Hanshan Temple, Buddhist temple in Gusu District, Suzhou, China
Hanshan Temple is a Buddhist temple in Gusu District, Suzhou, covering more than one hectare with several buildings arranged around open courtyards. The main hall houses a gilded statue, and a tall bell tower stands near pavilions and stone pathways shaded by mature trees.
The temple was founded during the Liang Dynasty in the early 6th century under the name Miaoli Puming and later renamed after the monk Hanshan. Over the centuries, fires destroyed and rebuilt the complex multiple times, with most current structures dating from the Qing period.
Zhang Ji's poem 'A Night Mooring By Maple Bridge' mentioning the temple bell remains a fundamental text in Chinese and Japanese educational curricula.
The temple sits about 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) west of central Suzhou and is easily reached by public transport. Visitors can explore the grounds in one to two hours, with early morning offering quieter conditions.
On New Year's Eve, monks strike the large bell exactly 108 times, a Buddhist tradition meant to dispel worldly worries. Visitors from Japan often come here because a famous poem by Zhang Ji mentions the temple bell.
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