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CHINA | Suzhou, China Travel Guide
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
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Pagodas & Temples of Suzhou
Pagodas & Temples
Panmen
In the southwest of town Panmen (Coiled Gate) includes a trio of ancient attractions: land and water city gates, Ruigang Pagoda andWumen Bridge. There were originally eight gates in the wall around the city but Panmen is the only surviving one. The city gates were first constructed over 2,000 years ago to serve as protection from invaders, but their current form dates from the 14th century. Just inside the gates, the simple seven-story octagonal Ruigang Pagoda stands 175 feet tall and was first built over a thousand years ago. You can ascend the pagoda for great views of the area. The most scenic way to approach Panmen is across the high arch ofWumen Bridge, which also makes a good spot to watch the canal traffic. The whole area is popular with traditional morning exercise enthusiasts and if you come early enough you’ll see graceful sword dancing and tai chi to the backdrop of a rising sun.
Twin Pagodas
These identical slender pagodas are too fragile to climb, but they sit in pretty gardens just south of Ganjiang Dong Lu. The pagodas were built by two brothers to honor their teacher during the Northern Song dynasty and are meant to resemble a pair of calligraphy brushes painting the sky.
Temple of Mystery
At the heart of the bustling Guanqian Jie pedestrianised shopping zone, this Taoist temple complex dates back to the third century and has survived the onslaughts of the ages fairly well, only being rebuilt and restored a few times and avoiding much damage in the Cultural Revolution. The Sanqing Dian (Pure Trinity Hall) is the temple’s most impressive hall and is the largest ancient wooden structure south of the Yangzi. Inside it you’ll find statues of the Taoist Trinity and a stone tablet inscribed with the image of Taoism’s founder, Lao Zi.
North Temple Pagoda
This impressive pagoda is one of the first things you see as you cross the moat coming from the train station into Suzhou, and has become a symbol of the city. Originally dating from the sixth century, the pagoda is constructed of wood and bricks and stands an impressive 250 feet tall. The grounds below contain temples and gardens, although you can get a good look at the pagoda for free from Renmin Lu. If you do go in, climb up to the eighth floor where you will get excellent views of Suzhou, weather permitting.
West Garden Temple
Originally established in the Yuan dynasty (see p. 12) the West Garden Temple is a Buddhist complex housing a number of buildings, the most interesting of which is the Hall of 500 Arhats. This hall, first built in the Ming dynasty holds a 1,000-armed Guanyin statue and rows of gold-painted arhats (luohan), each with a different and intricately detailed expression, from the humorous to the tortured – it’s not hard to spot the “mad monk”! Behind the temple there’s a garden with ponds where fish and turtles have been “freed” by Buddhist believers.
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