Hanshan Temple is located in the western suburbs of Suzhou. It has a history of more than 1,400 years. It is famous all over the world because of the sentence ‘Outside the Gusu City, Hanshan Temple, and the midnight bell reaches the passenger ship’ in the famous poem ‘Mooring by Maple Bridge at Night’ by Zhang Ji, a poet of the Tang Dynasty. Hanshan Temple is a famous place for praying. Every day, believers who come to the temple to strike the bell and burn incense to pray for peace are in an endless stream.
Hanshan Temple is mainly composed of buildings such as the Mahavira Hall, bell tower, stele corridor, and Sutra depository. The tall Sumeru pedestal in the Mahavira Hall is carved with white marble. On the pedestal is enshrined the golden statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. On both sides against the wall are eighteen exquisite iron gilt arhats cast in the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty. They were moved here from Mount Wutai, a Buddhist holy land. In the stele corridor, you can see fragments of inscriptions written by Wen Zhengming and Tang Yin among the ‘Four Talents in Jiangnan’. There are also poetry steles of famous people such as Yue Fei and Kang Youwei. The poetry stele ‘Mooring by Maple Bridge at Night’ written by Yu Yue, a well-known scholar in the late Qing Dynasty, is even more classic in Hanshan Temple. The bell tower in the temple is the source of the’midnight bell’. The loud and melodious bell sound is a symbol of Hanshan Temple. Every December 31, Hanshan Temple holds a New Year’s Eve bell-striking ceremony. The bell is struck 108 times, implying that troubles in the coming year will disappear随之. Today’s big bell is no longer the one in Tang poetry but an ancient relic in the late Qing Dynasty. However, it is a rare giant bell that requires three people to embrace it. Opening hours: From January 1st to March 31st, it is open from 07:30 to 17:00; From April 1st to December 31st, it is open from 07:00 to 17:30. Preferential policies: Children: Children under 6 years old (inclusive) or under 1.4 meters (inclusive) in height can enter for free with valid identification documents; Minors between 6 years old (exclusive) and 18 years old (inclusive) can enjoy half-price tickets (please purchase discounted tickets at the scenic spot by yourself), half price. Seniors: Seniors over 65 years old (inclusive) can enter for free with valid identification documents; Elderly people between 60 years old (inclusive) and 65 years old (exclusive) can enjoy half-price tickets (please purchase discounted tickets at the scenic spot by yourself), half price. Students: Full-time undergraduate and below students can enjoy half-price tickets (please purchase discounted tickets at the scenic spot by yourself), half price. Military personnel: Active-duty soldiers of the People’s Republic of China and retired military cadres can enter for free with valid identification documents (veterans can enter for free with preferential treatment certificates). Disabled people: Disabled people and one accompanying person of severely disabled people can enter for free with valid identification documents. Religious personnel: For tourist attractions related to religious activity sites, for the teaching staff and workers of the activity site, and for the same religious believers who belong to the same religion as the religious activity site in the scenic area and have received initiation ceremonies and hold valid certificates, they can enter for free. Fire rescue personnel: Fire rescue personnel can enter for free with valid identification documents (firefighter certificates). Medical staff: Only within 7 days from August 19th (China’s Doctor’s Day) and May 12th (International Nurses Day) each year, they can enter for free with their relevant certificates (ID card + work permit). Service facilities: Parking lot: [Hanshan Temple parking lot], reference price: ¥10/time; address: around Hanshan Temple; number of parking spaces: 70. Stroller rental: reference price: free; address: tourist center. Toilet: There is a toilet in Hanshan Temple, which is located at the east gate of the scenic area and is marked with eye-catching signs.Hanshan Temple
Hanshan Temple is located in the western suburbs of Suzhou. It has a history of more than 1,400 years. It […]
