Guan Taiwei Bridge, Stone bridge in Gusu District, China.
Guan Taiwei Bridge is a stone structure that crosses the water in Suzhou's Gusu District. The crossing links both riverbanks and features traditional stonework on its railings and support columns.
The bridge's original construction date is unknown. It was rebuilt in 1696, the 35th year of the Kangxi reign, and repaired again in 1878, the 4th year of the Guangxu reign. On 24 November 1998 the Suzhou Municipal Government listed it in the fourth batch of Suzhou cultural relics protection units.
The name honours a guan taiwei, a senior military title of the imperial era, though the sources record no individual behind it. The bridge is a local crossing point over the fourth branch of the Pingjiang River, at the mouth of Tangjia Lane off Shijiang Lane. Its 1998 listing as a Suzhou protected site is marked by a red-lettered stone plaque beside the span.
The bridge carries the lane at the junction of Tangjia Lane and Shijiang Lane, south of Yuanqiao Bridge on Ganjiang Road, spanning the fourth branch of Pingjiang River. It is a pedestrian crossing with 11 steps on each slope, so it is not step-free; those with mobility difficulties should approach from the lane ends. The 1998 protection marker stands at the bridge.
The bridge's name honours a guan taiwei, a senior military title from imperial times; the source does not record which official it was. The structure itself is a beam bridge of Wukang stone and single-span granite, 15.6 m long, 2.5 m wide, with a 3 m span and 11 steps on each ramp. A red-painted stone marker at the site reads Gong Taiwei Bridge and records its 1998 listing by the Suzhou government.
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