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Right on the Grand Canal, the Hanshan Temple has become the city's most important landmark. The temple was first built between the years 502-519. It was named after Han Shan, a Tang-dynasty monk who lived there. Through the years, the temple had undergone several rounds of destruction and restoration. The existing one is a late-Qing architecture work.

The temple has been immortalized by the famous poem Anchorage by the Maple Bridge written by the prominent Tang Dynasty poet, Zhangji. Zhang's poem reads" The moon is down, the raven calls, the cold frost fills the sky; Off near the Gusu Town( Suzhou) as midnight passes by. The chiming of a temple bell comes to my boat tonight".

Visitors can still see the Maple Bridge and the stone inscription of the poem. A large bell not the original one mentioned by Zhangyi in his poem hangs in the bell tower. The original Song bell was somewhere in Japan and this one was contributed by some Japanese. Many Chinese tourists will like to pay a small fee to strike the bell for this practice is believed to bring good luck.

Tips & articles

2011-05-23
Hanshan Temple (or Cold Mountain Temple; Hanshansi in Chinese), one of Suzhou's famous tourist attractions, is located in Feng Qiao Town, which is 5 Km away from Suzhou City. The temple was built during the Liang Kingdom of Six Dynasties period (502-519 AD), ...Read More
2011-05-23
The Hanshan Temple in Suzhou is not only a charming historic temple, but a place of deep cultural resonance for people in China. The temple is located on the edge of the modern city center, alongside the ancient Grand Canal and several ancient bridges which ...Read More
2011-05-23
Hanshan Temple is located in the town of Fengqiao (Maple Bridge) in the west outskirts of Suzhou, only one kilometer west of the Lingering Garden. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), a famous monk named Hanshan stayed in the temple, which was later renamed by ...Read More

forum discussion

Recent posts

by Uehudah 2011-05-23
Located in the Fengqiao Town of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, Hanshan Temple was originally named Miaolipumingta. The temple was later given its present name due to Han Shan, an eminent monk who lived there in the Tang dynasty (618-907AD). Hanshan Temple has been made famous because of a poem named "Mooring for the Night at Fengqiao Bridge" by Zhang Ji (A poet ...
by Yasar 2011-05-23
Longhua Temple is the oldest, largest and most magnificent Buddhist architecture in Shanghai area. It is said that the temple was built in 247 AD. The temple, the pagoda, the temple fair and the evening bell chiming constitute a religious tourist attraction. Many Buddhist scriptures, gold seals and statues from the Tang Dynasty, the Five Dynasties, the Ming ...
by Kayley 2011-05-23
The Maple Bridge (Feng Bridge, Fengqiao) is one of the most important resources of Suzhou scenic area. The area has unique and high historical culture value. Feng Bridge (Maple Bridge) is only hundreds steps distance from the Hanshan Temple. Since the Tang Dynasty poet Zhang Ji wrote down the poem "Night Berthing at Feng Bridge", the maple bridge becomes ...