Tiger Hill

The Tiger Hill scenery spot is located on the northwestern edge of Suzhou, which has a history of over 2500 years. Endowed with historic events, cultural heritage and picturesque, the hill is known as the top sights in Suzhou and a name card of the Suzhou tourism.

The Tiger Hill (Huqiu) is an artificial hill, 36 meters high, set in a park of 2 hectares. Near the top of the hill is buried King He Lu, founding father of Suzhou, who died in the 6th century BC. A white tiger is said to have appeared to guard the tomb; hence the name.

The hill boasts impressive rocks, deep dales, matchless scenes, suitable occasions for enjoyment, beautiful sights baffle description, and improving scenery at all times. The Yunyan Temple Pagoda (or Tiger Hill Pagoda) and the Sword Pool are most famous on the hill. With a history dates back to more than 1,000 years, the simple, archaic and imposing Yunyan Temple Pagoda, which was finished in 961 AD, has been leaning for several centuries. It is also known as the Second Leaning Tower on the planet, stands aloft at the top of the hill, serving as a symbol of ancient Suzhou for years, The Tomb of He Lu under the Sword Pool has remained an unsolved mystery for two and a half millennia.

Arthurian type legends abound on Tiger Hill. There's a Sword - Testing Stone with a crack on it, split by He Lu. The old boy, according to legend, is buried with his 3,000 swords - and 1,000 builders were reputedly bumped off after making the tomb so that its secrets would not be revealed. It is apparently booby-trapped with spring water; any attempt at digging would be bad news for the pagoda further up.

There used to be 3 fairs and 3 festivals held in Huqiu every year in the old days. Today, they have been substituted by two special events: the Spring Flower Show and Fall Temple Fair. At the Spring Flower Show, the paeonia suffruticosa, tulipa gesneriana, rhododendron, chrysanthemum spp. and a great number of valuable species of flowers are displayed in competition for beauty. The Fall Temple Fair is the recreation of the popular Temple Fair of Shantang with a mixture of northern and southern Chinese cultural performances and a strong regional flavor.

Traffic Guide to the Tiger Hill

The Tour Bus 1 and Tour Bus 2 started from the railway station (about 3 km) and the North Bus Station respectively can reach the sight directly.

If starting from the South Bus Station, tourists may take the Bus Line 103, and then turn to the Tour Bus 1 or Tour Bus 2.

The other lines are the Bus Line 8, Bus Line 949, Bus Line 32, and Bus Line 46.