Zhenze Rainbow Bridge

Zhenze Rainbow Bridge

Zhenze Rainbow Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou City.

Located to the west of Hongqiao Lane on Ouhe Street in Zhenze Town, Wujiang, it spans the Tongtai River.

Its original construction date is unknown. It was rebuilt in the 45th year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1780) and renovated in the 18th year of the Guangxu reign (1892). In the 8th year of the Republic of China (1919), the local government of Zhenze built a pavilion nearby at the eastern end of the bridge, named “Little Chuihong Pavilion,” to enhance its charm. Its front pillars bear a couplet: “Gazing afar, the scenery of Dongting Lake’s mountains and waters becomes a painter’s canvas; nearby, the pagoda’s shadow, floral scents, and birdsongs are full of poetic charm.” In June of the 24th year of the Republic of China (1935), due to the new diversion of the Xintang River (New Canal), the Rainbow Bridge was dismantled and relocated to Sigudun. On July 29, 1994, it was listed as a cultural relic control unit of Wujiang City.

A granite single-arch bridge oriented east-west. The total length is 24 meters, with a central width of 3.1 meters, an approach width of 3.5 meters, a height of 3 meters, and a span of 7.1 meters. The arch is constructed using the method of vertical jointing with separate segments. The keystone of the Rainbow Bridge is carved with a “samsara” design, and the bridge’s railing pillars feature two pairs of stone lions. The name “Rainbow Bridge” is inscribed on the stones on both the northern and southern sides of the bridge deck. There is one couplet on each side of the bridge. The southern couplet reads: “Waves are calm by the willow-lined bank where a long rainbow lies; waters wind around the fishing village where a half moon hangs.” The western couplet reads: “Duckling-head ripples spread far with lake light; duck-like stones slant and link with pagoda’s shadow.”

Legend has it that at midnight on the Mid-Autumn Festival, if you walk onto the Rainbow Bridge, you can see the shadow of the Ciyun Pagoda perfectly inverted and hanging within the reflection of the bridge’s arch. The marvel is that this spectacle only occurs on this one night out of the 365 days of the year, making it comparable to the “Three Pools Mirroring the Moon” in Hangzhou and the “Moon over Shihu Lake” in Suzhou. A poem by the Qing poet Zhuang Guan titled “Pagoda Shadow Bridge” reads: “A desolate bridge with scattered stones hides the village ruins; from the middle, the floating pagoda is just inches away. No wonder the moonlight feels as cold as water; a single inverted reflection swims with the fish.” Another poem by Ni Shimeng titled “Evening at Rainbow Bridge” says: “The temple embraces the fading glow brightening the wild goose pagoda; the waves float the new moon descending onto the rainbow bridge. The spring sound flows urgent with the stream in the distance; the sail shadows sway low with the riverside trees.” Both poems depict this wonder. “Evening at Rainbow Bridge” was once one of the original Eight Scenic Spots of Zhenze.

Source: Wujiang Archives Bureau

Zhenze Town: This Jiangnan water town—Zhenze—is located in the southwestern part of Wujiang City, Jiangsu Province, adjacent to Zhejiang Province. Historically known as the “Head of Wu and Tail of Yue,” it lies 90 kilometers east of Shanghai and 54 kilometers north of Suzhou. National Highway 318 and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal run through the area, providing very convenient land and water transportation. Zhenze covers a total area of 57 square kilometers, including a town area of 3.93 square kilometers, nearly 40,000 mu of arable land, and a total population of over 50,000. The town has well-developed infrastructure, with one 220,000-volt and one 110,000-volt substation each, a 25,000-ton ground-level water plant, and mobile communication transmission stations in operation, offering... More detailed information about Zhenze Town++