Daguan Pavilion Park
Daguan Park, located in the southwestern suburb of Kunming City, is a picturesque lakeside park. In the 35th year of Emperor Kangxi(1696),Wang Jiwen, governor of Yunnan, carried out a largescale construction of a two-storyed pavilion. Ponds were dug, embankment was constructed, and trees and flowers were planted. With a good view of the waters and hills in the distance, and the sailing boats and trees in mist, the pavilion was titled Daguan (Grand View) pavilion. In the later years, the Daguan pavilion had twice been reduced to ruins by warfare and flood. In the 9th year of Emperor Guangxu(1883), Chen Yuying, governor of Yunnan and Guizhou Provinces, ordered Monk Xingtian to take charge of the renovation of the pavilion, and the pavilion has remained intact ever since.
Since the Daguan pavilion was built, men of letters coming from far and near have often gathered here, composing and reciting poems. During the past two to three hundred years, many excellent works and poems have been created. Among them, the Long Couplet written by Sun Rangweng has for many years enjoyed the highest reputation around the world. Daguan Park has become famous due to Sun Rangweng’s Long Couplet.
[youtube height=”430″ width=”700″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYZC970GR4k[/youtube]
