The Beita Pagoda stands at a height of 76 meters, with an octagonal structure and nine stories, dominating the landscape of Jiangnan. Originally, one could ascend to enjoy a panoramic view of the entire city, but currently, the scenic area is undergoing renovation and is not open for visits. Surrounding the pagoda, there are still parts of the Ba’en Temple buildings reconstructed during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The Ba’en Temple Pagoda is a Chinese pavilion-style Buddhist pagoda, originally built during the Three Kingdoms period, and it is said to have been constructed by Sun Quan to repay his mother’s kindness, hence the name Ba’en Temple Pagoda. To the east of the pagoda lies the Unsullied Dust Guanyin Hall, commonly known as the Nanmu Guanyin Hall, which was first built in the 23rd year of the Shaoxing era of the Southern Song Dynasty, and the existing hall was reconstructed during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, representing a well-preserved Ming Dynasty architecture in Suzhou. South of the Guanyin Hall, there is a long corridor displaying the largest domestic giant lacquer carving, known as ‘Prosperous Era Breeding Map’ or ‘Gusu Prosperity Map’, which is 32 meters long and 2 meters high. Behind the pagoda, there is a rare stone carving from the Yuan Dynasty, ‘Zhang Shicheng’s Merit Stele’. To the north of the pagoda, there are the Ancient Bronze Buddha Hall and the Sutra Pavilion. The Ancient Bronze Buddha Hall once housed bronze-cast Buddhas of the three ages, with a single eave and hard mountain structure, Guanyin pocket mountain wall, and beam frame and ridge decoration featuring Huizhou architectural style. The Sutra Pavilion is a double eave, mountain-style pavilion, originally named Fanxiang Hall. To the northeast of the pagoda, there is a garden named Meipu, featuring steep rocks, winding pools, pavilions, and bridges, each in its proper place. The entire text is open all year round from 08:30 to 16:00; from 07:00 to 16:00, with specific business conditions subject to the day’s opening status.Preferential Policy Additional Information: 1. Free Policy: Children aged 6 (including 6) or under, or with a height of 1.4 meters (including 1.4 meters) can enter for free with valid identification; seniors aged 70 (including 70) and above can enter for free with valid identification; active-duty military personnel of the People’s Republic of China, retired military officers, and disabled persons, as well as one accompanying person for severely disabled individuals, can enter for free with valid identification. 2. Discount Policy: Minors aged between 6 (not including 6) and 18 (including 18), full-time university undergraduate students and below, and seniors aged between 60 (including 60) and 70 (not including 70) can enjoy half-price tickets with valid identification (discounted tickets should be purchased at the scenic area). 3. The above information is for reference only, and the specific details are subject to the public notice at the scenic area.
