Tiger Hill Pagoda

Tiger Hill Pagoda

Tiger Hill Pagoda is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Yunyan Temple Pagoda, also known as Tiger Hill Pagoda, is located in the northwest suburbs of Suzhou, about 5 kilometers from the city center. Legend has it that during the Spring and Autumn Period, King Fuchai of Wu buried his father (King Helü) here. Three days after the burial, a white tiger was seen perched on the tomb, hence the name Tiger Hill Mountain, or simply Tiger Hill. The Tiger Hill Pagoda is a renowned ancient pagoda from the Song Dynasty. Its construction began in the sixth year of Xiande during the Later Zhou Dynasty (959) and was completed in the second year of Jianlong during the Northern Song Dynasty (961). The pagoda has seven stories and eight sides, with inner and outer layers of bracket sets and half-arches, a brick body with wooden eaves, and is a representative work of 10th-century brick pagodas in the Yangtze River Basin. Due to multiple fires from the Song Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty, the wooden eaves at the top were all destroyed. The current height of the pagoda is 47.5 meters. In 1956, a large number of cultural relics were discovered inside the pagoda, including rare artistic treasures such as Yue kiln ware and lotus-shaped stone turtles. The Tiger Hill Pagoda seen today is a leaning pagoda.

Tiger Hill Pagoda is a Buddhist pagoda of Yunyan Temple, also known as Yunyan Temple Pagoda. The pagoda was first built in 601 AD (the ninth year of the Renshou era of Emperor Wen of Sui), initially as a wooden structure, which was later destroyed. The existing Tiger Hill Pagoda was built between 959 and 961 AD (from the sixth year of Xiande in the Later Zhou Dynasty to the second year of Jianlong in the Northern Song Dynasty) and is made of brick. It underwent several renovations during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, with the current seventh story being built around 1638 AD (the eleventh year of the Chongzhen era in the Ming Dynasty). In 1961, it was listed as one of the National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Tiger Hill is located in the northwest suburbs of Suzhou, about 5 kilometers from the city center. The world-famous Tiger Hill Pagoda towers elegantly atop the scenic Tiger Hill and is the oldest surviving Buddhist pagoda in Suzhou. It is a symbol of the ancient city of Suzhou and is hailed as the “Number One Scenic Spot in Wu Region.” Its style is similar to that of the Leifeng Pagoda in Hangzhou, which was built around the same time, and the two pagodas are known as the “Two Ancient Pagodas of the Jiangnan Region.”

Architectural Features

Tiger Hill Pagoda is similar to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an, both being large, multi-story, timber-like pavilion-style brick pagodas. Both have seven stories; the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda currently stands 64 meters tall, while the Tiger Hill Pagoda, if restored to its original form (including the original spire), would also be around 60 meters tall. Both are primarily constructed with strip bricks and yellow mud, and both serve as main structures of famous Buddhist temples. The timber-like elements that define their architectural features—such as columns, bracket sets, and dougong (bracket arms)—are all built with strip bricks. Particularly, the projecting eaves between the layers of the pagoda walls are constructed using corbelled brickwork, extending outward only slightly, with similar construction methods. These are similarities between the Tiger Hill Pagoda and the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. However, with the development of productive forces, the Tiger Hill Pagoda surpasses the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, which was built in the early Tang Dynasty, in many aspects.

First, the plan shape of the pagoda has transitioned from square to octagonal, which is a breakthrough in architectural technology. Traditional building forms such as palaces, government offices, and residences are typically square. Changing to an octagonal form requires much more complex construction techniques but also significantly enhances resistance to external forces. Although the Tiger Hill Pagoda is not the first octagonal pagoda, it is undoubtedly a pioneer among tall, large-scale octagonal Buddhist pagodas. Since then, the octagonal form has become the main style for Buddhist pagodas in China.

Second, the Tiger Hill Pagoda features a sleeved structure, with two layers of pagoda walls inside, as if a small pagoda is enclosed within a larger one. The connections between layers are made with corbelled brickwork that links the upper and lower sections as well as the left and right sides. This structural design is highly efficient, and the fact that the Tiger Hill Pagoda has remained leaning but not collapsed for a thousand years is inseparable from its excellent structure. The pagoda’s body consists of an outer pier, corridor, inner pier, and central chamber. The entire pagoda is supported by eight outer piers and four inner piers. There are cross-shaped passages between the inner piers that connect to the corridor, and there are eight arched gateways between the outer piers that connect to the podium level (i.e., the outer corridor). Many large, high-rise Buddhist pagodas built after the Tiger Hill Pagoda have also adopted the sleeved structure. Contemporary skyscrapers around the world also often use sleeve structures, which sufficiently demonstrates the wisdom and craftsmanship of ancient Chinese architects.

The masonry and decoration of the Tiger Hill Pagoda are even more exquisite and ornate. Elements such as dougong, columns, and bracket sets differ from the simplistic symbolic representations seen in the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda; instead, they are built to the actual dimensions of wooden structures. The dougong features double projections, with a robust and grand design. The proportion of the dougong to the height of the columns is relatively large. Other elements such as doors, windows, beams, and bracket sets also reflect the style and characteristics of the late Tang Dynasty in terms of scale and design.

In terms of architectural function, the outer pagoda wall of the Tiger Hill Pagoda features a podium-level balcony, allowing visitors to step out of the pagoda body freely and enjoy a broader view, thus changing the limited perspective of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, where one could only look out through the doorways. Prior to the Tiger Hill Pagoda, no other brick pagodas had been found with podium-level balconies built on the exterior of the pagoda body.

The interior and exterior decorations of the Tiger Hill Pagoda feature vivid and intense colors, enhancing the realism of the timber-like effect. The pagoda’s walls, both inside and out, retain over a hundred murals of peonies and carved stone railings with lake rocks, each uniquely shaped, lively, and lifelike.

The Leaning Tiger Hill Pagoda is the oldest surviving brick pagoda and the only remaining structure from the Five Dynasties period. The design of the pagoda body fully reflects the architectural styles of the Tang and Song Dynasties. The Leaning Tiger Hill Pagoda is honored as the “No. 1 Leaning Pagoda in China” and the “China’s Leaning Tower of Pisa.”

The Leaning Tiger Hill Pagoda is the common name for the Yunyan Temple Pagoda in Suzhou, located on Tiger Hill in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. It was built in the late Later Zhou Dynasty of the Five Dynasties (959) and completed in the second year of Jianlong in the Northern Song Dynasty (961), over 200 years before the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. This pagoda is a brick-and-wood structure modeled after a pavilion-style tower, with seven stories and a height of 47 meters. Due to uneven soil thickness at the foundation and imperfect design of the pier foundation, the Tiger Hill Pagoda began to lean northwest from the Ming Dynasty. Currently, the tip of the pagoda leans 2.34 meters, and the inclination angle of the pagoda body is 2.48 degrees.

The Tiger Hill Pagoda, also known as the Yunyan Temple Pagoda, was first built in the ninth year of the Renshou era of Emperor Wen of Sui (601). It was initially a wooden pagoda, which was later destroyed. The existing Tiger Hill Pagoda was built between 959 and 961 (from the eighth year of Qiányòu in the Later Zhou Dynasty to the second year of Jianlong in the Northern Song Dynasty). The pagoda is octagonal in plan with seven stories. The original pagoda spire was destroyed by lightning. During the 1956 renovation, a large number of precious cultural relics were discovered in the interlayer of the third story, including stone caskets, scripture boxes, bronze Buddha statues, bronze mirrors, and celadon lotus bowls from the Yue kiln. The current height of the Tiger Hill Pagoda is 47.5 meters, and the pagoda body is entirely made of brick, weighing over 6,000 tons. According to records, due to foundation issues, the pagoda has been leaning northwest since the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), with the center of the pagoda top deviating 2.3 meters from the center of the base, at an inclination angle of 2°40′, earning it the title “Oriental Leaning Tower of Pisa.” In 1956, the Suzhou municipal government invited ancient architecture experts to reinforce and renovate the pagoda using iron hoops and grouting methods, ultimately preserving this historic structure. In 1961, it was listed as one of the National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Extended Reading:

· Top 50 Existing Ancient Architectures in China

Further reading:

·Top 50 Ancient Architectural Structures Still Standing in China