Qiongzhu Temple, often called the Bamboo Temple, is one of Kunming's most memorable temple excursions. The setting on wooded hills is pleasant, but the real reason to come is the hall of painted arhats: hundreds of expressive figures, each with a different face, posture, and mood.
The statues are lively in a way that formal temple sculpture often is not. Some look serene, others comic or severe, and the cumulative effect is oddly human. It is a good half-day trip if you want religious art and mountain air without going far from Kunming.