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.
