Tiger Hill

If they had barns in China, then the roofs and walls would be painted with "See Tiger Hill".  Tiger Hill is the Number 1 Sight to see in Suzhou.   That's what all the tourist maps say.  About 900 years ago, the poet Su Shi said, "It is a lifelong pity if having visited Suzhou you did not visit Tiger Hill.".  The local tourist board has been quoting him in their advertising ever since.


Don't get me wrong, Tiger Hill is a site well worth visiting.  Suzhou is known all over China as the city of historic gardens and Tiger Hill is the most famous of them all.  Tiger Hill is a knob of about 5 or so acres on the Northwest corner of old Suzhou City.  The country side around Suzhou is so dog-gone flat that any type of hill would merit tourist attraction status.  But Tiger Hill has history to go along with the geography.  The Tiger Hill Pagoda (shown above) dates back 1100 years or so.   The Suzhou Museum has artifacts from the site that date back two or three thousand years before that.

Surrounding the pagoda are lush forests and gardens and terraces and temples.  Many of the buildings are reconstructions, I'm sure. But still, the feeling of oriental mystique is strong and authentic.   The place reeks of history.   You can't help but feel a little knot in your stomach out of awe.

A scholar could probably spend a week exploring Tiger Hill.  For your average tourist, a half a day is more than enough.  There are bus loads of average tourists that come in the morning and afternoon.  Bus loads.  Tiger Hill in the morning and the Pearl Market in the afternoon.   Or maybe the Silk Factory in the morning and Tiger Hill in the afternoon.  Tourism is a great way to make a buck, whether your peddling Tiger Hill in China or Rock City in Tennessee.

The Tiger Hill pagoda is also known as the Leaning Tower of China.   Perhaps you can see why in the photo above.

And of course there is a bit of Buddism in the history.