River maples and fishermen's lights, within and beyond Gusu
Usually, I climb mountains by myself and rarely accompany the 'leader'. This holiday, I decided to travel with her. The 'leader' wanted to go to Hangzhou, but I suggested Suzhou since we had been to Hangzhou many times, and she agreed happily. We bought the last train tickets to Suzhou, leaving us plenty of time to catch the train, but unexpectedly, the traffic was terrible! It wasn't until we passed Wangguanzhuang that the traffic sped up. After getting off the train, we both ran wildly to the platform, just as the train was about to depart. We arrived at Suzhou North Station at eleven o'clock at night, the subway had stopped running, so we had to take a taxi to the city center, and by the time we finished checking into the hotel, it was already past midnight.
The first day, we went to Tiger Hill first. The 'leader' suggested we walk there and stroll along Shantang Street. Shantang Street starts from Changmen Ferry in the east and extends to Wangshan Bridge at Tiger Hill in the west, about seven li long, commonly known as the Seven-Li Shantang to Tiger Hill. The street is described as 'goods piled like mountains, shops with hanging signs, brilliant as brocade, red railings and tiered buildings, willow fluff and the sound of flutes'. Cao Xueqin referred to the Shantang area as 'the foremost place of wealth and romance in the mortal world' in 'Dream of the Red Chamber'. Emperor Qianlong also had a special fondness for it, mentioning Shantang in nine of his poems.
Legend has it that three days after the burial of King Helü of Wu, a white tiger was seen lying on his tomb, hence the name Tiger Hill. The poem says: 'The forest is full of greenery, spring is coming to the west stream; the field is vast and the birds are quiet, the wind is gentle and the flowers are urging'. Tiger Hill is mysterious and enchanting, with its ravines and cloud springs, making people linger and forget to return. Emperor Kangxi visited Tiger Hill four times during his six trips to the south of the Yangtze River. Su Dongpo said: 'Not visiting Tiger Hill when in Suzhou is indeed a regret!'
From Tiger Hill to the Humble Administrator's Garden is about six kilometers. The 'leader' suggested we walk there too, to see the sights along the way. The Humble Administrator's Garden, along with the Lingering Garden, the Summer Palace in Beijing, and the Mountain Resort in Chengde, are known as the four famous gardens of China. In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, the censor Wang Xianchen, who returned home disillusioned with officialdom, named his garden after a phrase from Pan Yue's 'Ode to the Idyllic Life' during the Western Jin Dynasty: '...being filial and kind, friendly to brothers, this is also the governance of the clumsy'. The Humble Administrator's Garden is known for its water features, natural elegance, scattered courtyards, whitewashed walls and black tiles, small bridges over flowing water, and ancient deep forests.
The Humble Administrator's Garden is about four kilometers from the hotel where we stayed, but the 'leader' insisted on walking back. I joked with her: 'You usually can't walk much in a day, but today you walked twenty kilometers without feeling tired. It seems that you can walk, it's all about the mood!' 'That's right! A free tour guide, go wherever you want, play as long as you want, and someone to serve you, how can the mood not be good? Accompany me more in the future!'
The next day, we first took the subway to Suzhou Station, then transferred to a long-distance bus at the station square to go to Tongli. The ticket price was one hundred yuan, but if bought together with the bus ticket, the discounted price was eighty yuan. After getting off at Tongli, surrounded by modern buildings, the 'leader' kept asking where the ancient town was. I said it was in the northwest direction, just follow me. I thought to myself: I climb snow mountains, cross grasslands, and often wander in deep forests, so this kind of place is a piece of cake for me! What are you worried about! Hehe!
Tongli has beautiful scenery, with every household facing the water and accessible by boat, Ming and Qing architecture densely arranged, and Song and Yuan bridges well preserved. Fifteen small rivers divide the ancient town into seven islands, which are connected by forty-nine bridges. The layout of small bridges, flowing water, and households has earned it the reputation of the 'Venice of the East'. The ancient town is quiet and beautiful, with few tourists. While strolling leisurely, suddenly there was a loud gong and drum, it turned out to be a dragon dance. The dancers were all women, which felt quite fresh, so we stopped to watch for a while. Later, we rented a boat, and the 'leader' had a great chat with the pretty girl rowing the boat. After disembarking, we found a specialty store by the river and ate the 'Three Whites of Taihu Lake'. On the way back, we bought a sugarcane, eating it while walking, and halfway through, the more than six-pound sugarcane was finished.
On the third day, we went to Hanshan Temple and Maple Bridge. In the early Tang Dynasty, the famous monk Hanshan Zi came here and lived in a thatched hut; during the Kaiyuan era, the renowned Zen master Xi Qian founded a monastery here and named it Hanshan Temple. Next to the temple are Jiangcun Bridge and Maple Bridge. It became famous because of Zhang Ji's poem 'Mooring by Maple Bridge at Night'. To avoid the An Lushan Rebellion, the poet came to Suzhou. On a deep autumn night, mooring his boat at Maple Bridge, the quiet beauty of the autumn night in the water town inspired the traveler to write a poem with a clear and distant artistic conception: 'The moon sets and crows cry as frost fills the sky; river maples and fishermen's lights accompany my troubled sleep. Outside Gusu city, Hanshan Temple, the midnight bell reaches the passenger boat.'
The 'leader' has always kept a respectful distance from temples and retreated before even entering the temple gate, so I didn't insist. We walked along the ancient canal to Jinghong Crossing, surrounded by water on three sides, with vast smoke and waves, and the sound of crashing waves.
Playing Hanshan Temple, the ancient charm is leisurely. The bells are far away and echo in the mountains, making people feel quiet. The ancient temple is quiet, the incense is lingering, and the Buddha statue is solemn. Walking in it, it seems that you can hear the echo of history and feel the precipitation of the years. Hanshan Temple is a holy place where people's hearts are purified.
The scenery is very beautiful. Hanshan Temple outside Gusu City is really well-deserved. The rain under the water on the day is more beautiful. I saw the koi. Contemporary young people chose Shangxiang in the upper and lower work. Hahaha. The cat is also very cute.
The May Day holiday understands that there are many people, but the afternoon of May 2 did exceed expectations. The important thing is that the diversion of the people into the temple is done well. Others, I feel that the temple is a bit small... It feels not spacious and crowded. (This is not a feeling of many people, But the first feeling after entering, the feeling of not spacious)
**History and Culture**: Hanshan Temple is one of the top ten ancient temples in China, with a long history of more than 1,500 years. It was built in the Xiaoliang Dynasty during the Southern Dynasty, and is known for the Tang Dynasty poet Zhang Ji's "Fengqiao Night Bo". This poem also adds a bit of a distant cultural atmosphere to Hanshan Temple. 2.**Architecture and aesthetics**: The architectural style of the temple reflects the unique elegance and exquisiteness of Jiangnan. The bright yellow wall with gray and black room, the design of flying warp is simple and lively, reflecting the candor and tranquility of Buddha. 3. **Natural landscape**: The surrounding environment of Hanshan Temple is quiet, with Jiangcun Bridge and ancient temples in front of the door. These natural elements and the temple together constitute a beautiful picture. 4.**Exploration experience**: It takes a certain time to visit Hanshan Temple to appreciate the details of each attraction in detail. The entire temple covers a large area and requires at least a full day if you want to understand it fully.5. **Popularity and photo**: Due to its popularity, Hanshan Temple often tourists like weaving, especially in the wall photo area at the gate, here is the check-in point for tourists competing for pictures, so if you want to take good photos, you may need to avoid the peak period of the crowd. 6. **Surrounding scenic spots**: In addition to Hanshan Temple itself, the nearby Fengqiao Scenic Area is also worth a visit, including Jiangfeng Ancient Bridge, Tieling Ancient Pass and other "Five Ancients" are not to be missed.
Hanshan Temple is the only temple in China famous for Fengqiao Yebo, a Tang poem. There are many famous calligraphers and celebrities in the temple. The Fengqiao Yebo poetry gallery written by famous calligraphers and celebrities. Here, the yellow wall is gray tiles, the incense is strong, and there is the world's largest clock. It is highly recommended!
It’s not bad. I gained a lot of knowledge. It turns out that half of what I learned in the textbooks before was wrong ~ Reading thousands of books is not as good as traveling thousands of miles
I went to Suzhou for the first time 20 years ago. I have not been to Hanshan Temple. This time I took my children to travel. I must go to Hanshan Temple to punch the card. After all, the child knows that Hanshan Temple is definitely more famous than Huqiu. Hanshan Temple outside Gusu City is the sound of the night. The passenger boat, in fact, there is no need to buy tickets. We also bought tickets for Hanshan Temple, and then went in and turned around and came out, although the fare was not expensive. After seeing Fengqiao, it was over in half an hour. I will know next time.
Hanshan Temple, simple and quiet, the highlight is its deep cultural heritage and quiet atmosphere. The ancient buildings and inscriptions in the temple exude a strong historical atmosphere. The bells are melodious and make people purify their hearts. Experience, strolling in Hanshan Temple, as if crossing a thousand years, talking to the ancients. Visitors can meditation here and feel the vastness of Buddhist culture. In short, Hanshan Temple is a good place for people to relax and purify their hearts.