Five-Pavilion Bridge
Bridge in Jiangsu, China
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The bridge is called the "Five-Pavilion Bridge". Its alternative name, "Lotus Bridge" or "Lotus Blossom Bridge", is a translation of the bridge's original Chinese name, either named for the Lotus Blossom Dyke that the bridge connects to on its southern side or for a supposed resemblance of its pavilions to the petals of a lotus flower.
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History
The bridge was constructed in 1757 (Qianlong 22), connecting the residences on the north bank of the lake to the back of the Temple of the Lotus Mind to the south. Its construction was funded by local salt merchants to welcome the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty during his second southern tour of Jiangnan. The bridge self-consciously mirrored the Five Dragon Pavilions in Beijing, combining with the earlier White Dagoba at the Lianxing Temple to emulate the capital's Beihai Park. Although representative of a Qing style of covered bridges variously known as "corridor bridges", "rain and wind bridges", and "pavilion bridges", it was still listed by the famed Chinese structural engineer Mao Yisheng as China's "most elegant and artistic bridge".
The bridge was greatly damaged during fighting between the Taiping and Qing armies over the course of 1853, with the pavilions entirely destroyed. They were subsequently repaired by the end of the Qing, but only three of the five pavilions remained standing in 1929. The bridge was later renovated in 1933, 1951–1953, 1956, and 1982. As the "Lotus Bridge", the Five-Pavilion Bridge was inscribed along with the nearby White Dagoba as the 533rd Major Cultural Heritage Site under National-Level Protection added during the 6th round of nominations on 25 May 2006.
Structure
The bridge is 55.3 meters (181 ft) long. It rests on 12 granite bases of various sizes, supporting 15 arches in three styles. The largest arch has a span of 7 meters (23 ft). The largest central pavilion is connected to the four smaller pavilions at each corner by covered walkways. The present pavilions rise on scarlet pillars and are covered with imperial yellow tiles.