Tiger Hill

Huqiu, Tiger Hill, is a low hill northwest of Suzhou's old town where He Lü, king of Wu, is said to have been buried in the sixth century BC with three thousand swords, and where a white tiger was reported to have appeared on the grave three days later, giving the hill its name. The Sword Pool, a narrow rock cleft filled with water, is traditionally the tomb entrance, never opened. The Yunyan Pagoda on the summit, completed in 961, is a seven-storey brick tower that began tilting centuries ago as its foundations settled unevenly and now leans over three degrees, stabilised by grouting in the 1980s. Su Dongpo wrote that visiting Suzhou without seeing Tiger Hill was a regret.

History

King Helü of Wu is said to have been buried on the hill, then called the Hill Emerging from the Sea, and three days after his burial a white tiger appeared crouching on it, giving it its name. The Yunyan Temple was founded here in 327, was especially favoured under the Song, and was last restored in 1871 (Wikipedia, Tiger Hill, Suzhou).

The main sights

• The leaning pagoda - the 961 brick tower tilting over three degrees.
• The Sword Pool - the rock cleft said to be the tomb entrance.
• The Thousand Men Rock - the broad rock terrace below the pagoda.
• The hill gardens - paths, bonsai collections and pavilions on the slopes.

When to go

March to May and September to November; Suzhou is hot and humid in summer. Weekends and holidays bring heavy crowds. Mornings at opening are calmest.

Good to know

The pagoda cannot be entered or climbed. The site is compact and crowded at peak times. Entry is charged separately from Suzhou's gardens, and the ticket is relatively expensive for the size.

Nearby

Suzhou's old town and gardens lie southeast; Pingjiang Road is in the centre.