Gongchen Bridge, built in 1631, is a stone bridge over the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. In 1986, the bridge serving as the end point of the Grand Canal and a transport hub in the Hangzhou section of the canal was included in the list of relics under the protection of Hangzhou government.

 With 92 meters in length and 16 meters in height, the bridge is the highest and longest ancient stone arch bridge in Hangzhou. In Chinese, “Gong” literally means salute and “Chen” refers to where the emperors lived, both of which showed hospitality and respect for emperors. 

The bridge is listed as one of the key cultural relics protection sites of Zhejiang Province.

(Executive Editor: Yongliu HE)