Tiger Hill Suzhou: Leaning Pagoda, Sword Pond and Shantang
Visit Tiger Hill in Suzhou: the leaning Yunyan Pagoda, Sword Pond, hours and ticket prices, and how to pair it with Shantang Street.
Contents
Tiger Hill is Suzhou's oldest showpiece, a low wooded hill with a leaning pagoda on top. It sits 3.5 km northwest of the old city and rises just 34.3 metres, so the sights lie close together.[1] The hill has drawn visitors for more than 2,500 years, and the Northern Song poet Su Dongpo is said to have called a Suzhou trip without Tiger Hill a pity.[2]
Yunyan Temple Pagoda, known as Tiger Hill Pagoda, is the landmark. It is a seven-storey octagonal brick tower with timber-style detail, begun in 961.[1] The first six storeys lean slightly and the seventh stands straight.[3] The tower is part of the Grand Canal's World Heritage listing.[1]
What to see on the hill
Start at the gate and climb slowly. Sword Pond is the finest corner: legend says King Helu of Wu was buried here with 3,000 swords. A rock wall closes in around the pond, and the spring beneath it was ranked the "Third Spring under Heaven" by a Tang writer.[1]
Thousand People Rock is a broad stone terrace beside the pond. Han Han Spring, the Sword-Testing Rock and the ruined Broken Beam Temple lie along the paths.[2] Go on to the back hill, where a stone bridge, a stone gateway and rockeries wait; locals say the back hill beats the front.[1] At the foot, a bonsai garden shows more than 600 Suzhou-style trees. A flower show runs in spring and a temple fair in autumn.[2]
Things to Do
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Pair it with Shantang Street
Shantang Street starts at the hill's front gate. This paved lane is about 1,100 years old and runs beside a canal, lined with shops, tea houses, theatre stages and cafes. Walk it by day, then come back at night and take a boat for a different view.[3] Plan the hill first, then the street.
Hours, tickets and timing
From May to October the hill opens 07:30-18:00 with last entry at 17:30. From November to April it opens 07:30-17:30 with last entry at 17:00.[4] Entry costs 70 yuan in April, May and July to October, and 60 yuan in January to March, June, November and December.[5] Allow half a day for the hill and Shantang together.
Suzhou closes its gardens, Tiger Hill included, when a typhoon alert is raised. In July 2026 the city shut them from 12 July and asked ticket holders to rebook or refund.[6] The address is No. 8, Hill Gate, Huqiu District.[2] Plan the rest of your trip with our China travel guide.
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] Suzhou Municipal Bureau of Gardens and Greening: 虎丘山风景名胜区 (Tiger Hill Scenic Area). Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [2] Suzhou Municipal People's Government: The Tiger Hill Scenic Spot. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [3] Suzhou Municipal People's Government English Edition (Pocket Suzhou): Grand Canal Suzhou Section, a World Heritage Site. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [4] Suzhou Municipal Bureau of Gardens and Greening: 开放时间 (Opening hours of Suzhou gardens and scenic areas). Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [5] Suzhou Municipal Bureau of Gardens and Greening: 门票价格 (Ticket prices). Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [6] Suzhou Municipal People's Government: 关于苏州园林景区临时闭园的通告 (Temporary closure notice, 11 July 2026). Retrieved October 21, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yunyan Temple Pagoda, a leaning seven-storey tower begun in 961, and Sword Pond, where King Helu of Wu is said to be buried with 3,000 swords. The hill has been a Suzhou showpiece for more than 2,500 years.
Sword Pond, Thousand People Rock, Han Han Spring, the Sword-Testing Rock, the Broken Beam Temple, the back hill with its stone bridge and rockeries, and a bonsai garden with more than 600 trees at the foot.
Shantang Street begins at the hill's front gate. The 1,100-year-old canal street has shops, tea houses and cafes, and boats run along it. Visit the hill first, then walk the street.
Half a day covers the hill and a stroll along Shantang Street. The hill is only 34.3 metres high, so you can see the main sights in two to three hours.
At No. 8, Hill Gate, Huqiu District, Suzhou, at the foot of the hill beside Shantang Street.
Entry is 70 yuan in April, May and July to October, and 60 yuan in the other months. From May to October the hill opens 07:30-18:00 (last entry 17:30). From November to April it opens 07:30-17:30 (last entry 17:00).
