Guangfu Temple,the Copper Buddha After turning your nose up at the din and ruckus of Mudu, hop a cab to Guangfu Temple . Built on a small hill, it's not as big as even the Hanshan Temple in Suzhou, but it's very quaint and, unlike Hanshan, active monks still live there. The treasure of the temple is a 1000 year old copper Buddha of Mercy housed in the main prayer hall. Legend has it that it was unearthed in the area during the Song Dynasty.

    Standing about 1 meter tall, it would probably pass notice if you weren't clear on the history. For me the real treasure was the short hike up the hill behind. With great views of Zhenhu (a small islet hemmed off of Taihu), a spacious courtyard and a small teahouse, it's perfect for an hour's worth of contemplation, i.e. lunch. Then scamper up the seven story tower for excellent aerial views and your first real look at what you've come for: Taihu! The tower is genuinely old, several hundred years at least (my Chinese guidebook only specified that it was originally built in 1400, but had been renovated somewhere along the line. There is also an interesting photo at the base of the tower which shows the structure standing in the middle of greenery: clearly the temple complex itself, though originally founded in 500 A.D., had been rebuilt from scratch recently). The twinkling of the bells hanging at the eaves in the strong winds blowing in from the lake is intoxicating on a beautiful day like today.