Pan Gate Scenic Area Entrance
Let me explain what this area is all about as I was confused when I read about it initially, until I visited this place myself, and it was a O M G feeling!
This is the grand entrance of what the Suzhou people called the Pan Gate Scenic Area. It is huge and I mean a H-U-G-E area which covers an ancient Pagoda named Ruiguang Pagoda, Garden, Pan City Gate and Wu Gate Bridge.
After paying the entrance fee of RMB40, you will first meet the Ruiguang Pagoda. Walk further and you will see a beautiful building named the Hall of Four Auspicious Merits. Walk into the building and out of it on the other side, and you will see a huge lake and garden. There sits at the end of the lake is another building that looks like a Chinese palace.
Walk all the way to the end of the lake (at the back of the temple) and to the left, is the pathway to the Pan City Gate. That is another HUGE area to walk and enjoy. The Pan City Gate includes the land and water gates, the Wu Gate Bridge, a main canal and an old preserved memorial temple.
This whole area would take a good half day to explore.
The map of the Pan Gate Scenic Area. It is a 24.86 hectare land!
Ok let's start with the Ruiguang Pagoda first!
East Street
Rows of shops selling frozen seafood, kitchen ware and restaurants are found along East Street.
Get your ticket!
Beautiful tickets too!
Labor-Helping White Holy Ox
"In 1186, the 13th year of Chunxi in Song Dynasty, Falin, a Zen master renovated Ruiguang Pagoda again. During the renovation, citizens swarmed to help Falin and a white ox also joined in the work. As the ox labored day and night, it died as soon as the project was completed. To praise its devotion, Suzhou Municipal Local Taxation Bureau invested for the stone sculpture of the Labor-Helping White Holy Ox in its honor."
"Praisers Stele for Ruiguang Pagoda: As a relic of Ming Dynasty, the ancient stele was inscribed with words of praise of Ruiguang Pagoda by Zhu Yuanzhang (reigned 1386-1398, also called Ming Taizu), the first emperor of Ming Dynasty. The inscription was in the handwriting of Wen Zhenmeng, a renowned official in the reign of Chongzhen in Ming Dynasty in Suzhou."
A pouty resident cat!
Money! Money! Money!
Ruiguang Pagoda
Oldest pagoda in Suzhou. Sun Quan was a famous king who established the Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280AD). He built Ruiguang Pagoda in 247 AD for his mother. The pagoda stands at 176 feet and was built in masonry-timber with 7 floors.
There was a movie shoot I guessed, whilst we whilst we were there!
Ruiguang Pagoda after sunset
Resident cats came out to play!
This one gave me the evil eye!
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