Shaoxing's ancient Ba Zi Bridge

"The hanging rainbow and jade belt in front of the gate, the eternal famous bridge from the state of Yue." Shaoxing is a typical Jiangnan water town with various bridges connecting streets and alleys, with a bridge every five steps and another every ten, truly embodying the saying "No city without bridges, no road without bridges, no village without bridges." According to the third national cultural relics survey, Shaoxing has more than 700 ancient bridges, rightfully earning the title of "Bridge Hometown". Ba Zi Bridge is one of the most famous ancient bridges in Shaoxing. It is located at the eastern end of Ba Zi Bridge Straight Street in the Yuecheng District's Fushan Subdistrict, spanning the Kuaiji River, and is a uniquely shaped stone arch bridge. The Southern Song Dynasty's "Jiatai Kuaiji Annals" recorded: "Ba Zi Bridge is located to the southeast of the prefectural city, with two bridges slanting opposite each other, shaped like the character '八' (eight), hence the name." From this, it is known that Ba Zi Bridge was built before the Jiatai era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1201-1204). On the fifth pillar on the west side of the main bridge arch, there is an inscription from the reconstruction in the Baoyou Bingchen year (1256) of the Southern Song Dynasty, stating "Built on an auspicious day in midwinter of Baoyou Bingchen year." The bridge deck and steps on both sides are flanked by stone railings and balusters, with cloud-shaped arch decorations on the railings and lotus flower carvings on the baluster heads. Many of the balusters are inscribed with the names of those who donated funds for the bridge's construction. Ba Zi Bridge is built at the confluence of three rivers, consisting of the main bridge and auxiliary bridges, with a total of four sets of steps connecting the surrounding four streets, ingeniously solving the complex water and land traffic problems, and its layout is admirable. This place was one of the main waterways and docks in ancient Shaoxing, where local residents and passing merchants could take boats south to Wuyun Gate, north to Dusi Gate, and west to the center of the prefectural city. In 2014, the Grand Canal of China was inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage list, and the Grand Canal (Shaoxing section), Ba Zi Bridge, Ba Zi Bridge Historical and Cultural District, and Shaoxing Ancient Towpath were listed as World Cultural Heritage sites. Standing on Ba Zi Bridge and looking north, the white-walled and black-tiled residential buildings on both sides are scattered in an orderly fashion, extending all the way to Guangning Bridge.