Popular Best Things to Do in Suzhou

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Mangdang Mountain, the Sacred Site of the Rise of the Han Dynasty. In the history of the Han Dynasty, Mangdang Mountain holds a unique place. It is where Liu Bang hid during his exile and where he rose up in rebellion after slaying a snake, thus earning it the titles of "Sacred Site of the Rise of the Han Dynasty" and "Source of the Great Han." My knowledge of Mangdang Mountain dates back to my childhood, from a description in my junior high school Chinese or history textbook, which remains vivid in my memory. The text recounts how a group of people were traveling along a rugged mountain path when those ahead suddenly turned back in terror. They learned that a large snake blocked their way, and fearing for their lives, they wanted to return the way they came. Liu Bang stopped them, strode forward, and indeed found a huge white snake coiled in the road. He drew his sword and slew the snake. The people admired Liu Bang's courage, considering him a god, and willingly followed him, at his beck and call. Later, Liu Bang participated in the peasant uprising at the end of the Qin Dynasty, established the Han Dynasty, and this place became the birthplace of the Han Dynasty. The idea of ​​visiting Mangdang Mountain arose from that time. After visiting Xuzhou in Jiangsu and Haozhou in Anhui, we drove to Yongcheng in Henan, the location of Mangdang Mountain. Surprisingly, the mountains here weren't as high as we had imagined; from a distance, they looked like mounds of earth. The place where Liu Bang supposedly slew the snake wasn't on a mountain, but on flat ground. That area was quite wide; if a snake were truly blocking the way, one could easily walk around it from either side. This was somewhat disappointing, showing that historical accounts cannot be entirely trusted. While the description of slaying the snake is certainly exaggerated, the fact likely exists. To commemorate Liu Bang's feat, his son, Emperor Wen of Han, built a temple at the site where Liu Bang slew the snake, and held annual sacrifices there. This temple, located on Dangcheng Road in Yongcheng City, is named "Gaozu Temple." In front of the temple is a stele commemorating the slaying of the snake. Built during the Ming Dynasty, legend has it that every night, when the lamplight shines on the stele, a golden-armored warrior appears on it, as if Liu Bang himself has reappeared. This sight attracts countless tourists.

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I went out for a walk on the weekend, took a sightseeing bus to the halfway point, and hiked the rest of the way. It was winter, so the vegetation was bare and the scenery wasn't great, but hiking is still excellent exercise. There's a toboggan run that was very popular; those who don't want to hike down can give it a try.