Broken Bridge in Hangzhou

Broken Bridge in Hangzhou

Broken Bridge in Hangzhou

Broken Bridge in Hangzhou is located at the eastern end of Bai Causeway by West Lake. The famous Chinese legend “The Legend of the White Snake” adds a romantic touch to the scenery around the bridge. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the bridge was also known as Baoyu Bridge or Duanjia Bridge. It is said that the bridge was built as early as the Tang Dynasty, as evidenced by the mention of “Broken Bridge” in the poem “Inscription on the Solitary Hill Temple in Hangzhou” by Zhang Hu.

The present-day Broken Bridge is an arched, single-span ring-hole stone bridge rebuilt in 1921. It is 8.8 meters long and 8.6 meters wide, with a single clear span of 6.1 meters. At the east end of the bridge stands a pavilion housing a Qing-era imperial inscribed stone tablet. Next to the pavilion is a waterside pavilion inscribed with the name “In the Light of Clouds and Water.” With its blue tiles, red railings, upturned eaves, and flying corners, the setting forms a classical-style picture along with the bridge and the pavilion in the northeastern corner of West Lake.

There are various interpretations of the meaning behind the “Melting Snow on the Broken Bridge” scene. Generally, it refers to winter days after snowfall when the sunlit side of the bridge has melted, but the shaded side still retains patches of snow that glisten like silver. Viewed from above, the bridge appears broken yet whole. Standing at the head of the bridge and looking around, visitors can take in the distant mountains and nearby waters — making it a prime spot to appreciate West Lake’s snowy scenery. Hence, “Melting Snow on the Broken Bridge” in Hangzhou has become one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake.

The Ming Dynasty scholar Wang Keyu wrote a memorable passage in “Postscript to Gathering Jade from West Lake”: “The beauty of West Lake lies in this: sunny weather is not as wonderful as rainy days, rainy days not as wonderful as moonlit nights, and moonlit nights not as wonderful as snowy days. How many people in this world can truly appreciate the utmost beauty of landscape?” Located in the south of the Yangtze River, Hangzhou has short winters and rare heavy snowfalls. But when the city is blanketed in white, it creates a snow-lake scene entirely distinct from the ordinary.