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Tiger Hill

Tiger Hill (Hu Qiu), also known as Surging Sea Hill, standing 36 meters high and covering an area of some 14,100 square meters, is located at the northwest suburbs of Suzhou city, 3.5 kilometers from the Chang Gate. Near the top of the hill is the burial place of the founding father of Suzhou who died in the 6th century BC. His tomb was supposedly guarded by a white tiger which explains the name of the hill.

Going up to the hill, there are a number of historical sites including some from 2,500 years ago. "It's a pity of a lifetime if you have been to Suzhou but missed the Tiger Hill," said Su Shi, the Song Poet. The millennium-old Yunyan Pagoda, also known as the Leaning Tower, stands on top of the hill and is regarded as the symbol of Suzhou.

The sword-testing stone is of great interest. Legend goes that King He Lu was a zealous collector of rare swords and he tested all his swords on the stone, so leaving the crevice on the rock. He was was buried with 3,000 swords and 1,000 builders were killed after building the tomb so that the secret of the swords would not be revealed.

Tiger Hill Pagoda stands on the hill's summit and is part of the Yunyan Temple. The pagoda was first built in the Sui dynasty (581-618) and rebuilt in 961 AD in the Northern Song dynasty. It is 47.5 meters high with 7 stories and is the the oldest pagoda in Suzhou. With a history over 1000 years, the pagoda now is regarded as the symbol of Suzhou city.

There are other historical sites such as Broken Beam Hall, Yongcui Shanzhuang, Wanjing Villa, Lu Yu Well and Tomb of the True Lady.



 
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