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Five-Pavilion Bridge 五亭桥
Coordinates	32°24′35″N 119°24′58″E / 32.40974°N 119.41617°E / 32.40974; 119.41617
Crosses	Slender West Lake
Locale	Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
Other name(s)	Lotus Blossom Bridge
Heritage status	Nationally-Protected Cultural Heritage Site
Characteristics
Material	Stone
Total length	55 m (180 ft)
History
Opened	1757
Location

Five-Pavilion Bridge
"Four Bridges in Misty Rain", one of Yangzhou's 24 views under the Qing
Traditional Chinese	五亭橋
Simplified Chinese	五亭桥
Literal meaning	Five-Pavilion Bridge
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Wǔtíng Qiáo Wade–Giles Wu-t'ing Ch'iao
Lotus Bridge
Traditional Chinese	蓮花橋
Simplified Chinese	莲花桥
Literal meaning	Lotus Blossom Bridge
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Liánhuā Qiáo Wade–Giles Lien-hua Ch'iao

The Five-Pavilion Bridge, also known as the Lotus Bridge and by other names, is a covered stone arch footbridge in the Slender West Lake National Park in Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, in Jiangsu, China. It is one of the Four Bridges in Misty Rain, one of the 24 Views of Yangzhou under the Qing, and has become a landmark of the city.

Names

"Five-Pavilion Bridge" is a calque of one of the bridge's Chinese names, written 五亭橋 in traditional characters and 五亭桥. From the pinyin romanization of the name's Mandarin pronunciation Wǔtíng Qiáo, it is also sometimes known as the Wuting Bridge. Similarly, "Lotus Bridge" or "Lotus Blossom Bridge" is a calque of the bridge's original Chinese name 蓮花橋 or 莲花桥, Liánhuā Qiáo, named for the Lotus Blossom Dyke that the bridge connects to on its southern side.

History

The bridge was constructed in 1757 (Qianlong 22) 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 Lotus Tower at the Lianxing Temple (t 蓮性寺, s 莲性寺, Liánxìng Sì) 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, but subsequently repaired.

As the "Lotus Bridge", the Five-Pavilion Bridge was inscribed along with the nearby Lotus Tower 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 meters (180 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.

See also

• List of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Jiangsu
• List of bridges in China
• List of bridges with buildings

References

Citations

1. Finnane (2004), p. 194.
2. ^ Chen & al. (2022), p. 389.
3. ^ "Five-Pavilion Bridge", Official site, Yangzhou: Slender West Lake Scenic Spot, 2023.
4. ^ Olivová (2009), p. 9.
5. ^ Chen & al. (1986), p. 23.
6. Meyer-Fong (2009), p. 41–2.
7. State Council (2006).

Bibliography

• "国务院关于核定并公布第六批全国 重点文物保护单位的通知 (6th Batch)", Official site (in Chinese), Beijing: State Council of the People's Republic of China, 25 May 2006.
• Chen Lifang; et al. (1986), The Garden Art of China, Portland: Timber Press.
• Chen Shouxiang; et al. (2022), "Architecture of the Qing Dynasty", A General History of Chinese Art, vol. VI, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, pp. 361–397.
• Finnane, Antonia (2004), Speaking of Yangzhou: A Chinese City, 1550–1850, Cambridge: Harvard University Asia Center, ISBN 978-0674013926.
• Meyer-Fong, Tobie (2009), "Gathering in a Ruined City: Metaphor, Practice, and Recovery in Post-Taiping Yangzhou", Lifestyle and Entertainment in Yangzhou, NIAS Studies in Asian Topics, No. 44, Copenhagen: Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, pp. 37–61.
• Olivová, Lucie B. (2009), "Building History and the Preservation of Yangzhou", Lifestyle and Entertainment in Yangzhou, NIAS Studies in Asian Topics, No. 44, Copenhagen: Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, pp. 3–36.

• Slender West Lake National Park
• Bridges completed in 1757
• Bridges in Yangzhou
• Covered bridges in China
• Stone bridges in China
• Pedestrian bridges in China
• Qing dynasty architecture
• Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Jiangsu
• 18th-century establishments in China
• 1757 establishments in Asia
• 1750s establishments in Asia
• Tourist attractions in Jiangsu