Tiger Hill

Tiger Hill, Suzhou attraction

Brief Introduction
Tiger Hill is located in the northern suburb of Suzhou, five kilometers away from the city center. Tiger Hill is also famous as Surging Sea Hill because of its natural beauty. The hill extends over an area of 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres) and is 36 meters (118 feet) in height. Though small in size, Tiger Hill is provided with many gorgeous scenes, historical sites, numerous towering ancient trees and a Tiger Hill Pagoda on the top of the hill. You will find lots of historical sites some of which can be traced back over 2500 years to the founding of Suzhou. As a showcase of Suzhou and one of the first ten exemplary civilized tourist attractions of China, the Tiger Hill has been known as No. 1 Sight of Suzhou. It is a must for tourists. The great Song literary man Su Dongpo said, "It would be a pity if you had been to Suzhou but didn't get to visit the Tiger Hill." 

History of Tiger Hill 
According to the History, the king,Wu Kingdom during Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC), He Lu,built the capital around Tiger Hill and also was buried in Tiger Hill.; And three days after this burial, a white tiger was found sitting there, hence it was called "the Hill Emerging from the Sea". In spite of the face that it has an elevation of over 30m. and covers about 49.41ac., the Tiger Hill boasts impressive rocks, deep dales, 3 matchless scenes, 9 suitable occasions for enjoyment, 18 scenic spots, and changing scenery at all times with a history going back more than 1,000 years. In 2002, Tiger Hill was approved to be the Four-A Scenic Area of China, and later in 2010, it became the Five-A one. 

What to see
The Tomb of King He Lu
In 496 BC during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC - 476 BC), He Lu, King of the Wu perished during the war fought against the Yue. His son buried him within the hill and three days after the funeral a white tiger came and sat upon the grave as though guarding it. From that time on it has been known as Tiger Hill.

Cloud Rock Pagoda
Cloud Rock Pagoda is a Chinese classic pagoda, situated on Tiger Hill in Suzhou city, it is nicknamed the 'Leaning Tower of China'. Tiger Hill Pagoda,also called Yunyansi Pagoda, locates on the hill's summit and is the Pagoda of the Yunyan Temple. As the oldest pagoda in the vicinity of Suzhou it has become a symbol of the city. It was built during the Northern Song Dynasty (959-961) it is a brick-timberwork pavilion pagoda in octangle with 7 stories after the style of the timber pagodas built during the early Tang period. It is 48 metres high (158 feet). Built on the hill slope, the pagoda slants to the northeast when it was completed, but it has survived for over 1000 years.

Sword Pond
The pond has sword-like shape as it is wide in the south and narrow in the north. It was named sword pond because many of He Lü’s favorite swords were also buried in the tomb as sacrificial objects.

Lu Yu Well
Lu Yu Well is a stone well on the hill, is said to be have been sunk by Lu Yu, an authority on the art of tea and wrote the first ever book on the subject entitled 'The Treatise of Tea'. According to historic records, Lu Yu once lived on Tiger Hill for a long time, and researched the tea and wrote the book, and Lu Yu also found the water in the well was very sweet, so he awarded it the Third Well under Heaven. 

The Verdant Mountain Villa
Built in the tenth year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) the villa is a masterpiece of the splendid gardens for which Suzhou is so famous. The Verdant Mountain Villa (Yongcui Shanzhuang) was designed so that it embraced the natural vistas and views from the halls and porches are most pleasing to the eye.

Wanjing Villa
It's a unique collection of the essence of Suzhou-style bonsai works. The ancient art of bonsai tree growing originated in China and there are thousands of magnificent specimens on display at this villa. Many of the specimens you can see have been awarded prize palms in prestigious bonsai competitions.The landscape bonsai is the magic and miraculous representation of natural landscape by the artistic recreation of bonsai. The miniature replicas of full sized gardens are sure to amaze you and will give an insight into the skill and artistry of Chinese master gardeners that has been handed down from long ago.

How to Get to Tiger Hill
Bus route: Take bus No. 32, 146, 816, 949 and tourist bus No.1, 2, and get off at Huqiubeimen stop (North Gate of Tiger Hill)

Travel Guide
Admission Fee: CNY60 (Apr.16th-Oct.30th)
                        CNY40 (Oct.31st-Apr.15th)
                      additional CNY50 for bonsai exhibition in Wanjing Mountain Villa.
Opening time: 07:30am-18:00pm
Best time for visit: all the seasons
Recommended time for a visit: 2 or 3 hours
Address: No.8 Tiger Hill, Qilichu, northwest of Suzhou City

Most Popular Suzhou Day Tours including Tiger Hill

1.Suzhou Highlights Day Tour
2. Suzhou History and Culture Exploration Day Tour
3. Private One Day Essence Suzhou Tour
4. 2-Day Suzhou Tour From Shanghai by Bullet Train
5. Best Suzhou Day Tour with Tiger Hill From Shanghai by Train
For more Suzhou tours including Tiger Hill, please refer to Suzhou Tour Packages.