Brief information on Hanshan Temple  

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 of the Tang Dynasty) as well as the tolling of the bell in the temple.  

The temple was first built in the Liang period (502-557AD) of the Southern Dynasty, and was repaired several times in the following dynasties. The present one was built in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in the Qing architectural style , covering an area of around 10,600 square meters (about three acres). The main sites of the temple are the Mahavira Hall, Sutra-Collection Building, Bell Tower, the tablet inscription of the poem "Mooring for the Night at Fengqiao Bridge"  and the Fengjiang First Pavilion.  

There is a bell-tolling ceremony on New Year’s Eve in China’s lunar calendar each year, on which the bell will ring 108 times, symbolizing 108 troubles people may encounter in the new year. It is said that if one listens to the bell, the 108 troubles will be gone with the wind.  

You can also enjoy a picturesque view of the Maple Bridge near the Hanshan Temple, and experience the ordinary life of the people living in the surrounding area.

*You can download the bilingual note to show it to a taxi driver or someone else to find your way to Hanshan Temple if you plan to visit Hanshan Temple and have language problems.

   

Hours: 07:30- 17:00,
Address: No. 24, Hanshan Temple Alley, Fengqiao Town