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The Jade Belt Bridge (), also known as the ''Camel's Back Bridge'', is an 18th-century pedestrian moon bridge located on the grounds of the
File:'Bridge in Summer Palace, Peking' by Charles W. Bartlett, HMA 28113.JPG, Drawing by Charles W. Bartlett
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 137-022926, Park im Sommerpalast in Peking.jpg,
File:Jade Belt Bridge.jpg, circa 1879
File:Marble bridge in Summer Palace.jpg, between circa 1900 and circa 1903
File:Thomas Child, Jade Belt Bridge.jpg, between 1870 and 1889
File:Kameelbrücke.jpg, before or in 1902
File:Marble Bridge in Summer Palace.jpg, before 1906
File:Jade Belt Bridge & Boat, Summer Palace, Peking, China (c1924) Sidney D. Gamble (RESTORED) (4079128019).jpg, circa 1924
The Jade Belt Bridge (), also known as the ''Camel's Back Bridge'', is an 18th-century pedestrian moon bridge located on the grounds of the Summer Palace
The Summer Palace () is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing. It was an imperial garden during the Qing dynasty. Inside includes Longevity Hill () Kunming Lake and Seventeen Hole Bridge. It covers an expanse of , three-quar ...
in Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
, China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. It is famous for its distinctive tall thin single arch.
The Jade Belt Bridge is the most well-known of the six bridges on the western shore of Kunming Lake. It was erected in the years 1750, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor
The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, personal name Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China pr ...
, and was built in the style of the delicate bridges in the country-side of southern China. It is made from marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
and other white stone. The ornate bridge railings are decorated with carvings of cranes and other animals. The clearance of the arch was chosen to accommodate the dragon boat
A dragon boat is a human-powered watercraft originating from the Pearl River Delta region of China's southern Guangdong Province. These were made of teak, but in other parts of China different kinds of wood are used. It is one of a family of t ...
of the Qianlong Emperor. As the Kunming Lake inlet to the neighboring Yu River, and when during special occasions, the emperors and empress and their dragon boat would specifically pass under this bridge. It is one of the most beautiful bridges in the Summer Palace
The Summer Palace () is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing. It was an imperial garden during the Qing dynasty. Inside includes Longevity Hill () Kunming Lake and Seventeen Hole Bridge. It covers an expanse of , three-quar ...
. A similar arch bridge called Xiuyi Bridge is located on the southeast of Summer Palace.
Gallery
Legacy
The modern scholar Wang Chaosheng proposed that some degraded writing on the back of a stele was actually a poem composed by the Qianlong Emperor, dated to 1755, referencing the Jade Belt Bridge of the Pictures of Tilling and Weaving that were in the originalSummer Palace
The Summer Palace () is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing. It was an imperial garden during the Qing dynasty. Inside includes Longevity Hill () Kunming Lake and Seventeen Hole Bridge. It covers an expanse of , three-quar ...
, then known as the Gardens of Clear Ripples (). To the west of Jade Belt Bridge - the Pictures of Tilling and Weaving The silk clouds of the weavers and the rain of the plowing farmers study the methods of Wu. The water and weather (of north and south) are pretty much the same, Food and clothing share the same source so all must work with diligence.
See also
* Precious Belt Bridge *Chinese architecture
Chinese architecture () is the embodiment of an architectural style that has developed over millennia in China and has influenced architecture throughout East Asia. Since its emergence during the early ancient era, the structural principles of ...
* Architecture of the Song dynasty
* List of bridges in China
* Ponte della Maddalena
References