Hanshan Temple - Cold Mountain Temple ( SuZhou)

The entrance

The third day we arrive in SuZhou we went to HanShan Temple or "Cold Mountain Temple" a Buddhist temple and monastery. It is located at the town of Fengqiao (lit. Maple Bridge), about 5 kilometres west of the old city of Suzhou.

the ticket counter

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 Dynasty (627-649).

say hello our SuZhou local tour guild Alex is giving us some history lecture about the temple (cute?? does he resemble one of the HK actor??)

The Pagoda

I didn't climb up the Pagoda as there is a lot of tourists there at that time, here is the scene up the pagoda photos from witch,

Source: All 4 photos is from witch

Hanshan Temple is famed in East Asia because of the poem "A Night Mooring by Maple Bridge", by Tang Dynasty poet, Zhang Ji. The poem describes the melancholy scene of a dejected traveller, moored at night at Fengqiao, hearing the bells of Hanshan Temple:

didn't manage to capture this poem as there is lot of other tourists gather around it taking photos

The poem goes like this

Source: Wikipedia

月落烏啼霜滿天，- While I watch the moon go down, a crow caws through the frost;

江楓漁火對愁眠。- Under the shadows of maple-trees a fisherman moves with his torch;

姑蘇城外寒山寺，- And I hear, from beyond Suzhou, from
the temple on Cold Mountain,

夜半鐘聲到客船。- Ringing for me, here in my boat, the midnight bell.

The Bell




Back entrance of the temple


Stay tune for The Lion Grove Garden.