Hanshan Temple

A historic Buddhist temple on the western outskirts of Suzhou, founded around the sixth century and made famous by a much-loved Tang-dynasty poem describing its midnight bell heard by a traveler moored nearby. Named for a legendary eccentric monk, the temple is renowned for its great bronze bell, struck at the new year in a ceremony drawing large crowds. Halls, a pagoda and a poetry-inscribed wall fill the walled compound beside an old canal. Visitors ring the famous bell, read the celebrated verse in stone and cross the nearby Maple Bridge.