Guangji Bridge, Seven-arch stone bridge in Tangqi Ancient Town, Hangzhou, China
This historic stone bridge spans approximately 78.7 meters across the Grand Canal, featuring seven elegant arches with the central arch measuring nearly 15.69 meters in width.
The bridge was first built in the Tang dynasty and rebuilt in 1489, the second year of the Ming Hongzhi era, a date carved on its arches. It was repaired during the Qing Kangxi period. The present seven-arch stone structure crosses the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in a north-south direction.
The bridge serves as a protected cultural heritage site representing traditional Chinese engineering and the historical importance of waterway transportation in regional development and commerce.
The bridge crosses the Grand Canal in a north-south direction in Tangqi, Linping district, Hangzhou. Pedestrians climb 80 stone steps on each side, and the deck is lined with 0.4-metre stone balustrades and 64 balusters. The central arch rises 7.75 metres above the water.
The arches are built in a segmented, side-by-side masonry technique, and the 64 balusters differ: the four at the bridge crown are carved with lotus petals, while the rest are plain spheres. The 1489 reconstruction date is carved on the arch ring itself.
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