China - Jade Belt Bridge 玉帶橋

 

Stamp Issue : 2008-05-10 

Jade Belt Bridge (Yudai Qiao, aka Camel Back Bridge) is one of the six famous bridges in the Summer Palace in Beijing. Situated on the West Dike (Xidi) of Kunming Lake, the bridge is so highly arched like a camel's back that the single arch spans 11.38 meters and is about 7.5 meters high. During the reign of the Qianlong Emperor of Qing Dynasty (1736-1795), Jade Belt Bridge was built in the years 1751 to 1764.
The bridge is built with marble and other white stone. The pointed arch with ornate marble-carved balustrades and the contour lines from two sides of the bridge are woven extraordinary elegantly and resembles a jade belt. Under the bridge is spring water from Jade Spring Hills (Yuquan Shan) to inlet of the Kunming Lake. A passage to Jade Spring Hills, the clearance of the arch allows the tall dragon barges to sail under the bridge easily.

玉帶橋，舊名俗称駝峰橋，是北京頤和園裏著名六橋之一，位於園內昆明湖西堤上。該橋單孔高如駝峰，淨跨11.38公尺，高約7.5公尺，建於清乾隆(西元1736-1795年)年間之西元1751-1764年。
該橋全部用玉石琢成，橋面是雙反向曲線，組成波形線橋型，配有精製白石欄杆，顯得格外優雅。蛋尖形橋拱，特別高聳，好似玉帶。橋下原為玉泉山泉水注入昆明湖的入水口，也是乘船至玉泉山的通道，高桿龍駁船也能從橋下通過。