Luohan Temple at West Taihu Lake, Xi Shan

Luohan Temple at West Taihu Lake, Xi Shan

Luohan Temple at West Taihu Lake is a cultural tourism attraction.

Luohan Temple is located in Luohan Valley, Bingchang Village, West Taihu Lake, Suzhou. Nestled in a secluded valley, it is one of the few remaining temples in the West Taihu scenic area. Originally built in the second year of the Tianfu era during the Later Jin Dynasty of the Five Dynasties (937), it was merged into Shangfang Temple in the early Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty. During the Yongle era, monk Wuxiu renovated the temple, but it soon fell into disuse. In the second year of the Tianqi era of the Ming Dynasty, monk Juekong took up residence here, and the temple began to prosper. It was rebuilt in the 32nd year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1768), and the "Record of the Reconstruction of the Ancient Luohan Temple" stele was erected. After the late Qing Dynasty, the temple gradually fell into decline and was repurposed as a warehouse after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. In 1984, the Wu County Garden Management Office reconstructed the main hall (using materials relocated from a Ming-era civilian residence in Mingwan, dating from the Qianlong era), added the Kexi Hall and the mountain gate, and appointed dedicated personnel for management, reopening it to visitors. Legend has it that Wu King once stationed troops here, hence the place name “Bingchang” (military field), which was later mistakenly written as “Bingchang” (carrying field). Luohan Valley takes its name from the temple, featuring rolling green peaks and lush fruit trees, creating a vast sea of greenery. A newly built stone memorial archway stands by the stream in front of the temple, with the horizontal plaque inscribed in clerical script by Li Genyuan in 1929 with the words “Ancient Luohan Temple.” The couplet “Ancient tree paths lead to serenity, Buddhist chants harmonize with the wind,” composed by Shen Bingchun, is also displayed.

At the center of the mountain gate sits the jovial Maitreya Buddha (Cloth Bag Monk), carved from granite, with a yellow cloth sack on his back, greeting visitors with a smile. Above it is a plaque titled “Universal Joy.” The temple gate features the couplet: “Laughing endlessly at the affairs of past and present, witnessing all who come and go.” Behind the statue, several couplets adorn the screen, adding charm to the ancient temple: “Open-mouthed in laughter, laughing at the past and present, taking everything in stride; a belly vast enough to embrace heaven and earth, what can’t it accommodate in people?” “A belly that embraces all, cradling the Lord of Tusita in the front position; a smiling face of harmony, the future rebirth of the Maitreya Buddha.” “A belly vast enough to embrace all things unbearable under heaven; an open mouth that laughs at all laughable beings in the world.” “Laugh until the right moment to close your mouth, sit without a day without joy.” Passing through the courtyard leads to the Hall of Arhats, a Qing Dynasty structure housing granite carvings of Sakyamuni and sixteen arhats with childlike faces from the Qing Dynasty. The arhat carvings are bold and rustic, with simple yet varied expressions that convey a sense of solemnity and sincerity, reminiscent of the grandeur of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. This unique style of arhat carving is rare in China and was designated as a county-level cultural relic protection unit in 1997 (it was relocated from Ningbang Temple on Mount Qionglong in the Book Collection area to Luohan Temple in 1985). Above it hangs a plaque inscribed with “Buddha’s Light Shines Everywhere.”

Beside the temple stand two renowned camphor trees, growing side by side along the stream. One has twisted roots and stands evergreen, lush like an emerald canopy; the other is sturdy and upright, providing deep shade that blocks the sun, with an ancient and quaint posture. Both trees are entwined by an ancient wisteria vine with a trunk diameter of over 60 centimeters, covered in burls, resembling a dragon playing with a pearl—known as the “Wisteria and Camphor Intertwined,” a spectacular sight. In front of the temple grows a podocarpus tree, standing firm like a guardian, its main trunk broken at the top, with new branches sprouting from the dead wood, symbolizing renewal. Li Genyuan visited West Taihu and Luohan Temple in 1929 and remarked, “A wisteria vine, twisting and reaching for the sky, is even more uniquely ancient and lovely than the wen vine in the Humble Administrator’s Garden; the podocarpus tree is also over a thousand years old.” Behind the temple lies “Jun keng Spring,” commonly known as the Dragon King Pool, consisting of two springs, male and female, closely connected. This area was once where Wu King stationed troops, and the spring was dug by the Wu army, hence the name Jun keng Spring. On the mountainside east of the temple lies the tomb of Huang Yuan Shan, a treacherous prime minister of the Song Dynasty. Many villagers in the area bear the surname Huang, descendants of the Huang family, who have made a living from fruit and flowers for generations. The community is known for its simple and hospitable folkways.

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