Explore Jinze Ancient Town, Shanghai

Walking on the bluestone road of Jinze Ancient Town is like traveling back in time. This "Ancient Bridge Museum" on the shore of Dianshan Lake is famous for its "42 rainbow bridges," which connect the ancient bridges of the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties into a solidified water town epic. Along the winding city river, the first thing you will see is a purple-brown single-arch stone bridge—Pujie Bridge. This "Purple Stone Bridge," built in the third year of the Xianchun period of the Southern Song Dynasty, is made of Wukang stone, and the arc of the bridge deck is like a crescent moon. Bridge expert Tang Huancheng once praised it as the "No. 1 Bridge in Shanghai." After the rain, the purple stone glows with a crystal luster, and its reflection in the blue waves makes it even more ancient and elegant. Across the water is Wan'an Bridge, which is also a relic of the Song Dynasty. The two bridges are called "sister bridges," and the cloud-patterned railings and low stone guards outline the simple beauty of Song Dynasty bridges. When you reach Nanshi, the Yuan Dynasty Yingxiang Bridge spans the river with its unique simply supported beam structure. The blue brick bridge body without railings or steps was originally a passage for Mongolian cavalry to gallop through, and now it has become the absolute scene of "Yingxiang Night Moon" under the moonlight. The slightly arched bridge deck is like a rainbow, and the bricks and stones paved on the longitudinal beams of nanmu wood have endured for 700 years and still bear the footsteps of people coming and going. The red Pujing Bridge at the corner is built in imitation of the Bian River Rainbow Bridge in the "Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival." The whole bridge is tied with wooden structures, reproducing the construction wisdom of the Northern Song Dynasty's wooden arch bridge, and has become a bridge specimen for dialogue between ancient and modern times. Walking through the alleys of "bridges with temples," the five-hole rainbow of Fangsheng Bridge is engraved with couplets of the prosperity of the canal. These ancient bridges are not only the way to cross the river but also the life philosophy of Jinze people, "taking the bridge as the bone and the water as the vein." When the twilight dyes the pink walls and black tiles, leaning on the bridge railing and listening to the sound of the oars, you will know that this Jiangnan hometown, which has not been invaded by commerce, is the real ink painting.