The Xuanmiao Temple stands in the commercial heart of the old town and has been a centre of Suzhou life since the Jin dynasty. The name translates as "Temple of Mystery" — a reference to Taoist cosmology — but the atmosphere is less mystical than lively. The surrounding plaza has functioned as a market and gathering place for over a thousand years, and still does: fortune-tellers, street food vendors, and informal traders cluster around the temple precincts.
The main hall, the Sanqing Dian, is an extraordinary survivor: a vast Song-dynasty wooden structure with a double-hipped roof and enormous interior columns. It was damaged by fire in the 19th century and rebuilt largely to the original design. The other temple halls are mostly Qing-period reconstructions, less architecturally significant but still functioning as active places of worship. The market square in front of the temple comes alive in the evening with food stalls and is one of the best places in the old town for cheap eating.