Xiyuan Temple () or Xiyuan Jiechuanglü Temple () is a

Buddhist temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism represen ...

Wuzhong District Wuzhong District () is one of five urban districts of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. It has a land area of and had a population of 590,000 in 2001. Administrative divisions In the present, Wuzhong District has 8 subdistricts and 7 towns. ;8 s ...

Suzhou Suzhou (; ; Suzhounese: ''sou¹ tseu¹'' , Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Soochow, is a major city in southern Jiangsu province, East China. Suzhou is the largest city in Jiangsu, and a major economic center and focal point of trade ...

Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...

, China. It is located just to the west of

Lingering Garden Lingering Garden (; Suzhou Wu: Leu yoe, ) is a renowned classical Chinese garden, dating back to 1593. It is located at 338 Liuyuan Rd. Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China (留园路338号). The garden is divided into 4 themed sections connected ...

History

The temple was founded in the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fifth ...

, was destroyed and then became part of a large classical garden, Xiyuan or West Garden (). The garden belonged to a Senior Government Official during the

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

. When he died, his son donated the garden to the monastery. Most of the buildings were destroyed during the

Taiping Rebellion The Taiping Rebellion, also known as the Taiping Civil War or the Taiping Revolution, was a massive rebellion and civil war that was waged in China between the Manchu-led Qing dynasty and the Han, Hakka-led Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. It lasted fr ...

in 1860. It was rebuilt after the war. The temple is known for its statues, Arhat Hall and Free Life Pond, where 2 famous long-life Asian Giant Softshell Turtles lived. One turtle died in 2007 at the age of 400, and the other has disappeared. File:Asian Giant Softshell Turtle.jpg, Asian Giant Soft shell Turtle Statue File:Free Life Pond.jpg, Free Life Pond File:Chinese Guardian Lion.jpg, Guardian Lion Statue

References

LI Shang-quan. Suzhou Western Garden Buddhist Culture Research Journal of Nanjing Xiaozhuang University. No.1 Jan. 2007.

External links

Jiechuang Buddhist Educational Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Xiyuan Temple Buddhist temples in Suzhou