The Baodai (Precious Belt) Bridge was built by Wang Zhongshu, a magistrate of Suzhou prefecture during the time of the Yuanhe emperor of the Tang Dynasty (805-820). To raise money to finance the bridgework, Wang used his expensive belt, hence the name.

The 317-meter bridge was made out of stone from Jinshan Mountain and is the longest standing bridge of its kind in China, with 53 arches. The bridge was refurbished during the reign of the Zhengtong emperor of the Ming Dynasty, but was seriously damaged by the British incursion during the reign of the Xianfeng emperor of the Qing, and by the Japanese, during their invasion (1937-1945).

In 1949, under the People’s Republic of China, the local government repaired the bridge to the same scale and in the same form of that during the Ming. And the bridge has greatly improved traffic conditions from the Grand Canal to Tantai Lake and its delicate design and beautiful surroundings make it appear, in fact, just like a precious belt hovering over the river town.

Getting there: Take bus No 103 from the railway station to the final stop, then walk 10 minutes to reach your destination.