This 1,500-year-old ancient temple in Changshu is famous for a familiar poem. Unfortunately, I didn’t know it until I came here.

There are many famous temples in our country. When it comes to Shaolin Temple, people will think of Jet Li's first movie; when it comes to Jinshan Temple (Jiangtian Zen Temple), people will think of Bai Suzhen's water-filled Jinshan; when it comes to the Great Prime Minister's Kingdom Temple, people will think of Master Lu uprooting the weeping willows. Every temple in our country has its own story.

Some temples are famous because of stories, and some temples are famous because of a poem. For example, Zhang Ji’s only famous poem "Night Mooring on the Maple Bridge" made Hanshan Temple the "Network" of Suzhou. "Red" temple. In ancient times, many literati and poets became inspired by poetry after visiting temples and left their poems engraved on monuments. There is a poem among them that I learned in junior high school, but I didn’t know at the time that this poem was related to a temple in Changshu, Jiangsu.

This temple is the Xingfu Zen Temple located at the northern foot of Yushan Mountain in Changshu. It once had a very interesting name, called "Poshan Temple". After visiting here early one morning, Chang Jian, a poet from the Tang Dynasty, wrote a poem "Inscribed on the Zen Temple Behind Poshan Temple": Entering the ancient temple early in the morning, the first sun shines on the high forest. The winding path leads to a secluded place, and the Zen room is deep with flowers and trees. The light of the mountain is pleasing to the nature of the birds, the shadow of the pond is empty of the human heart, all sounds are silent, except for the sound of bells and chimes.

Although I can still memorize this poem in its entirety, at that time I was only doing homework and didn’t pay attention to where the poem was written. Many years later, when I went to work in Suzhou and was on a business trip in Changshu, I took a break and stopped by Xingfu Zen Temple. Only then did I suddenly realize, "Oh, it turns out that poem came from here." I instantly became interested. Of course, Xingfu Zen Temple was once called "Poshan Temple", which does not mean that the temple is very poor, but because it is located in a place called "Polong Stream" in Yushan Mountain, hence its name.

Xingfu Zen Temple was built in the Southern Qi Dynasty, which was also the period when temples were built most vigorously in my country. It has a history of 1,500 years and was first called "Dabei Temple". After expansion during the Nanliang Dynasty, the name was changed. "Fushou Temple" was also called "Poshan Temple" because it was located next to Polong Stream. It was not until 100 years after the death of Chang Jian, the great poet of the Tang Dynasty who wrote poems about Poshan Temple, that Emperor Yizong Li of the Tang Dynasty granted him the title "Xingfu Temple". "Well, that name is still in use today.

Changshu Xingfu Temple is a famous temple in the south of the Yangtze River. Although it has been built and destroyed many times, its incense is still strong today. In addition to the main buildings such as the Tianwang Hall, the Main Hall, and the Dharma Hall, there are also the Tiger Rescue Pavilion, Hollow Pond, Landscapes such as Junzi Spring retain the simplicity of temples and the elegance of Jiangnan gardens. The temple has towering ancient trees, making it a good place to escape the heat in the hot summer. When you are tired of shopping, it is a beautiful thing to drink a cup of tea and eat a bowl of plain noodles here.

Yushan Mountain, where Xingfu Zen Temple is located, is a treasure land in Changshu, and it is also a good place for climbing enthusiasts and photography enthusiasts. From the top of the mountain, you can overlook the entire urban area of ​​Changshu, with a panoramic view of Shang Lake and Kuncheng Lake. Especially in the summer season when the view is widest, Suzhou’s Tiger Hill Tower can be seen to the south. If you like photography, you can also come here to watch the sunrise and sunset in Qinchuan and feel the tranquility and distance.

I came to Changshu to visit Xingfu Zen Temple. I came and went in a hurry, but I also got to know the song "Inscribed on Poshan Temple Houchanyuan" again. Later, I also found that many of the scenic spots I had visited were It was related to the poetry I had learned while studying, so I started to have a new interest in poetry. So have you been to Xingfu Zen Temple? Do you also know which scenic spots you have visited that have left you with familiar poems? Feel free to speak your mind.