Guangji Bridge (Chaozhou)

About

Guangji Bridge (simplified, traditional, pinyin: Guǎngjì Qiáo, lit. 'Great Charity Bridge'), also known as Xiangzi Bridge (simplified, traditional, pinyin: Xiāngzǐ Qiáo), is an ancient bridge that crosses the Han River east of Chaozhou, Guangdong province, China. A key cultural relic under national protection, the bridge is renowned as one of China's four famous ancient bridges, the other three being Zhaozhou Bridge, Lugou Bridge, and Luoyang Bridge. There is an old saying, "", that means if you go to Chaozhou without visiting the bridge, you cannot say that you have been to Chaozhou. Mao Yisheng, a famous expert on the bridge, said, "A part of Guangji Bridge is connected by boats as a pontoon bridge. When it is open, there is a channel for ships and boats to get across. It can also be closed. Since it can be open or closed, it is a special case in the history of bridges in China." There are various pavilions on the bridge, so there is a popular saying, "twenty-four pavilions have twenty-four styles". The pavilions housed businesses. It was a prosperous time, so people said, "In one Li one the bridge, there is one Li of business market."

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.