No. 1: Binfeng Qiao (Bridge of Pastoral Poems)

This bridge was originally named the Mulberry and Ramie Bridge while the Summer Palace was still the Garden of Clear Ripples. As the Chinese pronunciation of this name sounds similar to the name of Emperor Xianfeng, the bridge’s name had to be changed to avoid an Imperial Court taboo. The present name was borrowed from the title of an old folksong from the Book of Poems, the first songbook in China. The folksong depicted the agricultural life of peasants in ancient China and was entitled “The Pastoral Poem”. Both names were supposed to demonstrate the great attention that emperors paid to agriculture.

No. 2: Yudai Qiao (Jade Belt Bridge)

Built during Emperor Qianlong’s reign (1736-1795), this high and thin bridge was named Jade Belt Bridge because its body and railings are made of gray white or white marbles which combine to resemble a jade belt. Under the bridge, the Kunming Lake inlet led to Yu River. When the emperors and empresses went by boat from the Garden of Clear Ripples to Jade Spring Hills, they would pass under this bridge.

No. 3: Jing Qiao (Mirror Bridge)

Originally built under Emperor Qianlong’s reign (1736-1795) and rebuilt during Emperor Guangxu’s reign (1875-1908), this bridge got its name from a line in a poem by Li Bai (701-762), a great poet of the Tang Dynasty, who wrote: “A bright mirror between two waters, a rainbow falls over the two bridges".

Source: Summer Palace-China.com