Visit the Ancient Mingyue Temple in Mudu Ancient Town, Suzhou

Mingyue Temple is located in the middle section of Shantang Street in Mudu, adjacent to the east of Yanjia Garden. It was built in the second year of the Later Tang Dynasty's Qingtai period (935 AD) by the monk Mingzhi. In the early Ming Dynasty's Hongwu period, it was merged into Puxian Temple. In the twelfth year of the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty (1886), the monk Daogen renovated it. Currently, the Buddha statues inside Mingyue Temple are under maintenance. The Shanmen Hall has three bays, and the four characters "Mingyue Ancient Temple" were handwritten by Elder Guanche. The architecture of Mingyue Temple is quite distinctive. The layout and structure of the Tianwang Hall, the Mahavira Hall, and the Sutra Library are similar to those of the nearby Lingyan Mountain Temple. The Mahavira Hall has five bays and two floors. In the center of the hall is the statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, flanked by Amitabha and Medicine Buddha, collectively known as the "Three Buddhas of the Three Ages." Behind the main Buddha is the statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva, standing on a lotus flower and holding a willow branch in a pure bottle. On both sides of the hall are the Eighteen Arhats. Behind the Mahavira Hall are the Sutra Library and the Chanting Hall.