Liren Bridge in Xitang

Liren Bridge in Xitang

Liren Bridge derives its name from spanning Liren Harbor; it was named after Li Qizhen, a successful Ming Dynasty scholar and official of the Taichang Temple, who lived here. He chose the name “Liren” (meaning “benevolence in the neighborhood is beautiful”) from an ancient text, and thus both the harbor and the street share the same name. The original construction date of Liren Bridge is unknown. It was rebuilt around the 1980s and restored to its original appearance in 1997. The bridge railings are made of newly quarried stone slabs, which do not match the stonework of the main structure. After tourism development began, a new small step-free stone bridge was built dozens of meters east of the bridge to facilitate pedestrian access across the water. To name the new bridge, relevant personnel consulted the calligrapher Jiang Weiyun, who immediately suggested, “What should we call the bridge? Since it was built in the year of Wuyin, let’s just call it Wuyin Bridge.”

Location

Xitang Town, Jiashan County, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province