Zijin’an Temple, also known as Jin’an Temple, is located to the west of Dongshan Town in the southwestern suburbs of Suzhou. It was founded during the Liang and Chen dynasties and rebuilt during the Zhenyuan period of the Tang Dynasty. It has a history of more than 1,400 years. The sixteen clay sculptures and painted arhats on the left and right walls of the main hall are said to be the works of Lei Chao and his wife, famous folk sculptors in the Southern Song Dynasty. The eight sculptures on the back wall were added by Qiu Mituo in the late Ming Dynasty. The painted decoration process of the arhat group statues is exquisite and is a representative work in the field of Suzhou’s painted sculptures in the Qing Dynasty. The clay sculptures and painted arhats of Zijin’an Temple are known as one of the ‘two and a half halls in the world’. The Jingyin Hall behind the Arhat Hall is entirely made of nanmu wood and has now been opened as a cultural relics exhibition room in Wuxian County. The osmanthus and magnolia in front of the hall are said to have been planted for more than 800 years. The original wood has died, and then new shoots have sprouted from the dead bark. Now they are the second generation. Tingsong Hall is a place for tea tasting and rest in the temple. Sitting by the window, you can hear the sound of the pine waves.
Opening hours: Open all year round from 08:00 to 17:00; open from 08:00 to 17:00 on National Day. Preferential policies: Children: Children under 6 years old (including 6 years old) or under 1.4 meters (including 1.4 meters) in height are free of charge. Minors: Minors aged 6 years old (excluding 6 years old) to 18 years old (including 18 years old) are entitled to half-price tickets. Elderly: Elderly people aged 70 years old (including 70 years old) and above are free of charge; elderly people aged 60 years old (including 60 years old) to 70 years old (excluding 70 years old) are entitled to half-price tickets with valid certificates. Students: Full-time undergraduates and students below with valid certificates are entitled to half-price tickets. Disabled people: Disabled people and one accompanying person of severely disabled people can enter the park for free with valid identity documents. Military personnel: Active servicemen of the People’s Republic of China and retired military cadres can enter the park for free with valid identity documents. Blood donation volunteers: Those holding the honorary certificate of the ‘Three Exemptions’ treatment in the ‘Jiangsu Province Blood Donation Regulations’ (National Voluntary Blood Donation Contribution Award, Voluntary Donation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells Award, and Lifelong Honorary Award for Voluntary Blood Donation Service) are exempt from tickets. Model workers: Model workers in Wuzhong District, Suzhou City, and those holding the honorary certificate of Suzhou environmental sanitation are exempt from tickets. (Those holding municipal-level and above model worker certificates can visit the scenic spots under the Suzhou Gardens Bureau for free). Preferential care recipients: Preferential care recipients enjoying national pensions and subsidies and enterprise retirees who participated in two military operations are exempt from tickets with valid certificates. Religious people: Religious clergy and their staff members belonging to religious activity sites in the scenic area, who belong to the same religion as the religious activity site in the scenic area, can enter the scenic area and go to the religious activity site for free with valid identity documents. Supplementary note: The above information is for reference only. The specific content is subject to the announcements in the scenic area. Must-see tips: Pets are not allowed to enter the scenic area.Zijin’an Temple
Zijin’an Temple, also known as Jin’an Temple, is located to the west of Dongshan Town in[...]
