Xukou Huaidai Chan Temple

Xukou Huaidai Chan Temple

Xukou Huaidai Chan Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Huaidai Temple is located in Xiangshan, Xukou, facing Taihu Lake. During the Tang Dynasty, Pei Du (765–839 AD), a native of Wenxi, Hedong (now Shanxi Province), visited the temple and found three jade belts beside the Tide-Viewing Pavilion, which he managed to return to their rightful owner. Later, Pei Du passed the imperial examination in the fifth year of the Zhenyuan era, gradually rose through the ranks, and eventually served as prime minister under four emperors. Grateful for the blessings of the bodhisattvas at Xiangshan Temple, he renovated the temple and renamed it “Huaidai Temple.” Since then, the temple has enjoyed enduring popularity with constant incense offerings. A stele inscribed with Li Genyuan’s clerical-script calligraphy “Huaidai Guanchao” (Returning the Belt and Tide-Viewing) adds to its charm. Leaning on the railing and overlooking Taihu Lake, one can see the mirror-like surface when the wind is still, or rolling waves when it picks up, with seventy-two peaks emerging from the mist.

In the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, Jia Zhongming adapted this story into the drama “Shan Shen Miao Pei Du Hua Dai,” also known as “Pei Du Hua Dai” (Pei Du Returns the Belt). The story goes that before Pei Du entered officialdom, a physiognomist predicted that he would die young and suffer an untimely, violent death. Pei Du paid no mind and simply smiled it off. Later, he inadvertently picked up a family heirloom—a gold-inlaid jade belt—but chose to return it to its rightful owner instead of keeping it. This act of integrity saved three lives, spared him a tragic end, led to him becoming the top scholar in the imperial exams, and helped him rise to become a renowned statesman who lived a long and honored life.

In the Ming Dynasty, Shen Cai wrote “The Tale of the Returned Belt,” whose plot closely resembles the Yuan Dynasty zaju drama “Shan Shen Miao Pei Du Hua Dai.” It tells how Pei Du found a jade belt in a temple in Xiangshan and returned it to its owner. As a result of this virtuous deed, he gained wealth, honor, and status—passing the imperial exams, becoming prime minister, quelling unrest in Huainan, and portraying the fickleness of society with vivid detail.

Today, the temple complex includes the Mahavira Hall, Heavenly King Hall, Guanyin Hall, Ksitigarbha Hall, Danniang Hall, Western Trinity Hall, and the Tide-Viewing Pavilion. The most distinctive is the Ksitigarbha Hall, which has three levels: the upper level houses the Tianyun Hall, the middle level enshrines the grand and solemn statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and the lower level contains the Yama Hall. It serves as a sacred place for worshippers to pray for blessings, ward off disasters, and offer donations.

Transportation Guide

Address: Huanxiangshan Road, Xukou Town, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province

Getting There: Take bus routes 58, 63, 581, 585, or 691 within Suzhou City and get off at Huaidai Temple Station.