Describe a sacred place.
The Chinese have a saying: “Above, there is heaven. Here, there is Suzhou.” Chinese religions preach tranquility and introspection, moods which the picturesque lands here evoke. Naturally, Suzhou has a healthy gathering of temples, many of which survived the purges while keeping most of their former beauty. Thus it is no surprise that several tour groups wander the arched stone bridges over the polished water even on a frozen January afternoon.
Although the temple survived the century, its monks did not. There is no worship or meditation here, just the twitter of camera clicks and the hum of city life outside this former sanctuary. In a place that used to represent the transience of the world, men and women now record everything so that they might one day reminisce about the temple’s beauty.
The tour ends at an incense shop. For a few dollars, one can purchase bundles of incense to burn at anonymous racks, hoping to see silent prayers answered. But the true end of the tour resides under two tiled roofs, where couples and families are directed to fortune tellers. With their story told from their birthdays on a filament of printed paper, these families are encouraged to donate hundreds if not thousands of dollars to the temple in hopes of good fortune. Indulgences. Baggage from the purges.
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