Guangji Bridge

Straddling the Han River in the Guangdong city of Chaozhou, Guangji Bridge is a legendary structure dating back to the Song Dynasty (AD 420-479).

Standing as an exquisite example of period architecture and Chinese ingenuity, the bridge is a tourist hotspot lauded as one of China's four most famous bridges. For hundreds of years, the bridge served as a key point of passage between Guangdong and Fujian and a nexus for trade. Furthermore, the multitude of rooms stretching along the bridge were used for conducting a great deal of local business.

Guangji Bridge is a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level on account of its storied history and ability to open and close for the passage of large boats. As the world's oldest opening and closing bateau bridge, the saying goes that to visit Chaozhou without viewing the bridge is to have missed the town altogether. In its sixteen hundred year history the bridge has undergone a myriad of changes. It has been destroyed by flood and rebuilt by local craftsmen, experienced the ebbs and flows of regional trade, seen its once teeming pavilions replaced, and found itself changed from a bateau to a beam bridge. Still, since its reopening in 2009, the bridge remains a central place of interest in Chaozhou and offers visitors a wonderful vantage point to appreciate the stunning local scenery.

A view of the spectacular Guangji Bridge in the Guangdong city of Chaozhou. [Photo/visitgd.com]