Sitting on the bank of the Grand Canal between Maple Bridge and River Village Bridge, the temple has tall and spacious halls, which are neatly laid out. Within the walls of the temple are venerable-looking pines under which are flower-boarded paths. When the temple bell is tolling, the deep strokes reverberate in the hall, mixing with the deep-toned chants of the monks. In its long history, the temple has more than once been destroyed by fire. The present one was built at the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The main architectural structures include the main hall, the hall with a circular gallery, the sutra library, the bell tower, etc.

In front of the temple gate stands a saffron yellow screen wall. On the gate is hung a horizontal board inscribed with Gu Han Shan Si or Ancient Cold Mountain Temple. Inside the temple gate, once one walks past a screen with carved images of Buddha, there come into the view of two statues on a huge lotus-shaped base. Both with disheveled hair and bare chests and unshod feet, one had in hand a ritual bottle and the other a lotus flower. These are the images of Monk Han Shan and Monk Shi De. During the course of their travel they arrived at Suzhou where they assumed charge of the Cold Mountain Temple so the temple was named after Han Shan later.

There is a story about the ancient bell in the temple circulated among the residents of Suzhou. It is said after a torrential downpour one year an ancient bell was seen bobbing up and down in the river in front of the temple. It sometimes banged against stones, giving out pleasant ringing sounds. Han Shan and Shi De went out to see what had happened. In spite of the efforts of the monks to haul it up the bank, it simply refused to budge. With a green bamboo stalk in hand, Shi De then jumped into the bell. With a push against the bank with his stalk, the bell was punted off afar, which took Shi De overseas to a strange place. When the natives found him, they gave him a hearty welcome. The green bamboo Shi De stuck in the fields nearby turned into a lushly growing grove. Shi De then resumed his practice of Buddhism, tolling the bell and doing obeisance from day to day.

Meanwhile Han Shan missed his brother very much. It was not long, however, before his ears were greeted with the low, lingering notes of a distant bell. He came to conclusion that it was from the bell, which carried Shi De away. So he had some artisans cast a bell and toll it at night to convey his deep longings for his brother. It is said that Shi De in the distant land would respond to the faint sound with a toll from his own bell. In this way the two brothers, though separated by distances, communicated their sincere feelings towards each other. According to the story, the place where Shi De found himself was today's Japan.

Written by our column writer Hao Zhuo and Jun Shan.
Photos Copyright © Jun Shan. All rights reserved.

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