[2025 Suzhou Attraction] Travel Guide for Baodai Bridge (Updated Apr)

Tantai Lake is located south of Tantai Lake Park. During the Spring and Autumn period, there was a man from the State of Lu named Tantai Mieming (styled Ziyu), who was very ugly and once studied under Confucius. Confucius, seeing his ugliness, didn't want to accept him as a student, but couldn't refuse directly, so he reluctantly agreed. Because of this, Tantai Mieming was treated coldly by Confucius. Later, he left Confucius's disciples and traveled to study in the Jianghuai and Nanchang areas. After arriving in the State of Wu, he discovered a secluded place south of the city, where he built a thatched hut and started a school, eventually having as many as 300 students. *Wu Di Ji* (Records of Wu) recorded: "Among the scholars of Suzhou, there is only one and a half who are disciples of Confucius; one is Yan Yan, and the half is Tantai Mieming." Later, Confucius heard about this and sighed with emotion, saying to his disciples, "I judged people's character and ability solely on their appearance, and as a result, I misjudged Ziyu." From then on, the idiom "judge a book by its cover" has been passed down. Over time, the place where Tantai Mieming built his hut and studied sank and became a lake. To commemorate him, the locals named the lake "Tantai Lake." The park has always been a place for citizens to enjoy the moon, and the Baodai Bridge located within it has a thousand-year history. Several pedestrian bridges have also been built on both sides of Tantai Lake, gradually forming a slow traffic system around Tantai Lake and along the canal's scenic belt. In 2015, the park and the children's play area were merged and rebuilt into Suzhou Wulong Bridge Park. To complement the canal's scenic belt project, Tantai Lake will be planned and redesigned with the theme of "Baodai Stringing the Moon," creating five major themes such as "Baodai Calm Waves" and "Goldfish Playing in Water." A pedestrian landscape bridge across the Grand Canal is also planned for the north side of the Tantai Lake area.

Baodai Bridge, also known as Changqiao, is a bridge located in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. It lies horizontally between the Grand Canal and Dantai Lake, at the mouth of the Daidai River, parallel to the ancient canal. It is one of the top ten ancient bridges in China and the longest multi-arched stone bridge among the existing ancient bridges in China. It is the longest and best-preserved large ancient continuous arch stone bridge in China. Baodai Bridge was first built in the eleventh year of the Yuanhe period of the Tang Dynasty (816 AD); in the fourteenth year of the Yuanhe period of the Tang Dynasty (819 AD), Baodai Bridge was completed and put into use; in the eleventh year of the Zhengtong period of the Ming Dynasty (1446 AD), Baodai Bridge was rebuilt, and its form and scale have largely been preserved to this day; in the second year of the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty (1863 AD), the British army under Gordon attacked Suzhou, causing Baodai Bridge to collapse continuously; in 1956, Baodai Bridge was repaired and restored to its original appearance. Baodai Bridge is located in the Chengnan Street area of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, at the intersection of Dongfang Avenue and Wudong Road. It starts from the Grand Canal, crosses the Daidai River waterway, and ends at Dantai Lake. The bridge is 316.8 meters long and 4.1 meters wide, with 53 bridge arches. In addition to its long historical background, Baodai Bridge also carries many legendary stories. The most popular one is the legend of the 'divine turtle offering stone' during the bridge's construction. It is said that during the construction of Baodai Bridge, the project was in trouble due to its large scale and a shortage of stone materials. One day, a giant divine turtle suddenly appeared at the construction site, carrying a huge stone on its back. The craftsmen believed this was a gift from the gods and used the stone to build the bridge. From then on, the project progressed smoothly, and the magnificent stone arch bridge was finally completed. Walking on the bridge today, one can still feel the aura of the divine turtle's spirit and the wisdom of the ancients blending together.

Lantai Lake Park, a friend mentioned the 20-minute rule of the park, and it was indeed true. Today was my first visit there, next to the Grand Canal from Beijing to Hangzhou, the rainy weather was extremely comfortable, offering a different scenery and experience that lightened my gloomy mood. I like the empty road tinged with dark colors... but I'm also afraid that this weather will last too long and keep me there. I've started to like this atmosphere... The photos reflect what's in my heart. Speaking of the scenic spot, Baodai Bridge has a long history and is worth delving into. It is the longest bridge in China with the most arches. It was initially destroyed by Japanese artillery fire, destroying many parts, but was later restored and preserved to this day. For more details, it's better to search online. Actually, the main purpose was to see the Grand Canal from Beijing to Hangzhou, which has an ancient feel to it. Transport boats shuttle back and forth, one after another, with the sound of their horns following one another. Cars on the nearby overpass seem to be bustling non-stop, with geese soaring in the lake and the sky... The park also contains some historical sites, and everything is still quite nice...

🌸 The Baodai Bridge over the Grand Canal in Suzhou, known as the first bridge of Suzhou, is a very niche attraction and is free of charge. 🌸 If it weren't for the coffee shop at the Wu Culture Museum, through the window of Yi Coffee, one glance at this ancient long bridge, you would never know of its long history. 🌸 From the Wu Culture Museum, it takes about ten minutes to walk to the Baodai Bridge. These ten minutes are like crossing a millennium. Just in the evening, under the afterglow of the setting sun, in the warm spring of March, with a gentle breeze on your face, everything comes back to life. Walking through Dantai Lake Park, you see many peach trees in full bloom by the lake, with the sunset in the west, the pink, white, and deep red hues, single and multiple petals, and quite a variety of peach trees🌳 🌸 Spring is suitable for flower viewing. This bridge, which carries the past of the canal and records the prosperity and vicissitudes of the ages, allows you to experience the splendid spring days like brocade. 📌📌 Tour Tips: Tour route: You should enter from the entrance of Dantai Lake Park opposite the Wu Culture Museum, not directly to Baodai Bridge Park. Baodai Bridge Park is on the north side of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal. You need to pass through the Baodai Bridge International Hotel, the Grand Canal·French Park, cross the Landscape Bridge Square to reach the south bank of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, and only from the south bank can you get to Baodai Bridge.

Baodai Bridge was originally just an ordinary bridge, serving the purpose of facilitating the transport of goods and pedestrian crossing during the canal transportation era of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. It was first constructed between the 11th and 14th year of the Yuanhe period of the Tang Dynasty (816-819 AD), and it is the longest ancient multi-arch stone bridge still in existence in China. Along with the Zhaozhou Bridge and Lugou Bridge, it is known as one of China's top ten famous bridges. In recent years, the surrounding environment of Baodai Bridge has been renovated, significantly improving the ancient bridge's appearance.

Walking along the canal to the vicinity of Dongwu Tower, there is an illusion of being on the banks of the Seine in Paris... · Dongwu Tower, officially known as Dongwu TV Tower, is 168 meters high and is the tallest iron tower in Jiangnan. The lighting project of Dongwu Tower was designed and optimized by the famous French designer Patrick, who has designed lights for the Eiffel Tower and the Oriental Pearl. Under the night, it is particularly colorful! · 🏠Address: Dongwu Road, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City ⭐Tickets: Free 🚗Transportation: Subway to Baodai East Road on foot ⏰Time: All day ·

Suzhou's Baodai Bridge is one of the four ancient bridges in China. This is a very intricately designed long bridge, composed of 53 connected arch bridges, magnificent and magnificent, shaped like a treasure belt. It is located on the ancient canal of Suzhou, built in the Tang Dynasty, and is more than 300 meters long.