Tiger Hill is an artificial hill and the burial place of He Lu.
Regarded as the founder of Suzhou (in the 6th century BC ) he is believed to be protected by a white tiger which came to visit the grave. Tiger Hill is famous for its scenery and popular with tourists. The brick leaning Cloud Rock Pagoda (built in the 10th
century AD) stands on the Hill. Other temples on the hill are composed with the Sword Pool and the Thousand Men Stone.
Entitled as "the most famous place in Wuzhong", Tiger Hill, also named "Surging Sea Hill", "Surging Sea Peak", is located at northwest suburbs of Suzhou city, 3.5 kilometers from the Chang
Gate.
Tiger Hill is 36 meters high, 630 meter in perimeter with a total area of 20 hectare (200,000 sqm). Formed about 150,000,000 years ago, Tiger Hill's history can be traced back to 2500 years ago, the same time with the ancient Suzhou city. It is recorded that it was the very place of the tomb of Wu King Helu in the Spring and Autumn Period (770 B.C-476 B.C). In 496 B.C., Wu King Helu died in the war between Wu Kingdom and Yue Kingdom, his son then buried him under the Tiger Hill with his excellent sword.
According to Records or the Historian, three days after the burial of Wu King Helu, people found a white tiger was squatting on the tomb, hence the name Tiger Hill.
During the Eastern Jin dynasty, with a temple built on the hill, Tiger Hill changed into a Buddhism hill from the tomb of the kings.
In successive dynasties, more and more architectures were added here and with the change of the dynasties, Tiger Hill experienced the rise and the fall endlessly during 2400 years, which leaves us numerous relics of legacy of history. The ancient carving, the horizontal inscribed boards, the couplets, the poems of the celebrities, the various scenes, the paintings and the handwritings,
the proses, so forth and so on, the whole reaches a seldom seen
amount, that could be hardly found around the world.
Su Dongpo, literary master of the Song dynasty once remarked, "It's
a thing for regret to visit Suzhou without seeing the Tiger Hill".
So popular is the saying that the Hill becomes a must on the
itinerary of every visitor to Suzhou.
Broken Beam Hall: popularly know as "the Second Entrance Gate", was
first built in the Tang dynasty and rebuilt in 1338 during the Yuan
dynasty (1338.A.D). Its principal beam consists of two pieces of
round timbers, showing the skill and wisdom of the ancient Chinese
architect and builders.
Sword Testing Stone: It has a split within it, seeming to be cut by
a sword. Legend goes that it was cracked by Helu, who tested all his
swords on the stone. According to legend, the king was buried with
3,000 swords. And because all 1,000 builders were killed after
building the tomb, the secret of the swords would not be revealed.
Tiger Hill Pagoda: Also named Yunyan Temple Pagoda, the pagoda was
first built in the Sui dynasty (581-618) and rebuilt in 961 AD in
the Northern Song dynasty. It is the oldest pagoda in Suzhou. Built
on an octagonal base, it is 47.5 meters high with 7 stories. From
1638A.D, the pagoda began to lean aside and now the biggest
obliquity reaches 3o59', known as China's Leaning Tower. With a history over 1000 years, the pagoda now is regarded as the symbol of Suzhou city.
Tomb of the True Lady: It is the tomb of Hu Ruizhen, a beautiful lady of the late Tang dynasty. She was good at singing and verse and when the bad procuress forced her to ingratiate a visitor, she committed suicide by hanging herself. A pavilion was built by the side of the tomb in memory of the lady.
Suzhou huqiu, located in the north-west mountain scenic area, wellequipped 5 kilometers away from downtown, 25 years history, known as "the reputation of" wu places, in the practice HeLv when the prince city, died in huqiu cemetery. After qin shihuang had put high usually go there on special trip for, Chu overlord xiang again at this rate 8,000 children arise the qin, Tang dynasty poet bai juyi emissary-system in suzhou, responsible, and repair water cut mountain, make the dike seven more beautiful scenery huqiu. Song dynasty poet su shi once said: "to suzhou huqiu swim without pity for." So the land as tourists and wellequipped imagination. The high mountains, but only 36 meters tall trees around, there are many places of interest. Mountain, is wellequipped kei chan feature of the millennium huqiu tower stands, especially since ancient times, make huqiu mountain resort is famous. Scenic area of 100 hectares, existing 475.9 hectares, the area is an important tourism as suzhou huqiu award-winning window, as the first top, too, national civilized scenic areas, and AAAA scenic spots in December 2001 passed ISO9001-14001 double system authentication. Suzhou huqiu or folk gatherings, according to an important place in the three cities "wu" three mountain scenic area, huqiu management are held every year spring art show, peony, tulips, Belgium, such as lily flower of rare seventeen million POTS, hundreds of varieties, Autumn of folk custom held with the temple, and performance of the program by tourists, folk, CPPCC has become a hotspot in suzhou tourism projects. Scenic spots in 2004 Spring Festival is spring flower, introduced the characteristics of forcing peony, with the exhibition area light lighting engineering completion, scenic area will celebrate the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival features a.
[editor this segment] historical origin
HaiChong mountain, formerly wellequipped. According to records of shiji HeLv prince: this was. Legend "tiger was three days after the name is" crouching. The humanistic history can be traced back to the wellequipped 2,500 years ago, and as the suzhou history. According to legend, the spring and autumn period, here is the prince of HeLv suzhou huqiu LiGong. HeLv 496 B.C. in the battle of yue injured after he died, the son of a super-duke body was buried here. According to shiji etc, then win over barnet 100,000 of construction, and use of military transport, hewn in soil elephant pool, soil for the high, Guo copper coffin coat, pool perfusion triple gold Fu jade, mercury, and will HeLv objects, the lifetime of the "love" flat ", "YuChang sword hilt together in three shadows deep palace cache. The 3rd, gold is buried in its refining for tiger squat, because no huqiu. "Professor song in suzhou huqiu ZhuChangWen thinks, because its shape, crouching tiger said:" the spirit of the He rock, from heaven, and there is doubt, but also to HeLv interfering buried. "Qing qianlong emperor shun calendar also agrees:" originally, He rock in HuJu partial says Kim chi. "Generation, hundreds of years after wu, promoted, qin shihuang, sun wu has come, o sword, find times anyting, in vain and the return of imperial catacombs. Huqiu become buddhist mountains and resorts began six. The eastern jin dynasty, SiTuWangXun and their brothers WangMin common in the mountain villa, salty, and two construction (327 years), both for the dragon pond, shevchenko curtilage wellequipped still, say two east temple, the temple, liu song ZhuDaoSheng monks from the north to the dhamma, leaving a vow" dharma "anecdotes and platform, and sit, nod, 000 lotus pool etc. Six plus sites of huqiu namely, Chen ciji stupa ZhangZheng generation, jiang whole two arias have far" poem huqiu tower in Taiwan has not respected, hole silver yewchung villa. "And" high ridge, the pagoda according to the town of Taiwan. "The words, but the evidence. This is the earliest recorded huqiu tower, destroyed in the tang, for a long time. TangGaoZu into LiYuan LiHu grandfather was renamed to speak (cs17), WuQiu wellequipped temple, also easy for a debt of gratitude temple, still WuQiu thing two points. YanZhenQing poem" temple of less than fifty spring, this thing. "The words from the city. Then huqiu though nearly, but no road and rivers, visitors can from the field, in case of rain buildings to wade will arrive, the traffic is very inconvenient. Treasure calendar reign (825 years), a 54-year-old of bai juyi. The spurs collectors as suzhou huqiu suzhou custom of love, and a great poet realising the leadership, people from Chang door to suzhou huqiu river and canal, excavation of the building, and direct piedmont liantang road planted peach thousands of, tries beautification, and KaiQu winding mountain Brooks, forming rings. Afterwards, poets write a WuLv" WuQiu temple road ", "since the open road, water dragon pond, silver and frequency of transactions, HuaChuan load arrogant Ji beauty to Hollywood, born of new, fine plum still lived on a riverbank, fresh spring. ”