双塔 — Attraction in Suzhou City

Photographing Buddha statues inside temples is widely considered disrespectful. Monks, nuns, and temple staff consistently remind visitors of this rule—not out of rigidity, but out of reverence. These statues aren’t decorations; they’re sacred embodiments of devotion and spiritual practice.

Yet time and again, some tourists—whether out of ignorance or entitlement—ignore these boundaries. The flash of a camera becomes more than a nuisance; it’s a violation. It echoes, in a small but unsettling way, the historical arrogance of foreign powers who once looted cultural treasures without regard for their meaning or origin.

This isn’t just about etiquette. It’s about recognizing that sacred spaces deserve more than curiosity—they demand humility. And when that’s absent, what’s left is a hollow spectacle, stripped of the very spirit that made it...

定慧寺和双塔所在的罗汉院始建于唐咸通二年（861年），初名般若院，五代时改成罗汉院，宋代改为西方院。清代改名寿宁万岁院，后分为东西两部分，东为双塔寺西为定慧寺。定慧寺有两株210多年的银杏树。双塔建于北宋太平兴国七年（982年），均为七层八角阁楼式砖塔，塔高约33.3米。塔身为宋代原貌。寺庙主体建筑在1860年代毁于太平天国战火，今仅存石柱。1863年12月大约有两万多名太平军战俘在此附近双塔广场被清军屠杀，人头和尸体造成附近河道堵塞，血透地下三尺。Dinghui Temple and the Twin Pagodas at Luohanyuan were originally built in the second year of the Tang Xiantong era (861 AD) and were initially named Prajna (Bore) Monastery. During the Five Dynasties period, the name was changed to Luohan (Arhat) Monastery, and in the Song Dynasty, it was renamed Xifang (Western Paradise) Monastery. In the Qing Dynasty, it was renamed Shouning Wansui Monastery. Later, it was divided into two parts: the eastern part became Shuangta (Twin Pagodas) Temple, and the western part became Dinghui Temple. Dinghui Temple is home to two ginkgo trees that are over 210 years old. The Twin Pagodas were constructed in the seventh year of the Taiping Xingguo era of the Northern Song Dynasty (982 AD). Both pagodas are seven-story, octagonal pavilion-style brick structures, standing approximately 33.3 meters tall. The pagodas retain their original Song Dynasty appearance. The main temple buildings were destroyed in the 1860s during the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom wars, and only stone columns remain today. In December 1863, around 20,000 Taiping Army prisoners of war were massacred by Qing troops near the Twin Pagodas Square. The severed heads and bodies clogged nearby rivers, and the blood reportedly seeped three feet...

Not overly spectacular in terms of the views or anything, but it is incredibly peaceful and quiet here compared to the surrounding area. Location is easy to get to as it is near the center of town and pretty close to the Pingjiang River, Sipo Bridge, Master of Nets Garden, etc. There is also quite a bit of history at the site, and the admission price of only 8 kuai (about $1.13) is really low compared to most other sites. Worth a...