and it’s raining, so we just walk around and took some photos while waiting for Kunming World Horti-Expo Garden open.
The true uniqueness of Jinma Biji Archways lies in one particular magical moment known as “Jinbi Jiaohui”: Gold and turquoise intertwining. Just before the sunset, the golden rays of the sun illuminating the Biji Archway from the west, cast its shadow on the square to the east. And at the same time, the light of the moon, just risen from the east, casts the shadow of Jinma Archway on the paving stones to the west. With the movements of the sun and moon, the shadows of the two archways gradually draw closer to finally connect, a moment known as “Jinbi Jiaohui”.
Built in China’s Ming Dynasty, it has history of more than 400 years. Right on the central axis of old Kunming city, it is located in the center of downtown Kunming.
The Golden Horse Archway is in the east against the mountain with the same name as the archway; the Green Rooster Archway is in the west against the Green Chicken Mountain. Within a short distance of each other, the two archways are in the traditional archway styles. Together with another Loyalty Archway on the other side, these three archways shape a triangle of archway clusters. With their distinctive characteristics they present a spectacular view in the midst of surrounding downtown modern buildings.
No one exactly knows where comes the name for the Jinma Biji archways. Some say the names of Jinma and Biji are named after the two nearby mountains called Jinma and Biji. But some goes much further. They think the Golden Horse and the Jade Rooster are the gods of the Sun and the Moon. What’s their reason? The magic moment when the shades of the Jinma and Biji approach at sunset and the rise of the moon.
Kunming World Horti-Expo Garden
This flower garden is very beautiful.
Credit: Wikipedia
The World Horti-Expo Garden is a botanical garden center in Kunming, China. It played host to the October 1999 Kunming International Horticulture Exposition. As an international botanical garden, the Expo Garden has become a significant Kunming landmark.
The World Horti-Expo Garden covers an area of 218 hectares and consists of 5 indoor exhibition halls (China Hall, the Man and Nature Hall, the Green House, the Science and Technology Hall, and the International Hall), 6 theme gardens (the Tree Garden, the Tea Garden, the Bonsai Garden, the Medicinal Herb Garden, the Bamboo Garden, and the Vegetable and Fruit Garden) and 34 outdoor gardens of domestic participants, 34 outdoor gardens for foreign countries and international organizational and 9 outdoor exhibition area for the enterprise participants.
The World-expo Garden was designed to be in “perfect harmony” with the surrounding mountains, waters and forest, showing that it originates from and return to the nature. It has hosted a large collection of horticultural and gardening works from different Chinese provinces and municipalities, and also from all over the world.
In the evening, our guide pick us up to go to airport and back to Beijing.
Cheerful Traveller's Diary 