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| As viewed from the entrance with the Huqiu Tower at the top |
Name : Tiger Hill, Suzhou
Location :
Tiger Hill is a hill in Suzhou, in China
Legend :
The hill is so named because it is said to look like a crouching tiger.
Another legend states that a white tiger appeared on the hill to guard
it following the burial of King Helü. The hill is sometimes referred to in parallel with "Lion Mountain", another hill near Suzhou which clearly resembles a sitting lion.
According to the Historical Records, the Wu King Helu was buried on the hill, called then "the Hill Emerging from the Sea". The legend goes that three days after his burial a white tiger appeared squatting on the hill.
History :
Since Six Dynasties period, Tiger Hill has become the famous tourist
destination and Buddhist hill. In East Jin Period, Wang Xun and his
young brother named Wang Min built the villa in hill respectively.
In 327, they presented the villas to Huqiu Temple, and changed to be
called The East Temple and West Temple.
Buddhist period :
The Buddhist master called
Daosheng coming from northern China in Song Period of North-South
Division period interpreted the sutra of Buddhism over here, and left
many famous relics. During the Six Dynasties Period, Tiger Hill had
pagoda, and the destroyed pagoda was the oldest one in China.
In Tang Dynasty, to avoid mentioning the name of Li Hu, the
grandfather of Li Yuan who was the founder of Tang Dynasty, Tiger
Hill, or Hu Qiu, was changed to be Wu Qiu and the temple also
changed to be Wuqiubaoen Temple was also comprised of east temple
and west temple. In 825, Bai Juyi acted as the governor of Suzhou, and
he loved the beauty of Suzhou, especially the Tiger Hill. He made a
large reconstruction to Tiger Hill, and he also made the ways to Tiger
Hill more convenient, and the waterway and landway were all perfectly
wonderful. And the surroundings were also beautified and elaborately
designed.
Taoist era :
During the reign of Emperor Wuzong in Tang Dynasty, for raising Taoism and suppressing Buddhism,
a large movement for eliminating Buddhism was launched. In 845, the
property of the temple was confiscated, and the statues of Buddha were
destroyed, and the monks and nuns were forced to be secularized. The
east and west temples were all thoroughly destroyed. But later, the
resuming of the Buddhism made the Huqiushan Temple be reconstructed, and
two parts were unified. Besides, the temple was moved to the top of
hill from the foot. And the whole architectural layout gradually formed
the feature at present. At the foot of the hill, there are also the
West-Hill Temple and East-Hill Temple in memory of Wang Xun and Wang
Min.
Zen school Huqiu :
In Song Dynasty, the governor of Suzhou called Wei Yang reported the
superior authority to change the name of Huqiushan Temple to Yunyan
Temple. From then on, the Tiger Hill became the holy land of Buddhism
and the hot destination of tourism. In 1131, roughly in the early period
of Southern Song Dynasty, the Buddhist master named Shao Long
interpreted the sutras of Buddhism in Tiger Hill, and Tiger Hill was
predominantly influential in China, and formed a zen school of Buddhism
named Huqiu School. In southeast China at the time, there are a quite
famous title of Buddhism called Five Hills and Ten Temples, and
Huqiu Hill, or Tiger Hill, was one of them.
Modern era :
After the foundation of New
China (The People’s Republic of China), the Administrative Office of
Suzhou Gardens and Relics was established in 1953, and Tiger Hill was
systematically and gradually managed and reconstructed. In 1955, the
Fanghe Pavilion, Yongquan Pavilion and Sunwu Pavilion were all rebuilt,
and the Round-Hill River was opened as well.
Description :
It has an elevation of over 30 m. and covers about
49.41ac. Tiger Hill
boasts impressive rocks, deep dales, 3 matchless scenes, 9 suitable
occasions for enjoyment, 18 scenic spots, and changing scenery at all
times. No wonder it has been an awe-inspiring sight in the area south of
the Lower Yangtze. The Yunyan Temple Pagoda and the Sword Pool are
well-known features of the hill. With a history going back more than
1,000 years, the simple, archaic and imposing Yunyan Temple Pagoda, also
known as the Second Leaning Tower on earth, stands aloft at the top of
the hill, serving as a symbol of ancient Suzhou
for years, The Tomb of the Wu King Helu under the Sword Pool has
remained an unsolved mystery for two and a half millennia. The story
goes that the great Jin master Wang Xizhi
traded his calligraphy for lovable geese from the Taoist Abbot. And the
windy vale and cloudy spring make the visitor reluctant to leave.
Its features include:
- Sword-Testing Rock: a rock in two pieces that was supposedly cleaved cleanly by a legendary sword of extraordinary sharpness
- Spring of Simplicity and Honesty: a well that, according to legend, first appeared as a spring to an exhausted monk carrying water up the entire length of the hill
- Yunyan Pagoda: a pagoda seven stories in height whose main architectural feature is its lean; it in fact predates the Leaning Tower of Pisa
- Sword Pond (Jianchi): a small rectangular pond, beneath which a treasure of some 3000 swords are believed to have been buried; this site is not excavated because the Leaning Pagoda's foundations rest on the site
- Lu Yu Well: a well attributed to Lu Yu, author of the first book on tea
- Thousand People Rock
Festivals :
Tiger Hill is also an important
site of folk fairs and gatherings. In terms of the local history of
Suzhou: Three Fairs and Three Festivals. The authority of Tiger Hill
Scenic Area holds the art and flower festivals or fairs in Suzhou. In
autumn, diversity of temple fairs featuring the folk customs held in
Tiger Hill was extensively loved by tourists. In 2002, Tiger Hill was
approved to be the Four-A Scenic Area of China. The famous attractions
of Suzhou Tiger Hill Scenic Area include: 1.Pagoda of Yunyan Temple,
2.Sword Lake of Tiger Hill, 3.Yongcui Shanzhuang, 4.Lu Yu
Well, 5.Lengxiang Pavilion, 6.Frozen Fragrance Pavilion) and other
detailed scenes.
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