Suzhou Hanshan Temple
Location
No. 24, Hanshan Temple Lane, Gusu District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province
Reasons to visit
Hanshan Temple was called Fengqiao Temple in ancient times. It was built during the Liang Tianjian period in the Southern Dynasty. It has a history of more than 1,400 years and was formerly known as Miaopuming Pagoda Courtyard. According to legend, Hanshan and Shide, eminent monks of the Tang Dynasty, came here from Guoqing Temple in Tiantai Mountain to abbot here, so it was renamed Hanshan Temple. In the fourth year of Shaoxing in the Southern Song Dynasty (1134), monk Fa moved and rebuilt the temple. The temple was destroyed by fire many times. Most of the existing palaces were rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty.
Opening Hours
Hanshan Temple was called Fengqiao Temple in ancient times. It was built during the Liang Tianjian period in the Southern Dynasty. It has a history of more than 1,400 years and was formerly known as Miaopuming Pagoda Courtyard. According to legend, Hanshan and Shide, eminent monks of the Tang Dynasty, came here from Guoqing Temple in Tiantai Mountain to abbot here, so it was renamed Hanshan Temple. In the fourth year of Shaoxing in the Southern Song Dynasty (1134), monk Fa moved and rebuilt the temple. The temple was destroyed by fire many times. Most of the existing palaces were rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty.
In 1995, the "Pu Ming Pagoda" was completed. The five-level, four-sided pavilion-style imitation Tang Buddhist pagoda over 42 meters has become a landmark building in the Fengqiao Scenic Area. Hanshan Temple is also well-known to women and children in Japan. Hanshan Temple was named after two eminent monks, Hanshan and Shide, came from Tiantai Mountain to be the abbots during the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty. Later, monk Shide traveled east to Japan to preach and built "Shide Temple" in Japan, which was a sister temple to Hanshan Temple. At the same time, he also spread the Buddhist rule of knocking the bell 108 times to Japan. The temple faces east and west, covering an area of about 10,600 square meters. The main buildings in the temple include: Main Hall, Veranda (side hall), Sutra Library, Stele Corridor, Bell Tower, Fengjiang Tower, etc. Daxiong Hall: The plaque of "Mainxiong Palace" hangs high on the mast of the temple, and the couplets written by Zhao Puchu, a layman, hang on the pillars in the hall: "For more than a thousand years, the Buddhist land has been solemn, Hanshan Temple outside the city of Suzhou; a hundred and eighty-year-old people have been alerted, Yan "The sound of the tide is floating in the middle of the night." There is a Sumeru throne in the middle, with a seated image of Tathagata on it, and Ananda and Kassapa standing on the left and right. Along the walls on both sides sit eighteen gilt-iron Arhats with different expressions. They were cast during the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty and moved here from Mount Wutai, a holy place in Buddhism.
The back of the Buddha statue is different from other temples. It enshrines the stone carvings found in Hanshan in the Tang Dynasty instead of the island Guanyin. The portrait was painted by Luo Pin, one of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou in the Qing Dynasty, with bold and rough brushwork and smooth lines. In the picture, Hanshan's right hand is pointing to the ground, chatting and laughing; he is listening happily with his chest and abdomen exposed. Both of them had their hair loose and looked very naive. Hanshan Bronze Bell: The Hanshan Bronze Bell of Hanshan Temple is famous all over the world for its sound, but the ancient bell of the Tang Dynasty has been destroyed by war and has long been lost. The giant bell cast during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty (1522-1566 AD) is said to have been "sold into cannons in the event of Japanese aggression." Later, it was rumored that the bell had been exiled to Japan. Relevant Japanese people searched everywhere but found no whereabouts. Therefore, the Japanese Yamada Hanshan initiated a fundraiser and raised funds to recast the bronze bell in 1905 and presented it to Hanshan Temple in Suzhou. It is now located on the right side of the Main Hall. This bell is about 0.8 meters high and 0.62 meters in diameter.
There is a die-cast inscription "Gusu Hanshan Temple Bell Inscription" on it. There are two bells made in one type, one in Kanzanji Temple in Japan and the other in Hanshanji Temple. They are still well preserved. Hanshi Hall: The more distinctive Hanshi Hall in Hanshan Temple is the Hanshi Hall. This hall is located in the Sutra Collection Building. The roof of the building is decorated with stories about characters from "Journey to the West". It is the image of Tang Monk and his disciples returning from the West after obtaining the scriptures. The theme is very appropriate to the meaning of the Sutra Collection Building. The statues of Han Shan and Shi De stand in the hall. Hanshan holds a lotus branch and a pure vase when he finds it. He wears clothes and bares his chest, making a playful and amusing gesture, looking festive and lively. According to legend, Hanshan and Shide are the reincarnations of the two Bodhisattvas Manjusri and Samantabhadra. They were later named the Two Immortals of Harmony by the emperor, which are symbols of good luck and good luck.
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