★ Tourist location: Suzhou Changshu Shidong Scenic Area

Before arriving at the Shidong Cold Spring Scenic Area, there was also Xiaoyunqi Temple on the roadside. It was built during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. It was originally called Liequan Zen Temple. Later, because white clouds often floated, it was also called Baiyunqi and Xiaoyunqi Temple. In the small cave in the temple, there is a spring that often surges. It never dries up all the time, and it tastes sweet and chilly.

In the 20th year of Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, Sun Qifu, a native of the Yi Dynasty, invested in the construction, which lasted for seven years. At that time, there were more than 50 houses, named Baiyunqi Temple. During the Jiaqing period, Qian Chaojin, Yan Shangwei and others rebuilt it and built a spring pavilion on the cave. The temple was destroyed during the Xianfeng period. Although it was later repaired, it did not restore its original size.

Walking into the gate is the Hall of Kings. Maitreya Buddha is smiling. The four major Vajra in both cases are painted sculptures, and golden dragons are also carved on the pillars.

The Daxiong Hall is built against a mountain. Although it is not very large in scale, it looks very solemn because of the many steps. The steps are covered with colorful flags, and I don't know if there are Buddhist activities.

In the center of the hall are three Buddha statues, all of which are made of gold. On both sides are eighteen arhat statues. What is more special is that the arhat statues are not made of golden bodies, but colorful sculptures, and the colors are very bright.

Between the Tianwang Hall and the Daxiong Hall, there are the Treasury Hall, the Ksitigarbha Hall, the Guanyin Hall, and the Buddha Reading Hall. The God of Wealth enshrined in the Temple of Wealth is dressed in time-blue clothes, and the waiter boys on both sides look like a man and a woman.

The thousand-handed Guanyin Hall is dedicated to Guanyin, but the Buddha statue is not large and is white and gilded with gold. Next to it is a plastic gold Guanyin Bodhisattva holding the Buddha seal in her hand.

The Three Guanyin Hall has not been built yet. The hall is very empty and there are not even Buddha statues enshrined. Next to it is Tianfeng Haishan Tower, which is more magnificent than the Daxiong Hall.

The small stone cave is compared to the cold spring in the stone cave. Spring water seeps out from the stone wall and then drops to the bottom of the cave to form a green spring. There is a thousand-year-old vine at the entrance of the cave. In summer, its branches and leaves are green and cover the roof of the cave, making the scenery even more beautiful. There were originally many stone carvings and inscriptions around the cave. The more famous ones included Zhao Mengfu's "Inscription of the Bad Room", Qianlong's imitation of Mi Fu's "Brahma Tour", Qian Yong's "Biography of the Liushi in Plum Blossom Creek", Sun Yuanxiang's "Notes on the Creation of the Temple and the Establishment of the Field" written by Wu Weiguang, etc., but they are no longer there.

Not long ahead, you will reach the Cold Spring in the Shidong Cave, also known as the Old Shidong. Now, taking advantage of the natural canyon's mountainous terrain, landscapes such as green turtles, Fu Jian, gods and cattle playing in the water have been built. The natural drop is used to form a third-level waterfall, which is also the largest diversion waterfall in the Jiangnan area.

There is not much spring water at the entrance of the cave, and we can't wade through the water to take a look at the entrance. We don't know if there will be dry seasons and wet seasons in cold springs. If we divide them, it is undoubtedly a dry season.

There is a slope below the cold spring. The lake should be natural, but after repairs the day after tomorrow, the lake is calm and calm. There is a teahouse by the lake.

The reed flowers by the lake have mostly withered, and the rest are dejected on the branches. However, the bamboo forest next to it was still green and dripping.

There are two cows in the lake, two big and one small. It is estimated that the father cow and mother cow are carrying the baby cow. One of the cows looked back at the calf, which was probably the mother cow. This attraction is called "Divine Cow Playing in the Water", but it seems that only the calves are playing with high spirits, and the mother cow is always concerned about her baby!

We walked around the lake and looked at the cold spring among the trees. It seemed more beautiful. The three-headed ox is half in the water, with bamboo forests and green trees behind them. The spring scenery should be more beautiful.

There is a pavilion by the lake. It is newly built. The plum blossoms on one side are in full bloom. The trees are full of bright pink. It is surrounded by evergreen trees. Sure enough, the red flowers are lined up with green leaves.

There are also two plum trees next to the hydrophilic platform, one is bright pink and the other is white. The two plum trees are very close together, and the background behind is a green bamboo forest.

This lake is smaller, with an island in the middle. It should be man-made. It is arranged in the shape of a turtle, which is still very interesting. However, this small island is of a landscape nature and there are no roads to pass through it. This attraction is called the Green Turtle Fujian, which is more suitable for people in summer.

Walking under the plum blossom tree on the other bank, it will be even more beautiful from this angle. The red and white plum blossoms in front of you complement each other, the pink is delicate and the white is pure and flawless. The plum trees opposite you are also blooming brilliantly. Coupled with the huge rocks by the lake and the green mountains behind you, it is simply a natural picture.

From a different angle, you can see the pavilion on the other side, which is another kind of classical beauty. The turtle in the lake showed its head, as if it was lazily admiring something.

Walking to the exit, there is a wooden plank road leading to the depths of the bamboo forest, and there is also a tea room inside. Although bamboo is evergreen all year round, I always feel that this color is not as eye-catching as green as summer, giving off a desolate flavor.

Turning left out of the scenic area is Sage Square. It is at the intersection of Yushan South Road in the West Third Ring Road. It covers an area of 23,000 square meters and consists of three parts: Sage sculptures, embossed walls and leisure squares.

The three sages refer to Zhongyong, Yanzi and Wuxian. Below the three giant heads is the base engraved with the words "Yushan, the largest mountain in China's Wu Culture". This is currently the largest giant stone carving in East China. There are also arc-shaped embossed on both sides, describing the great achievements of the three sages of Yushan.

Zhongyong is also known as Yu Zhong and Wu Zhong, with the surname Ji. He is the twenty-fifth grandson of the Yellow Emperor and the second son of Danfu, the leader of the Zhou tribe in Qishan. In order to let his father pass down to his brother Ji Li, Zhong Yong and his brother Tai Bo sent the country south, one in Changshu and the other in Wuxi, establishing the Kingdom of Gou Wu. seasonal

His son Ji Chang was King Wen of Zhou, who later destroyed Shang Zhou and established the Shang Dynasty.

Yan Zi's famous saying Yan, also known as Ziyou, was the only southern disciple among the seventy-two sages of Confucius. He used etiquette and music to educate the scholars and people. There were singing everywhere in the territory, which Confucius admired very much.

Wu Xian was the first documented historical figure in Changshu. More than 3,000 years ago in the Shang Dynasty, Wu Xian was the prime minister and national teacher under Emperor Taiwu. He and his son Wu Xian both made great contributions to the Shang Dynasty. It is said that Wu Xian was good at astrology and invented divination. He and Yi Zhi worked together to revitalize the Shang Dynasty.