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Tiger Hill
By admin on 2015-03-04

Attraction Type:

Tiger Hill enjoys a reputation as 'the first scenic spot in the State of Wu', for Suzhou was once the capital of the State of Wu during the Spring and Autumn Period. It is where the King of Wu, He Lu, was buried after his death. The area was named Tiger Hill after a tiger was seen lying on the tomb of He Lu.

One of Tiger Hill most famous spots is Sword Pond (Jianchi). He Lu was a famous warrior and sword collector and the Sword Pond is said to hold He Lu treasured swords in its watery depths.

Tiger Hill also houses the Yunyan Pagoda that has been leaning since before the Qing Dynasty. It is said that the tower has been leaning since its completion in 959 - 961 A.D. The tower is 48 meter tall brick pagoda with seven stories and eight sides. It was constructed earlier and taller than the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It leans to the north by about 3.5 degrees. The tower was partially repaired in 1981 by the local government. Concrete piles have been driven into the ground around the pagoda in order to reinforce the foundation. Like many pagodas of the Tang and early Song periods, it is a stone imitation of earlier (or contemporary) wooden pagodas. The "brackets" and "lintels" carved on the surface are not structural, but decorative. Today this 1000-year-old (from the Sui Dynasty) pagoda has become a symbol of Suzhou.