Hanshan Temple (Cold Mountain Temple)
Suzhou, China
Situated about three miles from Fengqiao Old Town, Hanshan Temple has a rich historical background. It was initially built in 6th century during the Liang Dynasty, but it was made famous by Tang Dynasty poet Zhang Ji. He wrote a famous poem describing the rings of the temple’s bell at midnight. The bell unfortunately disappeared, but the current one that was built in 1904 was modeled after it.
Hanshan Temple was named after a monk and it is also a Buddhist temple. A pagoda found here was built in 1995 and it is 138-feet high. You can also find the Zhang Ji’s poem inscribed into a stone tablet, as well as the Grand Prayer Hall with the statue of Sakyamuni, the Buddhist patriarch.
