The first bridge on the Grand Canal in Wuxi|Qingming Bridge (1414)

|Qingming Bridge (1414). Qingming Bridge, located at the intersection of the ancient canal and Bodu Port in Wuxi, spans the two banks of the canal. It was built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty and is the oldest, largest, and most well-preserved single-hole stone arch bridge on the ancient canal in Wuxi. Qingming Bridge was built by the donations of the two sons of Qin Yao, the owner of 'Jichang Garden' in Wuxi. Because the names of the two brothers were Taiqing and Taining, they each took a word and called it 'Qingning Bridge'. In the eighth year of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, Wu Xingzuo, the county magistrate of Wuxi, rebuilt it. During the Daoguang period, because of the taboo of the name Minning of the Daoguang Emperor, it was renamed Qingming Bridge. In history, Kangxi and Qianlong emperors have passed through Qingming Bridge many times during their southern tours, and the famous folk artist Blind Abing often played skilled erhu on the bridge. In 2006, Qingming Bridge was listed as a national key cultural relics protection unit. Qingming Bridge is a dazzling pearl on the ancient canal, witnessing the vicissitudes of life on both sides of the canal. Regardless of the changes in the years, it always watches quietly, the river under the bridge flows slowly, telling the lingering warmth here.