Have you ever heard of the poem A Night Mooring near Maple Bridge
written by Zhang Ji, a poet of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) In this poem,
Zhang described the midnight bell rings of the Hanshan Temple (Cold
Mountain Temple). Since then, the temple has become famous, especially
for its bell rings and Buddhism culture.
Cold Mountain Temple,
also called Hanshan Si in Pinyin, is situated five kilometers (about
three miles) from Fengqiao Old Town in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. It is
said that in the Tang Dynasty, a famous monk Han Shan came to take
charge of the temple, hence its name. Building originally commenced
during the Liang Dynasty (502-557), and was repaired again in the
following dynasties. Now, covering an area of about 10,600 square meters
(about three acres), it presents the architectural style of the Qing
Dynasty (1644-1911). It includes the Grand Prayer Hall, Sutra-Collection
Building, Bell Tower, Fengjiang Pavilion and Tablets Corridor, etc. In
1995, a five-storey Buddhism pagoda as high as 42 meters (about 138
feet) was erected called Puming Pagoda, which then became the symbolic
building of the temple. There are many more historical relics in the
temple, such as the statue of Han Shan, the stone tablet inscription of
the poem A Night Mooring near Maple Bridge and some other tablet
inscriptions written by famous intellectuals of ancient China.
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| Grand Prayer Hall of Hanshan Temple |
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| Hall of Arhats in the temple |
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Being
one of the most famous temples in Chinese history, Hanshan Temple often
boasts about its bell rings. However, the best known bell described in
Zhang Ji's poem disappeared a long time ago. The bell in the tower now,
was modeled on the previous one in 1904. Every year on New Year's Eve in
China's lunar calendar, the bell is tolled to pray for the happiness
and safety of the coming New Year. This festival attracts thousands of
tourists both at home and abroad.Cold Mountain Temple is also a
Buddhism temple. The statue of the Buddhist patriarch Sakyamuni is
there for people to make offerings to in the Grand Prayer Hall. In the
Hongfa Hall, there are bronze statues of three eminent monks: Xuan Zang
(a Tang Dynasty monk and translator), Jian Zhen (a Tang Dynasty monk who
once went to preach Buddhism in Japan) and Kong Hai. Kong Hai was a
Japanese monk who studied Buddhism in China in the ninth century. He
once visited Hanshan Temple when he stayed in China and after he
returned to Japan, he started to preach Buddhism in his country. Until
now, Hanshan Temple is still one of the most important places to hold
Buddhism activities.
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| Bell Tower |
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| Puming Pagoda |
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| Statue of Sakyamuni |
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Around
the Cold Mountain Temple, you can also enjoy the beautiful scenery of
the Maple Bridge, where Zhang Ji's boat was once moored, and get a
realistic feel of the ordinary life of the people living in the Fengqiao
Old Town. You can also have a look at the famous Jinghang Canal, which
is the longest ancient man-made canal in the world.
