The names Precious Belt Bridge and Bridge of the Bejeweled Belt[1] are calques of the bridge's Chinese name, written 寶帶橋 in traditional characters and 宝带桥 in simplified ones. It is also sometimes known as the Baodai Bridge from the pinyinromanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of the Chinese name. The name references the story that Wang Zhongshu, the prefect of Suzhou, funded its construction with his own lavishly decorated belt rather than through forced labor or additional taxation.
In Chinese, it is also known as the "Small Long Bridge".[1]
History
The Precious Belt Bridge was first built in AD 816 under the Tangdynasty.[2] It is located about 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) from the Fengmen Gate in Suzhou's old city walls.[1] The bridge was reconstructed several times, with the current bridge principally dating to the 1446 reconstruction[2] under the reign of the Zhengtong Emperor of the Ming as repaired in 1873 under the Tongzhi Emperor of the Qing.[1]
During the 1793 BritishMacartney Embassy, John Barrow visited the Precious Belt Bridge, accurately describing its length and the manner in which its central arches are higher than the others.[2]
The bridge is constructed entirely of stone.[1] It has a span of 317 m (1,040 ft) with 53 arches along its length.[1] It is usually 4.1 m (13 ft) wide.[1] The three central arches are enlarged to allow for the passage of—by historical standards—larger river vessels without masts. The average span of each arch is 4.6 m (15 ft).
Although the bridge was originally protected by pairs of foo dogs at each end, today only a single stone lion remains at the north entrance.[1] The stone tower and stelapavilion originally located at the north end of the bridge have similarly vanished.[1]
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