Bridge painting changes water town's fate

(chinadaily.com.cn)

In memorial of Chen who passed away in 2005, a gallery transformed from local houses near the Twins Bridges is established, where the books, paint brushes and manuscripts belonging to the great painter are stored.

Zhouzhuang is a land of water, surrounded and divided by lakes and rivers. Almost as iconic as the water of Zhouzhuang are the many stone bridges and the stories behind them.

Fu'an Bridge

The unique trait of the Fu'an Bridge is the consummate combination of a single-arch and the bridge towers. It is said the bridge was built by Shen Wansan's younger brother, Shen Wansi. In order to avoid sharing the fate of his elder brother, who was extremely rich but was exiled to Yunnan, Shen initiatively donated money to construct the bridge to pray for his well-being after getting rich.

Tiyun Bridge (Grandma Bridge)

The Tiyun Bridge, or Grandma Bridge in Zhouzhuang gained its name for the Shanghai Triad, a 1995 Chinese film, directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Gong Li.

Grandma Bridge, previously known as Tiyun Bridge, changed its name after the film was screened.

The painting Memory of Hometown by notable painter Chen Yifei depicts the Twin Bridges in Zhouzhuang. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]