Water
is the most graceful element in gardens. And bridges over water offer a range of vistas.
Their designs can provide a highlight for the overall design. Sometimes a bridge helps
divide scenery and sometimes the bridge itself makes a spectacular sight.
No matter what
they are-long or short, wood or stone, flat or arching, bridges can help bring harmony to
the surrounding.
Gardens in China,
imperial and private, mostly consist of a number of scenic areas varying in style. They
require an orderly layout to avoid a disorderly or unsystematic appearance. Designers
incorporate "planned art" into the garden design.
Entering a Chinese
garden, one is struck by an initial reserve, which seems to lure one on. One never sees
all at first glance. The entry is gradual.
Chinese gardens
usually display small clusters of rocks, walls with differently shaped windows, and
pavilions.
An expanse of
clear water almost always occupies the centre of this kind of garden, providing brightness
and openness, and a sense of leisurely repose.
Bridges may pass
over small ponds, streams, big lakes, simple, narrow bridges over flowing water can help
to dazzle visitors. Such bridges are usually found in the private gardens in East China's
Jiangsu Province.
Gardens may also
have more elaborate bridges. They may have exquisitely engraved balustrades that offer a
sense of dignity within the overall garden design.
Many Chinese
garden designs can be seen in one trip, by going to the Summer Palace in Beijing.
The garden assumed
its present approximate size and shape under the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736-95), the
fourth Qing emperor. He reproduced beautiful landscapes he had seen during several tours
of southern China.
Boat
Bridge
In addition to
pavilions and walkways, many bridges over Kuntning Lake duplicate those on the West Lake
in Hangzhou.
A bridge from the
stone "boat" at the western end of Longevity Hill takes one to the opposite
shore. Here, a Covered Walkway 728 metres long lies at the foot of the hill.
A balustrade of
white stone parallels its length and links the hill s scenic points. It unites
architectural structures that lie in front of the hill.
The walkway
provides views of the hill and the lake, which become especially interesting when rain or
snow falls. The intricately carved stone balustrade runs along the lakeshore, casting
interesting shadows on the water.
The Kunming Lake
occupies three-fourths of the imperial garden. Its surface is unbroken except for a few
small islands and one long causeway.
It was modeled
after the style of those on West Lake in Hangzhou. Six little bridges cross parts of the
lake. Among them, the brightness of the so called Yudai (Jade Belt) Bridge makes it most
visible of all. This 200-year-old, white marble bridge has so high an arch that a larger
vessel can pass underneath.
On the eastern
bank of Kunming Lake is a 17-Arch Bridge, the longest in the garden. Small, sculpted lions
in various poses ornament its columns. But many fine bridges can be found outside imperial
and private gardens.
One of these is
the Five-Pavilion Bridge at Slender West Lake in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province. Built in
1757, the majestic, limestone bridge has 12 piers supporting 15-arches, and five square
pavilions with glazed roofs.
Visitors can enjoy
a stunning sight at the time of a full moon, when lunar reflections fall into the waters
below each arch.
Bridges, thus, are
often works of art apart from their supplementary roles in gardens. They can range from
covered bridges to arched stone bridges to zigzagging bridges. They often add a special
charm to a landscape. |
