Tiger Hill Suzhou
The first sight of Suzhou, crowned by a leaning pagoda.
Why visit
- Su Shi called it a lifelong regret to visit Suzhou and miss Tiger Hill
- China's own leaning tower: the thousand-year-old Yunyan Pagoda, tilting more than two metres at the top
- A 2,500-year-old hill raised over the tomb of a Wu king, said to be buried with three thousand swords
- The Sword Pool, a deep cliff-cleft of legend and old carved inscriptions
- A place of the seasons: spring blossom and a flower festival, golden ginkgo and red maples in autumn
- Ticket
- from ¥60
- Opening hours
- 07:30–18:00 (last entry 17:30)
- Time needed
- 1.5–2.5 hours
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Best time
- Blossom (Mar–Apr) & autumn leaves (Oct–Dec)
- Rating
- AAAAA
- Address
- No. 8 Huqiu Shanmennei, Gusu District, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Overview
Tiger Hill is where most first trips to Suzhou begin, and for once the cliché is right. Su Shi said it would be a lifelong regret to come to Suzhou and skip it, and a thousand years later people still climb the hill on his word.
It's a small hill, but every step has a story under it: a Wu king's tomb, a rock where a thousand men were put to death, a deep pool said to hide three thousand swords. At the top leans the old pagoda, Suzhou's own leaning tower, tilting quietly over the rooftops.
Come before nine, ahead of the coaches. And if you can, arrive the old way, by canal boat up Shantang from the old town, the route visitors have taken to Tiger Hill for centuries. It turns a sight into an approach.
It's worth timing, too. Spring brings plum, then cherry, peach and crabapple, and a flower festival with them. In late autumn the ginkgo turns gold against the leaning pagoda and the maples redden along the paths, and the whole hill looks like a spilled painting.
History & cultural significance
Tiger Hill has drawn visitors for some 2,500 years. In the Spring and Autumn period it became the burial place of Helü, King of Wu, laid to rest, so the legend goes, with three thousand swords. The thousand labourers who built the tomb were killed to keep its secret, and three days after the burial a white tiger was seen crouching on the mound, which is how the hill got its name. Su Shi loved the place and wrote of it more than once.
The hilltop pagoda, the Yunyan Pagoda, went up between 959 and 961. Seven storeys of brick and wood, it began to tilt as the ground settled unevenly beneath it, and it now leans more than two metres from vertical at the top, which has earned it the nickname the Second Leaning Tower under Heaven. It is the oldest pagoda in the Suzhou region and one of the symbols of the city, at the heart of a scenic area long called the finest in the Wu country.
What to see
The Leaning Yunyan Pagoda (云岩寺塔)
The tilting brick-and-wood pagoda at the summit is the symbol of Suzhou. Seven storeys built at the turn of the Song, it now leans more than two metres from vertical, which locals call the Second Leaning Tower under Heaven.
You admire it from outside rather than climbing it. In autumn the golden ginkgo below makes the classic shot, the old tower rising through the leaves.
Sword Pool (剑池)
A narrow, deep cleft in the rock, its still water hemmed by cliffs cut with ancient inscriptions. Beneath it, so the legend runs, lies the tomb of King Helü and his three thousand swords. It's the most atmospheric corner of the hill, and in autumn the maples redden right over the water.
Thousand-Men Rock (千人石)
A vast, flat terrace of stone below the pagoda, where poets once gathered and, the darker legend says, the thousand tomb-builders met their end. Sit a while; it's the natural heart of the climb, and the view up to the leaning pagoda is the one everyone remembers.
Sword-Testing Stone (试剑石)
A boulder split cleanly in two, said to be where King Helü tested the edge of a new blade. A small thing, but it sets the tone for the whole hill: history worn smooth into legend.
Broken Beam Hall (断梁殿)
The old second gate, first raised in the Tang and rebuilt in the Yuan. Its name comes from the main beam, made not from one timber but two joined together, a piece of carpentry visitors have puzzled over for centuries.
Lengxiang Pavilion (冷香阁)
A teahouse pavilion wrapped in old plum trees, at its best in late winter and early spring when they flower. Its carved stone windows are made for framing: peek through and wait for a branch of blossom, or a tree of red autumn leaves, to fall neatly into the circle.
Wanjing Bonsai Garden (万景山庄)
Off to one side, a garden of penjing: rows of centuries-old miniature trees and rock landscapes in shallow trays, the Suzhou art at its most patient. A quiet detour most visitors skip.
Plan your visit
Difficulty
Moderate
Steady pace with some stairs or uneven ground.
Best time to visit
Tiger Hill is a place of the seasons, so time it if you can.
Spring is a run of blossom. Plum comes first at the Lengxiang Pavilion, from February into late March. Cherry, peach and crabapple open across the hill through late March and April, and the Huqiu Flower Festival arrives with them: flower markets, parades and the Twelve Flower Goddesses. Hydrangea follows along the river in late May and June.
Autumn is the other great season, from late October into December. The ginkgo by the pagoda turns gold and drops a carpet to walk through, and the maples redden over the paths and the Sword Pool.
Whatever the month, come before nine to beat the crowds. The early light is soft, the paths are quiet, and the leaning pagoda is at its most photogenic before the tour groups arrive.
Tickets & entry
- Admission
- ¥70· Peak season (Apr–Oct)
- ¥60· Off-peak (Nov–Mar)
- Hours
- Apr–Oct07:30–18:00 (last entry 17:30)
- Nov–Mar07:30–17:30 (last entry 16:30)
- Address
- No. 8 Huqiu Shanmennei, Gusu District, Suzhou, Jiangsu
- Closed
- Open daily, year-round
- Reservation
- Book real-name in advance in peak season via the official channel; passport needed at the gate.
- Typical visit
- 1.5–2.5 hours
Getting there
Entrance: There are two gates. The main South Gate, the old Tou Mountain Gate, is the classic front entrance, reached across Haiyong Bridge over the moat, and it's the one nearest the metro. The North Gate is quieter and easier for parking. One thing to get right on your map app: you want the Huqiu Mountain Scenic Area, not the separate Huqiu Wetland Park.
- Metro Line 6 to Huqiu Station, then a short walk to the South Gate (the metro-side entrance)
- Tourist Bus 1 or bus 32 to the Huqiu stops
- Canal boat up Shantang from the old town, the classic scenic approach
Take the metro. Line 6 runs to Huqiu Station, a short walk from the South Gate. Better still, arrive the old way: a canal boat up Shantang from the old town drifts you to the foot of the hill, the way people have reached Tiger Hill for centuries.
From Shanghai it's an easy day trip, about 30 minutes by high-speed train to Suzhou, then the metro.
Map
View larger map · © OpenStreetMap contributors
Suggested route
From the main South Gate, cross Haiyong Bridge and climb the old way: the Broken Beam Hall (the second gate), the Sword-Testing Stone, then the great flat terrace of the Thousand-Men Rock. Just beyond it is the Sword Pool, the deep cliff-cleft at the heart of the legends. Carry on up to the leaning Yunyan Pagoda at the summit, then come down the far side.
In spring, detour to the Lengxiang Pavilion for the plum and the carved stone windows, and to the Wanjing bonsai garden. In autumn, linger on the ginkgo avenue by the pagoda and the maples around the Sword Pool. Two hours is enough for the highlights.
Local tips
What to bring: Sports shoes or flat, grippy soles. The hill isn't high, but there are a lot of stone steps. Bring water, and your passport for entry. Wear something light and simple: pale colours read beautifully against the grey stone and the autumn leaves, and photograph far better than anything dark.
Photography spots: The leaning pagoda from below, rising over the hill. In autumn, the ginkgo avenue by the pagoda, where fallen leaves make a golden carpet, and the red maples mirrored in the clear water of the Sword Pool. Peek through the carved stone windows at the Lengxiang Pavilion until a branch of red leaves fits the frame. And the reflections at Bailian Pond, where the autumn trees ring the water. Light-coloured clothes stand out best in all of them.
Nearby
Restaurants
- Lengxiang Pavilion teahouse (冷香阁), on the hill, loveliest in plum season
- Shantang Street food stalls and teahouses, on the way back toward the old town
FAQ
Its 2,500 years of history and its leaning pagoda. The hill holds the tomb of a Wu king said to be buried with three thousand swords, and the thousand-year-old Yunyan Pagoda that tilts more than two metres from vertical, China's own leaning tower. Su Shi called it a lifelong regret to visit Suzhou and miss it.
About two hours for the main sights; longer if you visit in blossom or autumn-leaf season and want to linger.
70 yuan in peak season (April to October) and 60 yuan off-peak (November to March); book real-name in advance in busy periods.
Take Metro Line 6 to Huqiu Station, a short walk from the South Gate. A lovelier option is a canal boat up Shantang from the old town. From Shanghai it is about 30 minutes by high-speed train to Suzhou, then the metro.
The ground beneath its foundation settled unevenly over the centuries, tilting the seven-storey tower more than two metres from vertical at the top. It has leaned for hundreds of years and still stands, which is why it is called the Second Leaning Tower under Heaven.
Spring for the blossom and the flower festival (roughly March into April), and late autumn (late October into December) for golden ginkgo and red maples against the pagoda. Come before nine to beat the crowds.
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