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About 15 km west of the South Gate of Suzhou is Lingyan Hill, which is by no means high or steep, with an elevation of only some 180 meters and an area of about 120 hectares. However it has the reputation of being one of the famous mountains south of the Yangtze, boasting of its picturesque scenery with weird-looking rocks and magnificent halls and pavilions.

The places of historical interest on Lingyan Hill are most associated with the King of Wu and Xi Shi, both of whom lived in the Spring and Autumn Period in Chinese history. In 494, the King of Wu, Fu Chai, succeeded in conquering the State of Yue. So the King Gou Jian along with his wife was forced to go to Wu as a captive. Gou Jian performed the job of groom assiduously and always dressed in tatters and looking unkempt and dirty. Three years later the King of Wu fell ill and Gou Jian went to him just as the latter was having a bowel movement. In the presence of all those attendance, Gou Jian fell on his knee and, after sampling the King's feces with his tongue, said, "Your Majesty is sure to get well in a few days." Surprised, the King asked why and Gou Jian explained, "I heard a doctor once said it was possible to determine a patient's state of health by the taste of his feces. There is a sour and bitter taste in your Majesty's feces so that I'm sure you'll recover soon." The King was deeply moved by Gou Jian's act and granted pardon and permission to him to go back his homeland.

Then the previous King of Yue made a firm resolve to revenge his defeat. To remind himself of the humiliations he had suffered, he slept at night on a heap of firewood and straw instead of a bed. On a doorjamb, he hung a gall bladder, which he licked for the bitterness. This was later elaborated into the popular Chinese idiom of "Sleeping on Firewood and Tasting Gall" in illustration of a man's high resolve and unremitting efforts to revenge a wrong.

Meanwhile he adopted his minister's suggestion of setting a sex trap to ensnare the King of Wu. Under this scheme, a dazzling beauty named Xi Shi was sent to the King of Wu and won his favor. He had a stupendous palace built on Lingyan for her and it was great fun for Xi Shi to trip down the huge wooden steps. It was there that the King of Wu abandoned himself to a life of revelries and extravagances with the accompaniment of unceasing song and dance. Xi Shi is said to be such a peerless beauty that the King was passionately in love with her and was ready to do everything to please her. He said to Xi Shi, "I've given you whatever you want except the moon in the sky. Why are you still unhappy?" Xi Shi replied, "But it is not impossible to have it if you have a pond dug at the top of the hill." The king at once gratified her wish. On moonlit nights the King with his favorite lady would bend beside the pond and scoop up water in their cupped hands and enjoy the crystal-clear reflection.

For natural scenery, Lingyan Hill is especially noted for its many picturesque rocks. One of them is shaped like a stalk of Ling Zhi, which is a kind of fungus believed to possess a supernatural power. The name of Lingyan actually originated from it. There are other interesting rocks having shapes like sleeping cows, galloping horses, tipsy monks and etc. Near the top of the hill is an enormous rock like a tortoise making its steady way forward with head held high, gazing meanwhile at Tai Lake in the distance. The amusing sight earned itself the name "Tortoise Gazing at Tai Lake."

Written by our column writer Hao Zhuo.

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