A moon bridge (月桥), also known as “''sori-bashi"'' (反り橋) in Japanese, or as a drum bridge (“taiko-bashi” 太鼓橋), is a highly arched

pedestrian A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, by wheelchair or with other mobility aids. Streets and roads often have a designated footpath for pedestrian traffic, called the '' sidewalk'' in North American English, the ''pavement'' in British En ...

bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

. The moon bridge originated in China and was later introduced to Japan, where it became synonymous with Japanese landscape architecture. However, the general shape of this bridge can be seen throughout East Asian cultures. Generally, these bridges are non-functional, serving as ornamentation.Barnett, Tara (2022-10-12). "What Is a Moon Bridge?". ''All the Science''. Retrieved 2022-11-10. However, they were originally designed to allow pedestrians to cross canals while allowing the passage of barges beneath. To achieve this height in normal bridge construction, significant space from the river banks must be used for the approaches of the bridge. The climbing ascent and descent of the moon bridge has the advantage of conserving this space. These approaches can be very steep on moon bridges, sometimes requiring ladder-like rungs to be affixed to the bridge.Kozaburo, Tamamura. "Taiko-Bashi (Drum) Bridge at Kameido Shrine". ''Nagasaki University Library.'' Retrieved 2022-11-10. Moon bridges can be constructed from a variety of materials and construction techniques. Some wooden moon bridges employ a “woven-arch” style: cross beams are threaded between the longitudinal members, developing inherent stiffness and shape. Though rare, this technique is displayed on the 12th century Chinese “Rainbow Bridge”, the 1913 moon bridge in the Japanese garden of the Huntington Library in California. In formal

garden design Garden design is the art and process of designing and creating plans for layout and planting of garden, gardens and landscapes. Garden design may be done by the garden owner themselves, or by professionals of varying levels of experience and expe ...

, a moon bridge is placed so that it is reflected in still water. The high arch and its reflection form a circle, symbolizing the

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...

. By forming a reflected full circle, the bridge also symbolizes purity: the Chinese words for “full” and “circle” together translate to “perfection”. File:Shuangxi Park and Chinese Garden Taipei.jpg, Shuangxi Park and Chinese Garden Taipei File:Twenty four bridge.JPG, Twenty four bridge in Yangzhou,

Jiangsu Jiangsu is a coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the List of Chinese administra ...

Province File:Bridge reflecting in the lake in the evening (Dunedin Chinese Garden).jpg, Bridge reflecting in the lake in the evening ( Dunedin Chinese Garden) File:Koishikawa Korakuen - Engetsu-kyo.jpg, A full circle forms due to the shape and reflection of Engetsu-kyō stone bridge at Koishikawa-Kōrakuen in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, Japan File:Lightmatter japanese garden bridge.jpg, Moon bridge with a "woven-arch" construction

References

Footbridges Bridges by structural type Deck arch bridges Garden features Chinese gardening styles Japanese style of gardening Japanese architectural features Architecture in China {{bridge-type-stub

See also

References