Sunrise above Jinji Lake in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province (Photo/GT)
Poetic temple
If you feel a little bit homesick and sleepless while visiting Suzhou, you are not alone. Near the Hanshan Temple - literally the Cold Mountain Temple - some hundreds of years ago during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), a poet named Zhang Ji wrote a famous poem A Night -Mooring Near Maple Bridge while his boat was moored to a bridge one chilly evening. That night he had trouble sleeping. The cries of the crows, the moon, the fisherman's lamp and the sound of a midnight bell left him feeling sad. So he wrote:
"While I watch the moon go down, a crow caws through the frost;
Under the shadows of maple-trees a fisherman moves with his torch;
And I hear, from beyond Su-chou, from the temple on Cold Mountain,
Ringing for me, here in my boat, the midnight bell."
As described in the poem, the 1,500-year-old temple often holds bell-ringing ceremonies.
Also thanks to the poem, the small bridge nearby has become famous. If you visit the temple, which is located five kilometers from Suzhou's old town, you can stand where Zhang's boat was once moored.
Besides the Hanshan Temple, Suzhou is also home to other Buddhist temples such as the Xiyuan Temple, the largest Buddhist monastery in China, where you can see 500 life-sized statues of Buddhist saints.
Kunqu opera
One of the best cultural experiences is see a traditional Kunqu opera performance at a local teahouse. Kunqu is more than a musical drama; it is a combination of opera, theater plays, dance and -acrobatics. Kunqu originally came from a district near Suzhou but has now spread to the rest of China.
It is said that Kunqu is less complex than Peking Opera. The stage setting is very simple, sometimes no more than a table and a chair, which means its up to the audience to use their imagination.
The language of Kunqu is a mix of a local dialect and Putonghua (Standard -Chinese). Don't worry if you don't understand it, just use your imagination and your sure to have a good time. A quick visit to the Kunqu Opera Museum in Suzhou will give you a better understanding of the art form's musical instruments, costumes and stories. Entry is free.
One of the most famous Kunqu operas is the Peony Pavilion, a romantic opera written in 1598. The heroine Du Liniang, a daughter of an important official, goes for a walk in the garden and falls asleep.
She dreams of falling in love with a handsome young scholar who she has never seen before. Tragically she passes away some time after waking. After she dies, her dream lover ends up visiting the garden where he sees her portrait and falls in love with her. Her ghost visits him and he helps her come back to life.
Silk culture
When Marco Polo visited Suzhou, he was impressed by the inhabitants of the city who wore silk clothing. This makes sense as Suzhou is the silk capital of China. The finest silk embroidery work comes from this city. During the Ming Dynasty, Suzhou provided high quality silk for the royal family.
You can visit the Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute to watch the artisans at work and see astonishingly beautiful silk masterpieces for yourself.
Everything is for sale, so be careful or you might spend a fortune! You can also visit the Suzhou Silk Museum where you can learn the history of silk and traditional silk weaving technology also free of charge.
Rules of thumb
Getting there:
From the Shanghai Hongqiao and Pudong International Airports, you can make a short trip to Suzhou by bullet train or bus.
Where to stay:
There are over 100 hotels in Suzhou, ranging from luxury hotels to youth -hostels. Luxury hotels offer five-star comfort and views of the lake. They cost about $100 to $200 per night. A boutique hotel in the city center costs from $30 to $200 per night. For budget travelers, Suzhou has a collection of mid-range hotels ranging from $25 to $50 per night.
Weather:
Spring and autumn are the most popular times to visit Suzhou. Summer in Suzhou is hot, humid and rainy with an average temperature of 32 C. Winter is the coldest season with the least amount of tourists as the humidity makes things even chillier.
