Tiger Hill (Huqiu) Travel Guide: Exploring Suzhou’s Iconic Leaning Pagoda

Brief Introduction
When travelers think of Suzhou, they often picture serene gardens, elegant bridges, and the soft shimmer of silk. Yet beyond these familiar images lies Tiger Hill (Huqiu), a place that has long been regarded as the very soul of the city. Though the hill rises just 36 meters above ground, it embodies a sense of grandeur far beyond its height.

Unlike the manicured order of Suzhou’s classical gardens, Tiger Hill feels raw and layered. Ancient pines lean over mossy stone steps, streams trace quiet paths through shaded valleys, and weathered inscriptions hint at voices from centuries past. Here, visitors encounter not a curated garden scene but a natural stage where history, legend, and artistry have gradually overlapped.

What makes Tiger Hill remarkable is not only what you see, but what you feel. Climbing its winding paths, you sense a continuity that bridges eras: the weight of untold stories in its stones, the lingering presence of poets who once wandered here, and the sight of the leaning pagoda rising through the mist like a timeless guardian.

Tiger Hill is not just a destination—it is an experience of discovery, where every step offers the possibility of stumbling upon a forgotten tale, a hidden carving, or a perspective that suddenly frames Suzhou in a new light.

History and Legends: The Soul Beneath the Hill
Tiger Hill’s historical weight is tied to the Wu Kingdom more than 2,500 years ago. In 496 BC, King Helü—famed for his military ambition and tragic downfall—was laid to rest here. What sets this burial apart from countless others in China is not just the presence of a royal tomb, but the aura of secrecy and unease that surrounds it.

Ancient chronicles suggest that Helü’s son ordered three thousand swords to be interred with him. These blades were not mere grave goods; they were symbols of power, loyalty, and perhaps fear—meant to protect the king in death as they had in life.

The supposed resting place, now known as the Sword Pool (Jianchi), is a small body of water at the foot of the hill. Beneath its surface, many believe the tomb still lies sealed, untouched by archaeologists. The uncertainty of what rests below has given Tiger Hill a reputation as one of China’s most enigmatic burial sites, sometimes likened to a “hidden chapter” of the Terracotta Army.

Even the hill’s name carries legend. Local lore tells of a white tiger that appeared three days after the burial, keeping silent watch over the king’s grave. Whether a divine guardian or a tale born from grief and imagination, this image of the lone tiger has endured in Suzhou’s folklore, turning the hill into not just a burial mound, but a place of enduring myth.

Experiencing Tiger Hill’s Highlights
Yunyan Pagoda – More Than Just a Leaning Tower
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.

Sword Pool – A Silent Mystery
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.

Thousand People Rock – Echoes of Ancient Voices
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.

Wanjing Villa – Where Nature is Miniaturized
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. 

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.