Building bridges

The Xizha area, one of the most popular destinations in Wuzhen, is home to many ancient bridges. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Landmarks:

Tongji and Renji

The Tongji bridge is nearly 30 meters long and 3.5 meters wide.

In olden times, it was a passageway for provision suppliers traveling between Hangzhou and Suzhou. It is unclear when it was initially constructed, but it has been rebuilt four times since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

The Renji bridge, stretching from north to south, has also been rebuilt four times since the Ming Dynasty.

The bridges stand next to each other and form a right angle. One can always see one bridge through the aperture of the other bridge. This view is called the "bridge inside a bridge".

Fuchang

Stretching from south to north, Fuchang is also called the Fulan bridge. It hovers over the Fulanqiao Wharf on Nandajie Street in the Nanzha area. The bridge is over 27 meters long, 3.3 meters wide and more than 7 meters high, with 21 steps on the southern and northern ends, respectively.

It was built by and named after Ming scholar Hu Min. It was rebuilt twice.