[Photo provided to China Daily]
9. Zhouqiao bridge site and Bianhe canal ruins, Kaifeng, Henan province, from Tang (618-907) to Ming (1368-1644) dynasties
Zhouqiao bridge was a landmark structure at the intersection of Yujie, a major road on the central axis of the imperial city of Kaifeng (then called Dongjing), capital of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), and the Bianhe River section of the Grand Canal, the world's longest artificial waterway. It was built in the Tang Dynasty and buried in mud in 1642 during the Ming Dynasty.
Archaeological work has made clear different structures of the bridge in the Song (960-1279) and Ming dynasties respectively, and the whole architectural system. It also shows the process of building, prosperity and abandonment of the Kaifeng section of the Bianhe River from Tang to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
Exquisite stone carvings have been discovered on walls of the embankments of the Bianhe River, with auspicious patterns of mythical sea beasts, cranes and clouds.
The site is important for the study of the layout of ancient cities. It offers evidence for changes of the Grand Canal and gives researchers a glimpse at the Song and Ming arts.
[Photo provided to China Daily]
