Tiger Hill

To the northwest of Ancient City of Suzhou,Tiger Hill is a provincial scenic and historic interest zone characterized by the Suzhou symbolic historical and cultural sites.Su Dongpo, a famous poet of the Song Dynasty, once said, “It will be a pity if you come to Suzhou without paying a visit to Tiger Hill.”

Tiger Hill became flourishing in the Spring and Autumn Period(770-462 BC) when King Helu of the State of Wu had his temporary dwelling palace built here. Legend has it that three days after King Helu was buried, three white tigers were crouching here, hence the name.The hill, only 30-some meters high, boasts picturesque scenery, many historical sites, limpid waters and a quiet environment.

There are over 50 tourist attractions in the scenic zone, such as the Broken Beam Hall, Sword Testing Stone, Sword Pond and Thousand Men Stone. The Yunyan Temple Pagoda at the hilltop is known as the “Oriental Leaning Tower of Pisa”, which is the representative and symbol of Suzhou. It is a seven-storey octagonal tower following the style of the timber pagodas built during the early Tang Dynasty (618-907). It is 158 feet (48 metres) high and for the past four hundred years has leant 3.59 degrees to the northwest.