Chijian Bao'en Chan Temple

Chijian Bao'en Chan Temple is located at No. 728 Shantang Street, Gusu District, Suzhou. It was first built in the eighth year of Emperor Yongzheng's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1730) as an ancestral temple dedicated to Prince Yi Xian. Prince Yi Xian's given name was "Yunxiang", who was the imperial Prince Yi, and "Xian" was his posthumous title. He was the thirteenth son of Emperor Kangxi and the closest brother of Emperor Yongzheng, commonly known as "Thirteenth Prince". After Emperor Yongzheng ascended the throne, he once reduced taxes in Suzhou, carried out water conservancy projects in Suzhou, and managed waterways such as Taihu Lake and the Grand Canal, effectively alleviating floods. In the tenth year of Emperor Xianfeng's reign (1860), Chijian Bao'en Chan Temple was destroyed by the Taiping Rebellion. It was rebuilt in the eleventh year of Emperor Tongzhi's reign (1872). Today, only the main gate tower and three reception halls remain of the Chijian Bao'en Chan Temple. The gate tower is a four-pillar, three-door, three-eave archway, with eight-character shaped brick screen walls on both sides. The gate tower is faced with finely polished square bricks, and the four protruding square pillars are also faced with square bricks, making it exquisite and beautiful. From top to bottom, the gate tower can be roughly divided into five parts: the eaves, the upper beam, the middle beam, the lower beam, and the archway. The eaves have a "pin" character-shaped structure with upturned corners. The upper eave has a main ridge, with dragon-kiss ridge ornaments at both ends. This high-standard ridge ornament is generally only used in imperial palaces and temples. At the top of the secondary eaves on both sides, there is a sculpted dragon-kiss. The upper beam is embossed with six plum blossoms, arranged in an orderly manner. The inscription in the rectangular frame of the middle beam has been destroyed. On both sides of the lower beam, three plum blossoms are embossed. The door openings between the four square pillars of the lower beam are not empty, but filled with brickwork. A central archway with an arc-shaped top is opened. Currently, the only part of Chijian Bao'en Chan Temple worth seeing is the gate tower; the interior halls and courtyards are generally not considered highlights. Currently, the "Hometown Rivers and Mountains - A Century of Images of Shantang Market" special exhibition is being held here, with free admission. However, it is closed on Mondays, and open from 10 AM to 5 PM.