Xiyuan Temple

Xiyuan Buddhist Temple is a truly peaceful and beautiful place to visit. The moment you enter, you feel a sense of calm and spiritual energy that’s hard to find anywhere else. The architecture is stunning, the statues are impressive, and the entire temple grounds are incredibly well maintained. I loved walking through the different halls, lighting incense, and taking a quiet moment to reflect. The atmosphere is respectful, serene, and deeply grounding perfect for anyone looking to reconnect, pray, or simply enjoy a moment of peace away from the busy streets. The monks and staff are welcoming, and everything feels authentic and meaningful. It’s not just a tourist spot; it’s a place where you can truly feel the history, culture, and spirituality. Highly recommended for anyone visiting the area a must-see temple.

A temple full of cats Entrance fee is cheap (5Yuan), and you can stay as long as you you want Please drop by the canteen to have their noodle, very good for its price. They sell other snacks and buns too, it is famous among tourist

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, it’s the best!

Great spot to visit while in Shanghai. Good coffee and lovely peaceful surroundings to relax before or after your tour of the temple

One of my favorite places in Suzhou, very calming and beautiful! Lots of cats as well

one of the best temples, $1 ticket. Very cheap noodles.

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 Suzhou, this is it.

Historical temple with famous resident cats…