Sunday, September 13, 2015

Kintai-kyo Bridge, Iwakuni city Yamaguchi

Kintai-kyo City Website

Kintai Bridges - The bridges of friendship between China and Japan

Kintai Bridge was named Hanbi Bridge before the Ming Dynasty. In 1653, during the reign of Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty, Zen Master Du Li, an eminent monk and pharmacist in Hangzhou, was invited to preach in Japan.

Inspired by the description of this causeway-conjoining bridge in the book of West Lake Chronicles, Master Du Lin brought to Japan, Castellan of Iwakuni built a 4-pier, 5 arch bridge in 1673 on Jinchual River bearing the name of Kintai.

In the spirit of Sino-Japanese Treaty on Peace and Friendship, Hangzhou and Iwakuni signed the Kintai Bridges Friendship Agreement on the 6th of November, 2004 to join efforts in forging wide ranging collaboration in tourism, culture, education, trade and other areas of mutual interest.

The Kintai Bridges are the bridges of friendship between two cities, but remain more so than ever as the proof of friendship between two nations ever since ancient times.

Only Samurai were allowed to use the bridge. Anyone else had to walk, wade or boat across the river.