Suzhou (1) - The Tiger Hill

The high speed train departed from Nanjing and we arrived on the Suzhou, our fourth city for our tour in China, on the evening of 21/05. It took us some time to select the Motel 168 in Guanqian Street for our accommodation.

Our main focus in Suzhou was its famous classical gardens, pagodas and the temples. We commenced our journey on the morning of 22/05 with our first destination - The Tiger Hill (虎丘). The name "Tiger Hill" came as the hill is said to look like a crouching tiger. There is also a legend mentioning that a white tiger appeared on the hill lying on the tomb of King Helu. This is one of the greatest destination in Suzhou with the reputation of ¨The first scenic spot in Wu - 吴中第一名胜" - an area comprising southern Jiangsu Province and northern Zhejiang Province.

The compound within the The Tiger Hill is not too big. However the landscapes here are just fantastic with many historical sites. It has a long history of more than 2500 years. The entry ticket was priced at RMB60. We were very impressed tour guide service provided with no additional charge. Our tour guide was a young and pretty Suzhou girl. She dressed in the traditional Chinese costumes and spoke gently to the crowd surrounding her.

the paifang (archway) leading to the main entrance

We came shortly to the Verdant Mountain Villa (拥翠山庄) , a villa built in the Qing Dynasty. The villa is a masterpiece of classic Suzhou garden. The architect's smart design made the villa a natural vista for views of the surrounding landscapes. From any hall or porch, one can get a pleasant sight.

Verdant Mountain Villa

HanHan Spring

We took the photo at one of the best photo spot in Tiger Hill, as recommended by the tour guide. We could see the Tiger Hill Pagoda as well as Thousand People Rock at the back.

Photo taken at the best photo spot.

We proceeded to the Sword Pond (剑池), a small rectangular pond, beneath which a treasure of some 3000 swords are believed to have been buried. The tour guide informed that this site is not excavated because the Leaning Pagoda's foundations rest on the site.

Sword Pond

Sword Pond

The impressive Tiger Hill Pagoda can be seen from anywhere in the Tiger Hill. This is the oldest pagoda in Suzhou and has become the landmark for this city. The tower rises to a height of 47 m (154 ft). It is a seven-story octagonal building built with blue bricks. In more than a thousand years the tower has gradually slanted due to forces of nature.

Tiger Hill Pagoda

Wanjing Villa (万景山庄) was our last destination in the park. It is a garden of potted landscapes and "bonsai-style" shrubs, covering an area of about 1700 square meters. There are thousands of magnificent bonsai specimens on display at this villa.

The Entrance to the Wanjing Villa

Bonsai trees in the garden

A large bonsai tree in the garden

The Tiger Hill should never be a miss for tourists coming to Suzhou. Other than the scenary and the landscapes, the courteous service offered by the tour guide here is definitely a plus point worth mentioning.