A moon bridge (月桥), also known as “''sori-bashi"'' (反り橋) in Japanese, or as a drum bridge (“taiko-bashi” 太鼓橋),Liu, Yan (2020-09-01). "A full moon in another land: The Moon Bridge in the Japanese garden of the Huntington Library". ''Frontiers of Architectural Research''. 9 (3): 556–567. doi:10.1016/j.foar.2020.02.004.

ISSN An International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is an eight-digit serial number used to uniquely identify a serial publication, such as a magazine. The ISSN is especially helpful in distinguishing between serials with the same title. ISSNs a ...

2095-2635. is a highly arched

pedestrian A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In modern times, the term usually refers to someone walking on a road or pavement, but this was not the case historically. The meaning of pedestrian is displayed with ...

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually someth ...

. The moon bridge originated in China and was later introduced to Japan, where it became synonymous with Japanese landscape architecture. However, the general shape of this bridge can be seen throughout East Asian cultures. Generally, these bridges are non-functional, serving as ornamentation.Barnett, Tara (2022-10-12). "What Is a Moon Bridge?". ''All the Science''. Retrieved 2022-11-10. However, they were originally designed to allow pedestrians to cross

canals Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...

while allowing the passage of

barges Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by pusher boats, or other vessels. ...

beneath. To achieve this height in normal bridge construction, significant space from the river banks must be used for the approaches of the bridge. The climbing ascent and descent of the moon bridge has the advantage of conserving this space. These approaches can be very steep on moon bridges, sometimes requiring ladder-like rungs to be affixed to the bridge.Kozaburo, Tamamura. "Taiko-Bashi (Drum) Bridge at Kameido Shrine". ''Nagasaki University Library.'' Retrieved 2022-11-10. Moon bridges can be constructed from a variety of materials and construction techniques. Some wooden moon bridges employ a “woven-arch” style: cross beams are threaded between the longitudinal members, developing inherent stiffness and shape. Though rare, this technique is displayed on the 12th century Chinese “Rainbow Bridge”, the 1913 moon bridge in the Japanese garden of the Huntington Library in California. In formal garden design, a moon bridge is placed so that it is reflected in still water. The high arch and its reflection form a circle, symbolizing the moon. By forming a reflected full circle, the bridge also symbolizes purity: the Chinese words for “full” and “circle” together translate to “perfection”. File:Shuangxi Park and Chinese Garden Taipei.jpg, Shuangxi Park and Chinese Garden Taipei File:Twenty four bridge.JPG, Twenty four bridge in

Yangzhou Yangzhou, postal romanization Yangchow, is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province (Suzhong), East China. Sitting on the north bank of the Yangtze, it borders the provincial capital Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, ...

Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with it ...

Province File:Bridge reflecting in the lake in the evening (Dunedin Chinese Garden).jpg, Bridge reflecting in the lake in the evening (

Dunedin Chinese Garden Lan Yuan, Dunedin Chinese Garden, is located in the city of Dunedin in southern New Zealand. It is sited next to the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum close to the centre of the city and numerous other of the city's tourist attractions, including the ...

) File:Koishikawa Korakuen - Engetsu-kyo.jpg, A full circle forms due to the shape and reflection of Engetsu-kyō stone bridge at

Koishikawa-Kōrakuen The is a large urban park in the Koishikawa neighborhood of Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese garden dates from the early Edo period. and is one of three surviving ''daimyō'' gardens of the many that were created during that period, the ...

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

, Japan File:Lightmatter japanese garden bridge.jpg, Moon bridge with a "woven-arch" construction

References

Footbridges Bridges by structural type Deck arch bridges Garden features Chinese gardening styles Japanese style of gardening {{bridge-type-stub

See also

References