West Lake Sunrise at Duan Bridge (Broken Bridge)

Duan Bridge, known in English as Broken Bridge, sits at the northeastern tip of West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, where the causeway meets Bai Causeway near Baochu Road. The classic frame places the arched stone bridge in the foreground with Baochu Pagoda visible on Baoshi Hill across the water in the background, the composition working best from the lakeside path just west of the bridge looking east-southeast toward the rising sun. Side- and back-lit sunrise light around 30 to 45 minutes after official sunrise gives the strongest color on the water without blowing out the sky, and the bridge is named for the way snow appears to break along its arch in winter, when the 'Broken Bridge in Melting Snow' scene draws photographers specifically for that light snowfall condition. Misty spring and autumn mornings, when humidity off the lake softens the pagoda silhouette, are the second most reliable window. The location is one of West Lake's most visited spots and becomes crowded with tour groups by mid-morning; arriving before 6:30am, especially on weekdays, is the only reliable way to get an unobstructed tripod position on the narrow lakeside railing. The bridge and surrounding West Lake Scenic Area are open to the public with no entrance fee and no restriction on tripod use, though drones are prohibited over the lake without prior permit from the Hangzhou West Lake Scenic Area Administration.