When we visited (January 2006), Tengchong's Botanical Gardens were a bit of a laugh, being nothing more than a park. There weren't even any botanical names. Perhaps this is being addressed?

Tengchong's ancient Confucian Temple dates back to the Ming Dynasty, and is free for entry, though nowdays it is inhabited by a series of families and is essentially gutted. The stone bridge opposite is perhaps more interesting.

Tengchong Museum will open in 2007. There are only a handful of items currently on display, with the bulk of its 3575 object collection not yet available for public viewing.

Wen Xing Lou, or the "Old City Gate" has been completely rebuilt, though it does retain the style of the original building. It heralds the start of a long stretch of failing tourist-oriented jade shops, which are not worth your time.





On a cultural note, Tengchong's shadow puppets are famous, but performances are rare. If you get the opportunity to see a performance, don't miss it!

Finally, Yu Quan Ye Yue, a possibly historic site or park, now turned commercial development unless you are in the market for an expensive house.

Out Of Town He Shun is a village just outside of town that for generations grew wealthy on cross border trade with Burma, and the countries beyond by sea. 30元 (off season price) buys you entry to six 'attractions', which are mostly rebuilt buildings and/or museums. You don't need to buy a ticket to wander around the town, however, and proud locals may invite you in to their houses for a look. Many contain intricate carvings, antique furniture and a traditional courtyard layout, with seperate stables for the horses that were ridden fifteen days south to Burma. Approximately 100 of these older houses exist, and coins can be seen carved in to the walls of some of them, symbolising wealth returning to the village. Nearby, across the fields are a Theravada-style pagoda and a tower. A minibus to Heshun from Tengchong costs 1.5 or 2元 per person, depending upon distance and season.

Yi Luo is a less commercialised alternative to He Shun, with the same history, many of the same features but no tourist buses. It's accessible as the final (southermost) stop on bus route #2. Its main attractions are:

Wen Chang Gong, a fantastic old building open to the public in the morning and the evening. Even when the building's inner compound is locked, the outer courtyard and a pond full of water lillies may be seen. As the main entrance faces north, photographers may have a hard time in the daytime.

Shui Ying Temple was formerly located atop the mountain, byut is now more conveniently nestled at its foot. Although primarily Buddhist, there's a confucian shrine above the main temple compound accessible via a flight of stone stairs. A community of nuns tends to the temple, which was under repair early 2006.

Yiluo Library. Now divided in to two seperate buildings, the Yiluo Library was once a community center for the families of the town's overseas Chinese. Nowdays its holdings are unremarkable, though its function in the community remains. The 'new' library (closer to the fields) holds books on its upper floor, while the 'old' library, directly opposite, is now bare and retains its function as a meeting place for elder members of the community. They can be seen there relaxing, sipping tea and playing mahjong in the sunny courtyard.

A series of industrial kilns can be seen on the road north to Bei Hai, and travellers interested in ceramics or photography may be interested to stop by.