Hanshan Temple



Hanshan Temple, is a Buddhist temple and monastery in Suzhou. It is located at the town of Fengqiao, about 5
kilometers west of the old city of Suzhou. It is one of Suzhou's greatest landmarks and most active Buddhist temples.

Traditionally, Hanshan Temple is believed to have been founded during the Tianjian era (502-519) of the reign of
Emperor Wu of Liang, in the Southern and Northern Dynasties period. The current name of the monastery derives from
Hanshan, the legendary monk and poet. Hanshan and his disciple Shide are said to have come to the monastery during
the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang (627-649), where Hanshan became the abbot.

The temple compound is a scene of luxuriant green creating a secluded atmosphere. The buildings in it are in an
unadorned and natural style. In the center of the compound stands Mahavira Hall. Behind the hall stretches a wooden
corridor, at the end of which stands a small tower with a wall behind and a stream in front.

Hanshan Temple has been famous since the Tang Dynasty. It owes its eminence to a poem entitled "Mooring for the Night at Fengqiao Bridge" by
Zhang Ji (A Tang Dynasty poet) as well as the toll of the bell in the temple. "Moonfall, Crows cry in a sky full of frost. / Maple Bridge, Lamps of
fishermen doze off in the gloom. / Outside old Suzhou lies Hanshan Temple / At midnight, the sound of its bell reaches my boat."

The fame this poem brought to the temple drew in its wake many artists and intellectuals, who were inspired to write their own poems and
calligraphy celebrating its charms. Today these classics are carved into stone and set into the temple's saffron walls, while inscribed stone
monuments dot the courtyards and halls.

Alongside the temple lies the Grand Canal and several more historic sights. An ancient bridge arched
like a half moon crosses the canal opposite the temple's gate, while nearby sits a massive and
imposing fortified gate and bridge. Climbing up the narrow spiral stairs to the battlements, your eyes
move from the waters of the canal beneath and the busy traffic of heavily laden barges and skiffs over
to the yellow halls and ancient green trees of Hanshan Temple, and finally to the buildings of modern
Suzhou on the horizon.