Bazi Bridge

Bazi Bridge is an ancient stone arch bridge on Bazi Bridge Street in Yuecheng District, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China. It is reported to date to about 1256 and is built in the Song-dynasty style, which makes it one of the oldest surviving bridges in a city famous for its thousands of canal crossings. The name, meaning Eight Character Bridge, comes from its setting: streets and waterways meet here at angles that together resemble the Chinese character for eight. The single arch rises steeply over the canal, with stone steps up each side and worn paving that records centuries of foot traffic. Around the bridge are traditional houses with whitewashed walls and dark roofs, some built right to the water's edge, plus small shops and a few tea stalls. Visitors usually spend 30 to 45 minutes here. The usual routine is to climb the bridge for views along the three directions of canal and street, walk down to the water for the classic photograph of the arch reflected in the canal, and wander the surrounding lanes. The best vantage points are the canal bank on either side, which frames the arch with houses, and the crest of the bridge itself, which looks along the waterway. The site is open around the clock and free. Early morning offers calm water, reflections and local residents going about their day, and dusk brings warm light and quiet. Midday and weekends see the most visitors, although it never becomes as busy as the larger sites. Bazi Bridge is about 10 to 15 minutes on foot from Cangqiao Straight Street, so the two make a natural pair on a canal-themed walk, and a city bus or taxi from the old town also reaches it easily.