Hàn Shān Temple Self-Guided Tour Strategy: Where is Hàn Shān Temple?

Hàn Shān Temple is located in Gūsū District, Suzhou. It has become famous throughout the ages because of a poem: “Outside the Gūsū City lies Hàn Shān Temple, where the midnight bell’s sound reaches the traveler’s boat.” It embodies the dreams and hopes of scholars and officials throughout the centuries, but also their disillusionment and sadness over their careers. Below, I’d like to share a self-guided tour strategy for Hàn Shān Temple.

My yearning for Hàn Shān Temple is entirely induced by Zhang Jì’s poem “Staying at Féngqiáo at Night”:

The moon sets, crows caw, and frost fills the sky;
Maple leaves and fishing lights, I sleep with sorrow in my heart;
Outside the Gūsū City lies Hàn Shān Temple,
Where the midnight bell’s sound reaches the traveler’s boat.

This poem about traveling has a strong sense of imagery: The moon sets, crows caw, frost fills the sky, and maple leaves and fishing lights are present as I sleep with sorrow in my heart. Outside the Gūsū City lies the lonely and desolate Hàn Shān Temple, and the sound of its bells at midnight reaches the traveler’s boat. At that time, Zhang Jì, amidst his anxieties about his country and the turmoil of the world, how could he not be filled with sorrow?

I always had a poetic and picturesque vision of “Staying at Féngqiáo at Night”: After the daytime tourists have left, the surroundings become quiet, and I lean on the ancient Féngqiáo bridge over the Suzhou River. A gentle breeze blows through my clothes and hair. In the distance, the lights of fishing boats sway with the waves. I think of nothing. Without realizing it, the sound of the temple’s bell reaches me from afar. It’s far-reaching and long-lasting, and my heartstrings flutter. …This scene always makes me long for it, and I have a kind of longing and fascination for it. So, I decided to go!

Today, Hàn Shān Temple is no longer isolated outside the Gūsū City, but is located amidst the hustle and bustle of the people’s everyday lives. Just believe in “Small reclusiveness lies in the wild, great reclusiveness lies in the city.” Find peace and tranquility in the midst of the busy and noisy city.

From the newly built Hàn Shān Garden to the Fàn Yīn Pavilion, two people guard the path leading to the pavilion. The poem “Staying at Féngqiáo at Night” can be seen everywhere in the garden. I am a little unaccustomed to this traditional and rigid way of presenting it. In the first floor corridor of the Fàn Yīn Pavilion, a plaque reads “Hàn Shān Temple Bell Tower.” On the top floor eaves, a plaque reads “Fàn Yīn Pavilion.” On the north and south sides are plaques that read “With Tang Dynasty Echoes,” “Fàn Yīn Sounds Spread,” “Dharma Sounds are Unbound,” and “Frost Bell Heavenly Melody.” It feels a bit excessive! The protection and preservation of cultural relics truly require a rich spirit!

Inside the Fàn Yīn Pavilion hangs the “First Dharma Bell of China,” which is included in the Guinness Book of World Records. Tourists pay 5 yuan for each time they strike the bell. The moment you hear the sound of the bell, your heart is opened, and you truly feel a sense of joy. It spreads slowly from the depths of your heart, and you have a sense of destiny, but unfortunately, that moment is fleeting. The caretaker comes over to stop the bell-striker, and the payment is complete!

I like this wooden “Empty View” in the garden. The couplet is from a poem by the monk Hàn Shān: “The clear spring water of the jade stream, the white moonlight of Hàn Shān, silently knowing, the spirit is naturally bright, the view of emptiness is beyond quiet.” Quietly knowing, the mind naturally becomes clear! Don’t let your heart be filled with worldly desires. Constantly brush and polish it, and view objects, the world, and life with an empty view!

Finally, I saw the Féngqiáo bridge. Without Zhang Jì’s stroke of genius, it would probably just be one of the millions of stone bridges in the south of China. Like a person who is just part of the crowd without affection, the spiritual connection and resonance make the people and events encountered in life extraordinary. The stone pillars of the bridge are wrapped in faded gold cloth, and “Staying at Féngqiáo at Night” wind flags are inserted everywhere. This really made me uncomfortable. This should be a place of quiet contemplation, but it feels like a new “Dragon Gate Inn,” too noisy and flamboyant, encroaching on the space for inner experience!

Finally, I saw the Hàn Shān Temple that I had longed for. From the Féngqiáo bridge, it overlooks the green trees. This 1,400-year-old temple was built during the Liang Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties. Hàn Shān and Shídě, two Tang Dynasty monks, lived here, and the temple was named after Hàn Shān. Like Línyǐn Temple, the lintel of Hàn Shān Temple is also dominated by yellow. In politics, this represents imperial rule. In humanities, it represents the temple as a place of warmth for people.

The incense is very strong in the courtyard, and there are many people who have something to ask for. Perhaps there are more and more people who are helpless and hopeless. The two eminent monks, Hàn Shān and Shídě, look down from their high position, peacefully protecting the world. Legend has it that the two were as close as brothers and shared a love for the same woman. When the wedding was about to take place, Hàn Shān learned of this and left home to become a monk. Shídě also abandoned the woman to search for Hàn Shān. After they met, they both became monks and built a temple called “Hàn Shān Temple.” Since then, the statues of the harmonious gods have also become two, but they still retain the appearance of monks, with unkempt hair and smiling faces, one holding a lotus flower and the other holding a round box, meaning “harmony (lotus) and harmony (box) are good,” the god of harmony and reunion. I found this story on Baidu, and I feel so sorry for that woman!

Hàn Shān and Shídě have a famous dialogue recorded in the “Ancient Venerable Masters’ Sayings”:

Hàn Shān asked: “In the world, how do I deal with those who slander me, deceive me, insult me, laugh at me, belittle me, despise me, and cheat me?”

Shídě said: “Just endure him, let him be, avoid him, let him be, tolerate him, respect him, and don’t pay attention to him. In a few years, you’ll see him.”

The suffering of the world is only fleeting. Everything can be resolved with tolerance. It’s not so much about tolerating others, but about tolerating ourselves! Cultivation +ing

The ancient Hàn Shān Temple is slowly being swallowed up by modern “civilization.” Construction is underway behind the Sutra Library. This reminds me of the Big and Small Wild Goose Pagodas in Xi’an. No matter what angle you shoot from, it’s difficult to avoid the impact of modern buildings on the atmosphere of these historical classics. The vast square of the Fǎmén Temple in Xi’an, with its golden Buddha statues, cannot compare to the small piece of land where the original Fǎmén Temple stands, with its gray bricks and blue tiles. Spiritual beauty cannot be met by grand investment.

I’ve always believed that the preservation of cultural relics is a luxury that a nation can enjoy. Only when a nation is rich in spirit can it overcome its current desires and needs to ensure the longevity of human civilization. During World War II, a scholar named Liáng Sīchéng persuaded Colonel Bronson of the American Army, which led to the preservation of the famous cities of Nara and Kyoto in Japan. He said: “The original meaning of ‘architecture’ in English is ‘great craftsmanship.’ It is the synthesis of human society’s science, engineering technology, and artistic development. Architecture is ‘a reflection of society’ and ‘a symbol of the nation,’ but it is not just for one nation, but a concrete embodiment of the crystallization of human civilization. …Once destroyed, it can never be recovered.” This made Colonel Bronson decide not to bomb these two cities.

Old Beijing was once the most complete and perfectly planned ancient city in the world. Liáng Sīchéng once suggested preserving the Beijing city completely and building a new Beijing in the western part of Beijing. Unfortunately, the Soviet experts rejected it. Liáng Sīchéng was heartbroken. When the Emperor Temple archway was demolished, he wept uncontrollably and pleaded with Premier Zhou for two hours, describing vividly the beauty of the Emperor Temple archway under the setting sun. Zhou Enlai said: “The setting sun is infinitely beautiful, but it’s nearing twilight.” After it was demolished, Liáng Sīchéng cried for days. His wife, Líng Huīyīn, said: “You tore down a 600-year-old antique. In the future, you may have to restore it, but then you will be restoring a fake antique.” Beauty is powerless against practicality.

Today, our protection of cultural relics basically stops at the level of practicality. We put economic benefits first, make superficial profits, and most people just want to go there and say they’ve been there. But the real beauty, the real spiritual enjoyment, is ignored. This reminds me of Shān Jìxiáng, the director of the Palace Museum in Beijing. His care of the Palace Museum not only reflects wisdom, but also shows that a great nation is beginning to emphasize spiritual needs. He controls the number of visitors to the Palace Museum, insists on not raising ticket prices, does not allow motor vehicles to pass through, and foreign heads of state are no exception. Clever craft products account for about 5% of the income from cultural and creative products. “I’m Restoring Cultural Relics in the Palace Museum.” The open area of the Palace Museum will increase from the initial 30% to an estimated 85.02% by 2025. Director Shān has sparked a craze for visiting the Palace Museum. It’s a spark of our nation’s journey towards spiritual wealth!

To be honest, although I know that hearing scenery is always better than seeing scenery, “Staying at Féngqiáo at Night” and “Hàn Shān Temple” are still a bit far from my dreams. Even though I have made up a lot of things after returning, I still have some regrets. I know that this takes time. We need to wait until our leaders are richer in spirit and until our people are more capable of detaching themselves from practicality and enjoying spiritual beauty!

It is said that every New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day evening, Hàn Shān Temple holds a bell-ringing ceremony. They usually strike the bell 108 times, representing the 108 kinds of worries in the world. After hearing the bell, you will be free from worry and life will be happier. Hopefully!