The overall layout of Hanshan Temple did not follow the principle of axial symmetry, perhaps due to the limited space occupied by the temple. It is said that Hanshan Temple was founded by a monk named Hanshan during the Tang Dynasty. According to legend, during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, there were two young people named Hanshan and Shide, who had been good friends since childhood. After growing up, Han Shan's parents arranged for him to marry a girl, but the girl had already developed mutual love with Shi De. After learning the truth, Han Shan decided to fulfill Shi De's marriage and left his hometown to become a monk and practice alone in Suzhou. Later, Shide also learned the truth, so he went to Suzhou to find Hanshan and converted to Buddhism with him.

Nowadays, the Hanshan Temple has specially built a Hanshi Hall for them under the Tibetan scripture building, which enshrines Hanshan and Shide. They are now collectively known as the Two Immortals of Harmony, and the "Harmony" concept advocated by them has become an important part of traditional Chinese culture. It is even said that after worshipping them, they can still become husband and wife in their next life.

Inside the Hanshan Temple, there is a rubbings exhibition featuring portraits of two famous figures from various dynasties, including Qi Baishi and Xu Beihong. I took a brief look and found works by these figures.

The Puming Pagoda, which has a distinct Tang Dynasty style, is said to have been built in 1996. Many inscriptions written by famous masters are embedded on the walls of both courtyards. At the four corners of the lower part of the pagoda, four wealth seeking Pixiu are placed.

The koi in Hanshan Temple look very elegant and luxurious. It is said that touching the koi can bring good luck, but what you expect is good luck, and what others are concerned about is the 10 yuan you spent on buying fish food.

To come to Hanshan Temple, hitting the bell is necessary. You can hit it three times for 5 yuan, and you can personally experience the charm of ancient people. Climb the second floor of the bell tower, hit it three times, and listen to the stirring and melodious sound of the bell spread far away. It is truly a pleasure. It is said that people have 108 types of troubles in a year, and by ringing the bell 108 times, all their troubles can be eliminated. To successfully eliminate 108 troubles, after calculation, it requires 180 yuan.

After coming out of Hanshan Temple, we took a bus to Xiyuan Temple.

Xiyuan Temple is the most conscientious temple in Suzhou, and it is said to be the favorite temple among locals in Suzhou. In the early years, it voluntarily withdrew from the 4A scenic area in order to lower the ticket price to a symbolic 5 yuan, and each person can receive 3 incense sticks for free.

Unlike other temples, Xiyuan Temple not only has temple architecture, but also gardens and landscapes. Not only can you burn incense and worship Buddha here, but you can also masturbate cats and feed pigeons.

In the release pond of the West Garden here, there used to be only three zebra turtles raised in the world, but unfortunately, now we can only appreciate the bronze statue of the zebra turtles.

To come to Xiyuan Temple, there is another wish that must be fulfilled, which is to eat vegetarian noodles once. Here is a bowl of Guanyin noodles priced at 15 yuan, with plenty of toppings, including bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, and oily gluten. The noodles are moderately soft and hard, with a slightly sweet taste, and have become one of the delicacies that must be checked in when coming to Suzhou.

Liuyuan is only a few hundred meters away from Xiyuan Temple and can be reached by walking. It is one of the most famous gardens in Suzhou and a world cultural heritage site. Its internal design is winding, exquisitely constructed, and the scenery changes step by step, making it a model and representative of many classical gardens in Suzhou.

The Classical Gardens of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province is a combination of house and garden, which can be appreciated, visited and lived. This architectural form not only meets the convenience of people living in densely populated downtown, but also meets the ideal of people's heart between mountains and waters.

Strolling through the entire park, one can feel the exquisite design everywhere, which can be said to be meticulously crafted. However, the overall appearance does not show any artificial traces, which is truly breathtaking.

Liuyuan was unlucky and was first built in the 21st year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1593). Later, it was abandoned and changed ownership. During the Anti Japanese War, it was even reduced to a Japanese stable. The Nanmu pillars of the Wufeng Immortal Hall were gnawed into gourd shapes by horses, and the accumulation of horse excrement on the ground was more than a foot thick, which was truly a waste.

Guanyun Peak is located in the east of Liuyuan Garden. It is said to be a relic of Huashigang of Song Dynasty and one of the four great stones in the south of the Yangtze River. It fully reflects the characteristics of the Taihu Lake Lake stones, which are thin, leaky, transparent and wrinkled.

After leaving Liuyuan, we walked to the nearby Pudding Hotel. After taking a break at the hotel, we walked to Shantang Street.

Shantang Street is named after Shantang River. During the Tang Dynasty, Bai Juyi served as the governor of Suzhou, dredging the northwest river outside Suzhou and excavating it into a Shantang River. The ancient street built along the river is called Shantang Street. After more than a thousand years of development, Shantang Street has now become a "famous historical and cultural street in China". For over a thousand years, the only thing that has remained unchanged is that Shantang Street has always been a bustling place in Gusu City.

The best time to visit Shantang Street is at night. Whenever the lanterns are on, the streets are crowded with people, and almost every small bridge connecting the two sides is crowded with people taking photos and taking photos. Standing on these small bridges, one can truly feel the characteristics of Suzhou's water town. The large red lanterns of merchants on both sides hang high, and the wooden boats winding along the river make people deeply appreciate the romance of the sound of paddles and the shadows of lights.

The bamboo tube ice cream that evokes poetic memories on the street is an internet celebrity, and after tasting it, we don't feel as bad as everyone thinks.

The braised chicken feet of Shen Wansan's are delicious. Mount Taishan original beer has a first-class taste.

Before returning to the hotel, we went to Xinzhen, ordered his fried buns and small Wonton, and felt that the taste was ordinary.

The next morning, we took a bus to the Humble Administrator's Garden. It was still early, so we had breakfast at the entrance of Guanxing. Then we entered the Humble Administrator's Garden, which is the top of China's four major gardens. The other three gardens were the Summer Palace in Beijing, the Summer Resort in Chengde, and the Lingering Garden we visited yesterday.

The Humble Administrator's Garden was also first built in the Ming Dynasty. In the fourth year of the Zhengde reign (1509), Wang Xianchen, an imperial censor who returned to his hometown due to disappointment in the officialdom, expanded the site of the Dahong Temple and built it into a garden. He took from Pan Yue's "Leisure Residence Ode" of the Jin Dynasty, which means "filling the garden with vegetables for daily and evening meals, which is also the name of the Humble Administrator's Garden".

The essence of Humble Administrator's Garden lies in the utilization of water system. The garden is full of trees and natural scenery. Buildings of different shapes and heights are arranged near the water. The corridors are undulating, the water waves are reflected, and there are holes in the sky. Although the whole environment of Humble Administrator's Garden is made by people, the natural ecological interest is very prominent.

The park cleverly utilized the distant Beisi Pagoda and borrowed it for its own use, blending seamlessly with the landscape inside. This is the origin of borrowing scenery in garden construction.

On the way to Lion Grove after visiting Humble Administrator's Garden, we bought Suzhou's specialty snack, Osmanthus Cake, and strolled to Lion Grove while eating.

The Lion Grove was first built in the second year of the Zhizheng era of the Yuan Dynasty (1342). It is said that the great calligrapher and painter Ni Yunlin personally designed and participated in the garden construction of the Lion Grove. It is currently one of the four famous gardens in Suzhou.

The biggest feature of the Lion Forest is the the Taihu Lake Lake rockery in the park. There are many stone peaks, many of which look like lions, so it is called "Lion Forest". Climbing the rockery in the Lion Grove gives people a feeling of being a young man's maniac. No wonder after Emperor Qianlong's visit, he wrote a plaque that read "really interesting". However, because it was too childish, it was later simplified to "really interesting".

These rockeries have gone through years of countless people's trials and tribulations, and many of the stones have a smooth and well coated surface. Therefore, special attention should be paid to slipping when playing. Fortunately, the garden management department has realized this and has pasted anti slip strips on many smooth stone surfaces.

The following Suzhou Museum is the most tiring place on the itinerary. Although it was designed by the famous I.M. Pei and looks distinctive, the overall feeling after visiting is that the exhibition route design is quite chaotic. Many places are visited before entering again unconsciously, and when I see the exhibits, I realize that I have already visited them. In addition, there are too few chairs to rest. After walking for a few hours, I am very tired and urgently need to find a place to rest. However, the only few chairs have long been occupied by people, and in the end, the restroom is overcrowded. The male compatriots are okay, while the female compatriots are quite miserable, requiring a queue of about ten minutes.

There are not many exquisite works in Suzhou Museum, but the highlight "Zhenzhu Relics Treasure Building" and the wooden letter displaying Zhenzhu Relics Treasure Building are both imitations, which is a bit disappointing.

But the flaws do not hide the beauty. Suzhou Museum still has many attractions here. The popularity is extremely high, and reservations need to be accurate to the hour. Visitors are not allowed to enter in the morning or evening. Many people come here not to visit the collection, but to check in and take photos.

After leaving the museum, I had lunch at KFC nearby and then walked to Pingjiang Road.

If you say that spring is not too late, I will arrive in the true Jiangnan.

Pingjiang Road is a historic old street in Suzhou, a small road along the river named Pingjiang River. The Pingjiang Road Historical Block is the most well preserved area of the ancient city of Suzhou, which can be called a microcosm of the ancient city. The most suitable atmosphere here is in the early morning or evening when it is drizzling, holding an oil paper umbrella, wearing a qipao, and walking gracefully on the stone paved street. It is said that the poet Dai Wangshu's "Rain Alley" describes the lilac alley here:

Holding an oil paper umbrella, alone

Wandering for a long, long time

The lonely rain alley,

I hope to meet

A clove like one

A girl burdened with sorrow and resentment

......

The Twin Towers Market, not far from Pingjiang Road, is a food market. It is said that there are several good snack shops in it. We took a stroll in the bustle, and the big lady in it ate wine Yuanxiao (Filled round balls made of glutinous rice-flour for Lantern Festival) and so on. The Shuangta Market was originally an ordinary vegetable market, but after being renovated by Dongfang TV's "Dream Transformation Home", it has become a popular check-in spot for internet celebrities. The design of Shuangta Market is innovative and unique, making the previously chaotic market clean, tidy, beautiful, and fashionable, making it very suitable for taking photos and checking in.

After coming out, we took a bus to Chengpin Bookstore by Jinji Lake. This is the first branch of Taiwan Chengpin Bookstore in mainland China, and the 24 Roman pillars inside are very suitable for taking photos. Of course, the books and cultural creations inside are also very unique.

We strolled to the shore of Jinji Lake. This evening, the weather was gloomy and there was no sunset to enjoy. After sitting for a while, we took a car to the landmark building of Suzhou, the East Gate, commonly known as Big Pants.

When we arrived at the Gate of the East, the sky had not yet darkened. It was still early, so we walked to the third floor of Xingyuehui in the central square of Suzhou. Here, we had the Queen's Barbecue, and the waiter took care of the entire process. After eating and drinking enough, we came out just in time

A group of young people gathered in front of the Gate of the East to take photos and check in. We can already be called old timers inside, but the value lies in having a young heart.

After taking photos, I took the subway to Suzhou Railway Station and took the 8:58 pm train back to Nanjing, ending a pleasant two-day trip to Suzhou.