Activities: Photography, Self-driving, Cultural Exploration, Free Independent Travel, Semi-free Independent Travel, Cruise, Train, Cycling, Budget Travel.
The author visited these places: Shanghai Fangsheng Bridge, Waibaidu Bridge, Suzhou River, Yangpu Bridge, Lupu Bridge, Huangpu River, Tilan Bridge, Donghua University.
Published on 2021-11-08 08:27, the beginning of winter · Maojiang Bridge. This time, I spent another year photographing ‘Twenty-Four Solar Terms – Bridges’, starting from the beginning of winter in 2020 to the cold dew solar term in 2021. This is the third series of ‘Bridges’ following the previous two series of ‘Flowers’ and ‘Architecture’. In this series, I have selected a variety of bridges, including ancient bridges, dry bridges, highway bridges, community bridges, modern bridges, bridges in shopping malls… to introduce the bridges of Shanghai from multiple perspectives.
Light Snow · Longteng Bridge, Heavy Snow · Songpu Sanqiao. The metropolis in everyone’s impression is a major city in China, a city forest composed of high-rise buildings and reinforced concrete. Compared with some cities in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, Shanghai lacks some of the soft flavor of the south of the Yangtze River and has more modern urban prosperity. However, Shanghai is located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, adjacent to the East China Sea, with a very rich network of waterways. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 40,000 rivers and more than 40 lakes in Shanghai. This means that the number of bridges in Shanghai is also quite a lot.
Winter Solstice · Under construction bridge, Minor Cold · Lianhua South Road Tunnel. Looking at bridges in Shanghai is also an interesting travel experience. Careful observation will reveal that there are these four types of bridges in Shanghai, representing different stages of urban development and forms, which is very meaningful.
Speaking of the most famous ancient bridge in Shanghai, many old Shanghai people will think of the Fangsheng Bridge located in Zhujiajiao Town, Qingpu District, Shanghai. This bridge has a significant history; it is the largest five-hole stone arch bridge in the entire East China region, built in the fifth year of the Longqing period of the Ming Dynasty, which is 1571, and later rebuilt during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty. However, I photographed other ancient bridges.
Major Cold · Community Bridge, Start of Spring · Jiamin Viaduct, Rain Water · Xinsong Road Bridge.
For non-Shanghai natives, the most famous bridge in Shanghai is undoubtedly the steel structure bridge that has appeared in many TV dramas. Many tourists mistakenly think that the steel structure bridge in the old Shanghai TV drama is the Waibaidu Bridge, but upon closer inspection, it turns out to be the Zhenjiang Road Bridge. These two bridges look very similar and both span the Suzhou River, both possessing the charm of old Shanghai.
Awakening of Insects · Yuqiao Bridge, Vernal Equinox · Xupu Bridge.
After the reform and opening up, the greatest impact on the lives of citizens is the ‘Pu generation’ bridges, that is, the Huangpu Bridge, Yangpu Bridge, Lupu Bridge, Xupu Bridge, Minpu Bridge, Fengpu Bridge, and a series of bridges connecting the two sides of the Huangpu River. These bridges have improved transportation and promoted the development of the Pudong area. The old adage ‘better a bed in Puxi than a room in Pudong’ is now a thing of the past. I have captured the newly rebuilt bridges.
Previously, these three types of bridges represented ancient Shanghai, some symbolized modern times, and others were emblematic of the reform and opening-up era. Now, there is yet another kind of bridge that represents the current state of urban development in Shanghai. Within the 22-kilometer public space along the east bank of the Huangpu River, there are 12 cloud bridges. These bridges are not open to motor vehicles, exclusively for citizens to cycle and walk, connecting and opening up the riverside waterfront. Each bridge has its unique design, and strolling here allows one to feel the warmth of this city. I also photographed dry bridges and bridges within residential areas. Qingming·Fulian Bridge and Guyu·Yunjian First Bridge are examples.
Moreover, there are numerous places in Shanghai named after bridges, such as Tilan Bridge, Dongxin Bridge, and Fenglin Bridge. If friends are interested in visiting, they will find that there are actually no bridges there. Why do these names exist? It turns out that nearly a hundred years ago, Shanghai was a ‘water city’ with winding rivers and shimmering reflections. Today’s high-rise buildingsLixia·Puhuitan Bridge and Xiaoman·Chunshentang Bridge historically, Shanghai’s status as a ‘metropolis of the southeast’ greatly benefited from water. There were slow-flowing rivers such as Zhaojiabang, Fangbang, and Xuejiabang within the city walls, Yangjingbang in the north, Zhoujing and Nichenghong in the west, and Lujiabang in the south. Today’s Yan’an East Road was once Yangjingbang, on which eight bridges were built, including the old name of Dongxin Bridge at Zhejiang Road. Tilan Bridge was an important transportation route in East Shanghai, originally a small bridge in front of the Tilan Guanyin Temple, and has been a famous bridge in Shanghai for over fifty years. The Slanting Bridge was originally a small stone bridge spanning Lujiabang, connecting with Zhaojiabang and Chenjiabang, forming a slant angle hence the name, and also giving rise to Fangxie Road, Xiaxie Road, and Xietu Road. Mangzhong·Lupu Bridge and Xiazhi·Shengbabe Bridge used to be known as Shanghai’s ‘Dragon’s Beard Ditch’, Zhaojiabang has now become a tree-lined avenue with flower beds and bustling traffic. Although the river has been filled in and the bridges removed, their names remain. If we take Fenglin Bridge as the center, to the east there are Xiaomu Bridge, Damuqiao, and Dapu Bridge; to the west there are Dongmiao Bridge, Jinji Bridge, and Tianyue Bridge. Xiaoshu·Chenshantang Bridge, Dashu·High-speed Rail Bridge, Liqiu·Songpu Bridge, Chushu·Jinshan Bridge, Bailu·G60 Landscape Bridge, Qiufen·Yongxing Bridge, Hanlu·Oasis Iron Suspension Bridge, and Shuangjiang·Changxing East Road Overpass Bridge. In addition, there are Nanyang Bridge and Baxian Bridge on the South Tibet Road outside the West Gate, as well as Hongqiao, Zhuangjia Bridge, and more. There are even more bridges to be found in Shanghai, leaving it to friends to explore on their own! The author’s recent photo (photographed by Wang Lin).
Mr. Chen Yingguo is a national senior photographer and a master of arts and crafts. Graduated from the university with a major in Chinese and photography. Formerly employed by the Wenhui Daily. Mr. Chen Yingguo excels in various types of photography including news, portraits, architecture, and landscapes. He has participated in and won awards at the Shanghai ‘World Photographers Look at Shanghai’ event. Additionally, he has been involved in aerial and ground photography for several Shanghai Municipal Government publications titled ‘Major Projects in Shanghai.’ He has contributed to the editing and photography for ‘Shanghai Photography’ magazine and other periodicals and albums. His photographic works have been published in various newspapers, magazines, and websites across the country. He has been invited as a guest lecturer for a photography lecture series on Shanghai Oriental Television. He teaches photography at the undergraduate level and other photography-related subjects at Donghua University… He is a contributing author for ‘Jinmen Network.’
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