Suzhou: My Rants & Raves - The Unfiltered Pt. 3

[Lula Schmidt]

Alright, picking up from my last entry! Our final destination was the famous Xiyuan Temple!

• Originally, I really wanted to head to the Hanshan Temple, as it is referred to in the poem "Beyond the walls of Gusu stands Hanshan Temple". Who wouldn't want to visit such a famous location?

  • (Quick fact: "Gusu" is another name for Suzhou, and Hanshan Temple became famous due to an ancient poem in China.)

• However, after reading lots of travel guides, I discovered that Xiyuan Temple has cats! That definitely made it more appealing to me.

• However, some of these cats were reportedly abandoned at the temple by humans, and there were sickly cats too – this really makes me angry!

  • Heads Up About Temple Cats:

    • Cats are carnivores, whereas the monks at temples follow Buddhism and only eat vegetarian food. They also adhere to the principle of non-violence. Therefore, they don't deliberately keep cats around actively.

    • It was reported that the current cats in temples are fed primarily by kind-hearted volunteers.

    • Caution to Visitors: While you might find cats cute, refrain from feeding them casually as it may upset their normal meal schedules, which is detrimental both for the cat and temple management.

    • The temple abbot not chasing the kittens away already shows great affection.

    • But my friend said he witnessed four kittens playfully and even lethally hunting birds right within this supposed peaceful and compassionate environment — how heart-wrenching!

• Nevertheless, we must still be grateful to the monks of Xiyuan Temple who provide shelter for these strays. It’s kind of like kittens having brought the temple a bit of popularity, or we could say their presence brings back life to the temple (much like what “incense smoke” represents).

• Xiyuan Temple truly is a sight to behold! My friends and I were left speechless at the leisurely lifestyle of ancient Suzhou people.

  • The phrase “high land, far emperor” means that with great distance from both literal mountains and figurative rulers, the locals can live worry-free and enjoy their own lives.

  • No wonder the famed Emperor Qianlong (a previous ruler) often visited the southeast region called “Jiangnan,” (which includes Suzhou, an area famed for its beauty and richness). Why wouldn’t someone want to stay in such a comfortable place?

• This even led me to fantasize about potentially retiring in Suzhou someday.

  • Having seen pictures shared by friends showing maple leaves during autumn in Suzhou Gardens, I was captivated immediately! I really thought it looked stunning all year round!

  • Though our trip in the heat wasn't very ideal.

  • So, next time if given a chance, we’ll certainly visit Suzhou again! This time we plan to rent a vehicle, so we won't have to face any traveling hassles and can have a fun, worry-free journey!

  • I can't wait for our future return to Suzhou!

[Rosemarie Sawayn PhD]

Yeah, that's pretty much it. The old town gets incredibly congested. Personally, I'd recommend electric scooters to friends over the subway, and the subway over taxis. Even if you take a taxi, it's best to avoid doing so directly within the scenic areas. Next time you're in Gusu District, rent an e-scooter; you can reach places like Pingjiang Road, Guanqian Street, Xiyuan Temple, and various gardens within about 20 minutes.

[Elsa Wyman]

Well, my friend actually lives in Suzhou, so she was guiding me. We only took taxis because we had luggage; otherwise, we would have used the subway and walked to the various gardens. Sigh, I really didn't expect getting around to be such a frustrating experience.

[Candace McDermott]

Finally, a tourist who doesn't know the full story about the cat and just jumps straight to blaming the temple.