Nine-turn bridge, Stone bridge in West Lake, China.
The Nine-turn Bridge is a stone structure spanning West Lake with a series of angular turns along its path. The walkway features decorative railings and follows a deliberate winding route that connects different sections of the garden.
The structure originated during the Song Dynasty as a model for garden bridges throughout imperial and private Chinese gardens. Its design became widely copied and established a lasting tradition in how gardens are built and experienced.
The name reflects a design principle in Chinese gardens where the winding path creates separate spaces and invites exploration from different angles. Walking across it, you experience the garden piece by piece rather than all at once.
The bridge is easy to walk across and offers changing views of the lake and gardens from different points along the route. Wear shoes with good grip, especially after rain, as the stone surfaces can become slippery.
The structure follows a mathematical system with nine turns and eighteen bends, arranged according to principles of traditional Chinese number symbolism. This numerical precision is hidden within what appears to be a naturally winding path.
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