Traveling in Beijing, you may always easily get impressed by various attractions, and so you may always easily miss or ignore many fascinating stone bridges Beijing offers. What’s the greatness of a stone bridge for us to view? I don’t understand art, but when I see these bridges, what rattles inside my brain is only one word: art. Which bridges hidden in Beijing really deserve the word?
Inner Golden Water Bridges
1.Golden Water BridgesI suppose many tourists have been to the Forbidden City, but seldom does anyone care know something about the bridges spanning across the moat in front of the Tiananmen Tower, or even know the name of them. This river is named Outer Golden Water River, and there are seven bridges made of white marbles spanning across it. Inside the Forbidden City, there is a small river named Inner Golden Water River, across which five white marble bridges span. Where does the river come from? Its upstream is Zhongnanhai (literal translation: Mid-South Sea), which comes fromBeihai(literal translation: North Sea), which comes fromShichahai, which comes from Jishuitan, which comes from Shuiguan (literal translation: Water Pass), which originates from Gaoliang River (literal translation: Sorghum River). I don’t think you know such things. By the way, don’t try to pick up gold from the river. No gold there.
[Photo / Li Ming]
2.Seventeen-Arch BridgeWhich tourist attraction is most visited apart from the Forbidden City and the Great Wall in Beijing? No doubt, it is Yi He Yuan--the Summer Palace. One of the most famous spots inside it is the Seventeen-Arch Bridge, which leads tourists from the bank Kunming Lake to an island in the lake where a Dragon King Temple is located and is highly adored. This bridge was first built in the 15th year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign (1750), stretching as long as 150 meters. It is the longest bridge now existing among all the rivers built inside China’s imperial gardens. It is made of stone, and has 17 stone arches. So it was named Seventeen-Arch Bridge. This bridge blends the features of theMarco Polo Bridgeandthe Precious Belt Bridgein Suzhou, China. The specialty of it is it has 544 stone lions wearing different expressions on its peristeles. This reflects the architectural crafts of the Qing Dynasty.
3.Jade Belt BridgeChina is a land full of all kinds of jade, and many things made in China are named after jade. Naming bridges with jade is a typical example. Traveling across China, you will find many bridges named Jade Belt Bridge, and this tradition spread to Beijing hundreds of years ago. Touring the Summer Palace to the West Causeway, you must walk across a white marble bridge which has a very steep arch, and this bridge is called Jade Belt Bridge, which spans 11.38 meters. Standing on it, you can have a very good view of the Summer Palace. Notice that those who are very old and disabled are not suggested to walk across it. Beside it there is another flat bridge, and you can easily cross it.
4.Marco Polo BridgeTraveling in Beijing, I don’t think you should miss visiting this bridge. Why? Because it is an ancient bridge full of history, art and beauty. The bridge spans across Beijing’s Yongding River, about 15 km southwest of the center of Beijing. In Chinese it is named Lu Gou Bridge (卢沟桥), which was built in June, 1189 ruing China’s Jin Dynasty and is 266.5 meters long and 7.5 meters. This bridge was not built by Marco Polo or under his suggestions, but because he recorded this bridge in his book Travels of Marco Polo, and so foreigners usually call it Marco Polo Bridge. Like the Seventeen-Arch Bridge, there are also stone lions on it, 502 in total. This bridge has 11 arches.
