Qingming Bridge in Wuxi City

 

(Voiceover)

00:16 China’s Grand Canal is brimming with superlatives. As the longest and oldest man-made water system in the world, the canal, along with the Great Wall and the Karez water system, is considered to be one of the Three Greatest Engineering Wonders from ancient China. 

00:36 The waterway runs through the city of Wuxi in Jiangsu province. Nanchang Jie, in the city’s downtown area, first became a thriving and prosperous area thanks to this ancient canal. The canal seems to retain this history today, allowing locals and tourists to be transported back hundreds of years when visiting it. 

01:01 And the Qingming Bridge in Nanchang Jie, is the most recognizable site along this stretch of water.

 

01:13 The bridge was first built in the late 16th century during Emperor Wanli’s reign in the Ming Dynasty. The bridge was constructed with donations from the two sons of Qin Yao, the owner of Jichang Garden in Wuxi at the time. The bridge was initially named Qingning, taking and combining the last character of the two son’s names, Taiqing and Taining. However, the name was changed to Qingming during Emperor Daoguang’s reign in the Qing Dynasty. 

01:48 The area around the Qingming Bridge oozes history, capturing the typical style of a Jiangnan water-town in the Yangtze River Delta. During the day, tourists can boat on the water for a good vantage point of the traditional dwellings on the banks of the canal. White-washed walls, dark grey rooves, floral grille wooden windows and screen partition-doors are all characteristics of the houses. And today, shops have sprung up, combining traditional Chinese architecture with Western styles, a marriage of cultures in this ancient water town.