The Temple of Hanshan was built hundreds of years before the poet Zhang Ji visited it, but it was through his poetry that it is famous today. Constructed during the Nan dynasty, it was given the name Miao Pu Ming Pagoda Temple, and we learned that the name Han Shan, by which it is known today, came from the name of an abbot who managed the temple during the Tang dynasty. Han Shan means “Cold Mountain” so many people use the term “Cold Mountain Temple”. The abbot always helped others, was widely known for his kindness, and therefore his name was given to the temple in remembrance.
Han Shan – hermit and poet of Tang Dynasty (618-906)
Painted by Yen Hui (1280-1368)
Though fires have damaged the temple through the years, it has always been reconstructed – most recently during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). It is fortunate that the style of the temple has always been retained.
As we stood at the front of the temple, we could read three large words written in Chinese on a yellow wall – Han Shan Temple. I’ve found that most of the Chinese Buddhist temples are yellow though I don’t understand the reason.
Upon entering the building, we saw a large bronze ball on our right, and I realized that I had found the source of the bell ringing that Zhang Ji had heard from his boat in his poem “Mooring to the Maple Bridge at Night”.
It is a local custom for people to get together here to listen to the sound of the bell when it is rung 108 times on New Year’s Eve in the belief that it will rid everyone of their troubles and bring luck and happiness in the coming year. It was a shame that we won’t be here that day and a disappointment to learn that the original bell had disappeared many years ago and replaced in 1904.
The temple is situated on approximately three acres, is in the style of the Qing Dynasty, and consists of the Grand Prayer Hall, the Sutra-Collection Building, Bell Tower, Pengjiang Pavilion, and Tablets Corridor that contains a tablet on which the famous poem has been inscribed as well as poems by famous intellectuals.
We were especially interested in the temple’s Da Xiong Bao Dian, the most important room in the building. The translation is as follows: Da (including everything), Xiong (vanquishing and killing dragons), Bao (refers to the 3 treasures of Buddhism – the Buddha, the Buddhist doctrines, and the Buddhist monks, and Dian (a palace).
With great curiosity, we stepped into the hall and found three large statues of Buddha sitting on a lotus seat, and I was truly in awe as I stood there looking at them. It was interesting to learn that the temple is still an important center for Buddhist activities.
“Hey, there’s a pagoda!” shouted my brother, and I asked where it was.
“Over there!” he said pointing at a cuspate garret.
“Oh, yes! I see it! Let’s get going.”
We had found the Miao Pu Ming pagoda, the original name of the temple having been transferred to it. Though it was constructed in 1995, it’s in the Tang Style and is five stories high, a total of about 42 meters. We walked upstairs to reach the top, and from the balcony could see the temple we had just left and the Maple Bridge. We also saw the rolling waters of the Jing Hang canal, the longest ancient man-made canal in the world and had heard the temple’s bell.
It had been a wonderful afternoon, but it was time to leave Suzhou. Our trip, however, wasn’t finished. We’d be going to Zhou Zhuang and Shanghai soon.