First founded in 276 AD, and later destroyed by war, the present day Temple of Mystery (Xuánmiào Guàn, 玄妙观) was built in 1781. A Taoist place of worship, and one of the largest extant examples of Song Dynasty wooden architecture, it now stands in the heart of crowded, commercialised Suzhou. Yet time spent here makes for a welcome change of pace.

Of the various halls inside the temple, the highlight is the Room of the Three Pure Gods (Sānqīng Diàn, 三清殿), supported by 60 pillars, on which are carved images of hundreds of Taoist gods. Also popular are the daily demonstrations of local folk music and flying cymbals.

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