Tiger Hill (Huqiu)
Outside Suzhou at Tiger Hill, the ruler of State Wu named Helu in the late Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) is said to have been buried some 2500 years ago with his treasures such as three thousands swords, stores of gold and jade. One hundred thousand civilians were involved in the construction of the tomb. Elephants were used for transporting stones and soil. It took three years to complete mausoleum. The entrance of the tomb is still undiscovered. Legend relates that Emperor Qinshihuang and Sun Quan of Eastern Wu dispatch personnel to the Tiger Hill and chiseled to search for the tomb and its buried treasures but nothing was found. Later the place for chiseling became a deep pool, hence the name of Sword Pool.
The most famous scenic spot is Huqiu Pagoda, which was built on the top of the Tiger Hill over a thousand years ago. Construction of the pagoda began in 959 and completed in 961. From the Southern Song Dynasty to 1860 the pagoda caught fire on seven occasions. The top of the pagoda and eaves of the pagoda's each story were destroyed, only the brick structure remains. The 47-meter-high pagoda is tilting now at an angle of 2.48 degrees. It has become a kind of trademark of Suzhou. People can find its image on food package, tickets and on local T-shirts.
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