Hangshan Temple, Suzhou 20 Jan 2025

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Our next stop was to the silk factory. The whole process of how the silk cloth is made was explained in Mandarin so once again it was Greek to me! Never mind. There certainly were a lot of beautiful things on sale like silk sheets, silk duvets, silk duvet covers, silk pillow slips, garments and accessories. Wow! Fabulous & luxurious!

We boarded the bus which would take us to near the Hangshan Temple. It was nearly lunch time and the guide recommended eating at a particular restaurant. I wasn’t hungry and told him I’ll go explore on my own and meet back after 35 minutes. I crossed the road to Hangshan Temple, a famous Buddhist Temple founded in the 6th century. Hanshan Temple is widely known because of the poem "A Night Mooring by Maple Bridge" (楓橋夜泊) written by Tang Dynasty poet Zhang Ji. The poem describes the melancholic scene of a traveler hearing the temple bells at night. The temple is situated about 5 kilometers west of Suzhou's old city, near the town of Fengqiao (Maple Bridge). The temple is famous for its bell-ringing ceremony, especially during Chinese New Year's Eve, attracting visitors from China, Japan, and Korea. Ringing the bell at Hanshan Temple is such a unique and memorable experience. The deep, resonant sound of the bell is quite moving and according to traditional custom ringing the bell 3 times brings good luck. So I did what the Romans do when in Rome: I rang the bell!

The grounds of the temple is tranquil and beautiful like the Lingering garden, but in a different way. It certainly is a place to spend time in to relax and get away from the modern life.