First, the broken bridge was built in the Tang Dynasty, and it was called Baojou Bridge in the Song Dynasty. It collapsed and was destroyed many times in history. Now the broken bridge is the shape of 192 1 when it was rebuilt. There are single holes and ring holes, 8.8 meters long and 8.6 meters wide, with simple and elegant shape and elegant appearance.
There is a tablet pavilion in the east of Broken Bridge, on which is the imperial pen Broken Snow written by Emperor Kangxi of Qing Dynasty, and there is a waterside pavilion with clouds and water under the light. Together with the broken bridge, they form a poetic classical landscape in the northeast corner of the West Lake. The integration and collocation of architecture and environment fully embodies the gardening design concept of ancient gardens in China.
Second, the origin of the broken bridge "broken" does not mean that the bridge is broken. There are three versions of the name of broken bridge.
The first statement is related to Bai Juyi, a poet in the Tang Dynasty. According to legend, when Bai Juyi was appointed as the magistrate of Hangzhou, Bai Causeway was built in the West Lake, and Bai Causeway was built along the lonely mountain, but it was broken at the broken bridge position, so this bridge is called broken bridge.
The second view is that after the heavy snow in the West Lake, the snow in the middle part of the broken bridge melted earlier, revealing a brown section of the bridge deck. From a distance, it seems that a long white chain suddenly broke here, so it is called broken bridge.
The third direct statement is that there once lived a family named Duan at the bridgehead of Broken Bridge, and Duan and Duan were homophonic, so it was called Broken Bridge.
Whatever the reason, this bridge has a poetic name, which has aroused people's endless reverie. "Broken bridge and residual snow" is known as one of the twenty-four scenic spots in the West Lake. The scenery around the broken bridge is beautiful and full of poetry. The predecessors called it "the scene of the broken bridge, which is fascinating", which can be said to be the ultimate beauty.
After the heavy snow, the West Lake was white, and a long bridge just broke the monotony of the snow scene in the West Lake, making it lively and energetic. This ingenious decoration in the unchangeable space makes it change and form a dynamic style, which is one of the traditional methods of garden landscaping in China and can be appreciated and experienced in many garden landscapes. The beauty of the broken bridge is the epitome of the traditional gardening art in China.