Bridges

2)The Zigzag Bridge

A landscaping structure, the zigzag bridge is found in some gardens or suburban scenic spots. It is intended to give an interesting feature to the scene on lakes and ponds and enlarge to scope of the sightseers ‘stroll over the water surface.

Such a bridge may have three , five or more zigzags .Jiuqu Qiao (the Nine-bend Bridge ) in Yuyuan Garden of Shanghai's old town is typical one .Going over a lake thirty meters across ,the bridge winds more than a hundred meters because of its nine twists.

Flanked by balustrades with square posts , it has also by its side a mid-lake pavilion in which visitors may have a cup of tea upstairs and enjoy the view all around .

Anther well-known zigzag bridge lies at Gulangyu, a beautiful island just off the Fujian city of Xiamen (Amoy). Zigzagging along the islet's southern shore ,the bridge lies nestled against a nice garden. Standing on it at intervals are graceful pavilions known under such names as “Watching Anglers” ,”A Thousand Waves ” and “Moon in Water”.Ramblers on the bridge draw pleasure from the feeling as if they were walking on the sea, especially when the tide is in.

3)The Cross Bridges

This is a very rare bridge in China ; in fact ,probably only one of its type still exists in the country .Named Yuzhao feiliang (Flying Bridge over Fish Pond), it is situate in front of the Hall of the Goddess in Jinci Temple of Shanxi Province .It is stone bridge with “wings” so that it looks like a cross .The main bridge floor is 18 by 6 meters long and 4 meters wide .Erected over a pond ,in which fish play about ,it also looks like a huge bird about to take off .Sightseers may get on it from any direction and cross the lake anyway they want .

According to recorded history, such cross bridges began to be built as early as the Northern Wei Dynasty (A.D 386-534). The existing one just described is thought to have been built during the Northern Song (960-1127) at the same time as the Hall of the Goddess .Nearly a thousand years old, it is generally regarded as a treasure among ancient Chinese bridges.