Experience Hanshan Temple Like a Local
More than just a tourist attraction, Hanshan Temple is also a functioning Buddhist temple. As such, it draws in Chinese Buddhists and others to make prayers and wish for good fortune. You’ll see them lighting incense and candles, throwing red ribbons at a tree, walking around the Puming Pagoda and even throwing coins from its top floor. When in Suzhou, do as the locals do. Here's how to join them:
Buy a pack of joss sticks and red candles and make a wish as you light them.
Write your wish on a red ribbon and toss it into the designated trees branches. If your ribbon hangs, you’ll get your wish. If it falls, try one of the temple’s other opportunities to bring good fortune.
Ring the giant bell in the Bell Tower three times for good luck.
Walk around the Puming Pagoda three times clockwise and you'll“have measureless fortune and destroy measureless guilt,”as the sign next to the pagoda promises.
Instead of a wishing well, the Puming Pagoda has a wishing roof. Toss a coin onto a rooftop below and make a wish!
Note: although many temples require visitors to remove their shoes inside prayer halls, Hanshan Temple allows visitors to keep their shoes on.
Additional Suggestions
Plan on spending an hour or two visiting the nearby Fengqiao Bridge, and more if you want to explore the handcrafted exhibits and shops in the historic neighborhood on the other side of the bridge
Beat the crowds and arrive early in the morning or late in the afternoon for a more peaceful visit.
Most of the buildings, bells, tablets, sculptures and artwork lack English signs. Enhance your visit by hiring a local guide to explain the historical and cultural significance of the temple's treasures and traditions.
Relax in the tea garden outside the temple complex's south wall after you're done exploring and listen to live music while you sip your tea.
Take a river tour and enjoy the scenery along the Grand Canal. You'll pass under the Fengqiao Bridge and get a close-up view of the charming houses along the canal.
Location: No. 24, Hanshan Temple Alley, Fengqiao, Gusu district, Suzhou
Hours: Open from 7:30am to 5:30pm. Plan to spend 1.5 to 2 hours for your visit.
Admission: 20 yuan ($3.17), 10 yuan for children, teens and seniors aged 60 and above.
