The Tiger Hill Pagoda, officially known as the Yunyan Temple Pagoda (云岩寺塔) and also called the Huqiu Pagoda, is a historic Buddhist pagoda standing on Tiger Hill in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. It is one of the best-known architectural landmarks of Suzhou and among the oldest surviving large brick pagodas in southern China. The present structure was begun in 959, during the Five Dynasties period, and completed in 961, at the beginning of the Northern Song dynasty, when the Suzhou region formed part of the Wuyue kingdom. Earlier pagodas had occupied Tiger Hill during the Southern Dynasties and Sui periods.
The pagoda is an octagonal, seven-story structure built principally of brick but designed to imitate the forms of contemporary wooden architecture. Its exterior incorporates columns, bracket systems, projecting eaves, and other architectural details characteristic of timber buildings. It rises approximately 47.7 meters, or about 156 feet, and gradually narrows toward the top. The tower originally formed part of Yunyan Temple, also historically known as Tiger Hill Temple, although much of the surrounding monastic complex has disappeared.
Tiger Hill Pagoda is particularly famous for its pronounced lean, caused primarily by uneven settlement of its foundations. The summit is displaced more than two meters from the vertical, giving the structure an appearance often compared with the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The pagoda had already begun leaning centuries ago and suffered repeatedly from fire, deterioration, and structural cracking. Repairs were undertaken during the Yuan and Ming dynasties, and modern stabilization projects reinforced the structure while preserving its historic fabric.
Restoration work in the twentieth century revealed important religious and artistic objects sealed within the pagoda, including Buddhist scriptures and images, ceramics, bronzes, textiles, and paintings dating largely from the late Tang and Five Dynasties periods. Among the most celebrated discoveries was a rare Yue-ware celadon lotus bowl, now preserved in the Suzhou Museum. The finds provided important evidence for the artistic culture and Buddhist practices of the Wuyue kingdom.
For more than a thousand years, Tiger Hill Pagoda has remained one of the principal symbols of Suzhou. Its elevated position made it a conspicuous landmark for travelers approaching the historic city, and Tiger Hill itself became one of Suzhou's most celebrated scenic and cultural sites. The pagoda was designated a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level in 1961 and remains one of the most important surviving monuments of early Chinese pagoda architecture.