Suzhou Tanhua Nunnery

Suzhou Tanhua Nunnery

Suzhou Tanhua Nunnery is a protected cultural heritage site of Suzhou.

Located in a mountain hollow at the northern foot of Fahua Mountain, Yuyangshan, in the central area of the resort district, Tanhua Nunnery was originally built during the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty (1403–1425). It is said to have been constructed by the younger brother of Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di. After more than five hundred years of ups and downs, the nunnery had become dilapidated, with only a few scripture rooms left. In 1987, Master Yongle came to take charge, pooling his life savings and raising funds. After overcoming numerous hardships, he finally rebuilt the Mahavira Hall and the attached scripture rooms, giving the ancient temple a completely renewed look.

The nunnery currently has three main halls and two auxiliary rooms. Above the entrance of the main hall hangs a large plaque inscribed with the characters “Qing Lian Xian Fa” (Manifestation of Purity in Dharma), written by You Tong of the Qing Dynasty. In front of the hall are ancient ginkgo and osmanthus trees. Inside the nunnery, there is also a stone stele bestowed by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, finely carved and elegantly shaped.

The nunnery houses what is known as its “treasured relic”—a Ming Dynasty engraved stele of the Goddess of Mercy (Guanyin). The layout of the stele is ingeniously designed and holds significant artistic value. The depiction shows Guanyin holding a shallow, long-handled flower basket with a fine checkered pattern, inside which rests a fish with its head raised and tail curled up. Known in Buddhist tradition as the “Fish Basket Guanyin,” and commonly referred to as the Liberation Guanyin, it is one of the Thirty-Three Forms of Guanyin in Buddhism.