Xiyuan Temple — Attraction in Suzhou City

Update 4 Mar 2025

Came back to this temple for more of their vegetarian noodles. Can’t beat this at RMB10 to 15 for a bowl of noodles with mushrooms, bamboo shoots, gluten and tofu.

Pro Tip: recently a cat in this temple became viral for its high five with visitors. Please be abused that the cat is not from the tempo. The owner brings his cat to the temple on weekends only and can be found at the entrance of the temple. Even without catnips, it will high five with you so no need to buy the snacks from vendors outside the temple.

There are several temples in Suzhou, many frequented by tourists and local alike but this is the eminent temple to visit. Tickets are RMB5 per pax.

Once inside the temple, beside praying (if you are into religion), there are several things to look out for and also to do.

Look out for the lake in the inner sanctum of the temple. There are two tortoises in the lake Yuan Yuan and Fang Fang said to be 400 years old. I did not get to see them so I had to settle with petting the bronze statues of both.

Secondly, look for the pigeon man. He calls the pigeons to gather at a stretch of park bench and then suddenly they all take flight (see video). Quite a spectacle.

Remember to have a vegan noodles meal in the temple. It’s quite delicious, filled with bamboo shoots and a few mushrooms. Quite affordable at RMB15 per bowl. Pay for the noodles and take your food card. Join the queue and exchange it at the end of the hall. Then find a place to seat and have your meal. Place is always crowded.

Last but not least, play with the cats in the temple. They say the cats are feral but I find them so domesticated. Please don’t feed them with food that you buy from the vendor outside the temple. Sometimes the cats are so full, the food you offer is just left to rot on the floor.

Really enjoyable place. Plan to spend a whole morning here. If you have time for only one temple visit in...

Don’t let the view from the street fool you. Although unassuming looking from the outside, the inside is surprisingly big and beautiful. Lots of friendly pigeons being fed by monks, huge carp in the big lagoon and even the occasional cat, when combined with the beautiful natural setting, make this place a welcome retreat from the urban sprawl of modern Suzhou. Considering it is basically a stone’s throw from the Lingering Garden, you would be crazy not to stop here...

This is my favourite temple to visit in Suzhou. Very humble and true to the buddhist teaching, the 方丈of this temple refused to raise entrance fee, making it more affordable for people to come visit. The 5rmb ticket even includes incense for you to use to pray. Also don’t forget to try the temple noodle,...