The Fengqiao Scenic Area is located on the canal west of the ancient city of Suzhou. The main tourist attractions include Fengqiao Bridge, Tieling Pass, Fengqiao Ancient Town, and the ancient canal (a section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal). A poem ‘Mooring by Maple Bridge at Night’ by Zhang Ji of the Tang Dynasty has attracted countless tourists from ancient times to the present to reminisce about the past and experience the ethereal artistic conception of hearing the bell from Hanshan Temple under the Fengqiao Bridge. It should be emphasized that although many people say that the Fengqiao Scenic Area includes Hanshan Temple, these two are really not one scenic spot and they sell tickets separately, which is not very people-friendly. The affiliated scenic spots of the Fengqiao Scenic Area occupy the vast majority of the area of the scenic area. They are basically on Jiangfengzhou, which is long and thin in the north-south direction. Jiangfengzhou is connected to the land by a bridge. To the east is Hanshan Temple, separated by a not-wide river. Tieling Pass and Hanshan Temple are on the same bank. Together with Fengqiao Bridge adjacent to Tieling Pass, they are located at the northwest corner outside Hanshan Temple. The scenic area has three entrances. The Heshan Entrance on the south side is close to Heshan Road and Jinmen Road. The Jiangcun Bridge Entrance in the middle is near the mountain gate of Hanshan Temple. As soon as you enter the Tieling Pass Entrance on the north side, you will see the main attractions, Tieling Pass and Fengqiao Bridge. The bus stop is on Jinmen Road. Therefore, tourists who come by bus are recommended to enter from the Heshan Entrance. Otherwise, they will have to walk a long way along the outside wall to reach the other two entrances. Tourists who drive or take a taxi can park their cars in the east square of the Hanshan Temple scenic area and then enter through the Tieling Pass Entrance to go straight to the key points. To the south of Jiangfengzhou is a green belt with several gardens and halls sparsely opened up. To the north is Fengqiao Ancient Town, all newly built in an antique style. There was indeed an ancient town here before. Because it is the intersection of the canal and the ancient post road, merchants gathered here. It was extremely prosperous in the Ming and Qing dynasties and was later destroyed by war. You can visit several exhibition halls in the town. See ship models in the Canal Transport Exhibition Hall, see art exhibitions in Jiangfeng Academy, and the miniature model ‘Scenic Spots of Fengqiao’ in Fengqiao Garden reproduces the prosperous scene of Fengqiao area in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Several bridges are also worth noting. Jiangcun Bridge near the mountain gate of Hanshan Temple is an ancient bridge rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty. It is said that ‘maple by the river and fishing fires lulling me to sleep’. ‘Maple by the river’ refers to maple trees by the river on one hand, and Jiangcun Bridge and Fengqiao Bridge on the other. The wooden corridor bridge, Listening to the Bell Bridge, is a good place to take pictures of Fengqiao Bridge and Tieling Pass. Under the archway at the northern end of the entire Jiangfengzhou, Jinghong Ferry, you can see the busy scene of ships coming and going on the ancient canal. There is a cargo ship dock on the sloping opposite bank. Not far from Listening to the Bell Bridge to the east is Fengqiao Bridge. In front of Fengqiao Bridge facing the river are several steps. It is said that this is where Zhang Ji moored his boat at night. The construction date of Fengqiao Bridge is unknown. What we see now is rebuilt in 1867 AD during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. Walk on this single-arch stone arch bridge. The stone steps of the bridge extend all the way into the doorway of Tieling Pass. The stone steps are worn smooth and the edges are pitted. You can clearly feel the passage of time, so that the numerous tourists leave their marks on the stones.
Tieling Pass was built in the 36th year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty (1557 AD). It is an existing anti-Japanese pass tower in Suzhou. The stone base platform at the lower part of Tieling Pass is still an ancient relic from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Boston ivy covers the base platform, as if telling the mottled years. The pavilion on the pass is a modern reconstruction. Tourists can climb up the pass tower through a one-person-wide staircase and overlook the ancient town of Fengqiao and the Puming Pagoda of Hanshan Temple from above. If you purchase a joint ticket for entrance tickets and Pingtan cruise ships, you can take a cruise ship at the dock under Tieling Pass. The ship slowly passes through the bridge opening, giving people a feeling of ‘arriving at a passenger ship’. In addition, there are Pingtan performances to watch on the cruise ship. To go to Hanshan Temple, pass through Hanshan Temple Lane, an ancient street selling handicrafts, south of Tieling Pass. In less than 100 meters, you will reach the mountain gate of Hanshan Temple. Or cross Jiangcun Bridge on Jiangfengzhou. Hanshan Temple can be seen on Jiangcun Bridge. It’s just a few steps away. Opening hours: Open all year round from 07:30 to 17:30. Service facilities. Parking lot: [Fengqiao Parking Lot]. Reference price: ¥6/hour. Address: At the end of Fengqiao Road, Gusu District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. Number of parking spaces: 50.
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