The Seventeen-arch Bridge (simplified Chinese: 十七孔桥; traditional Chinese: 十七孔橋; pinyin: Shí Qī Kǒng Qiáo; literally “the Bridge of Seventeen arches”) stretches over the wide Kunming Lake. It is 150 metres in length and 8 metres in width, and is composed of seventeen arches, hence its name. It is the largest stone bridge in the country. The beautiful streamline arch bridge drives away the emptiness of the 
Kunming Lake. On the railings on each side of the bridge there are all together 544 stone lions of diverse sizes and postures, and it has 59 more lions than famous Marco Polo Bridge. As you talk along the bridge, you can enjoy watching the interesting stone sculptures.
All of the inscribed boards on the Seventeen-arch Bridge are all written by Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. One on the southern side of the bridge says “Xiudong Lingbo”, meaning that the bridge is like a rainbow stretching over the lake. Another one on the north side says “Lingtuo Yanyue”, comparing the bridge to a mythical animal lying across the water like a crescent moon. The night view of the bridge is particularly beautiful.
How was the Seventeen-arch Bridge built?
According to folklore, when the bridge was built, many skilled craftsmen were invited to join the project. The Chinese white jade stone was all excavated by hand in the Stone Nest and transferred to the site by man power. One day a man came to the construction site. He was in his seventies and has long hair and a dusty face. He walked around with a box on his back and shouted repeatedly, “Does anyone want to buy Dragon-gate stone?” The workers thought he was mad because he looked dirty, and no one listened to him.
The old man stayed on the site for three days shouting. But still, no one took any notice. So he walked away from the site. He was taking a rest under a tree when suddenly it began to rain. He was shivering all over. Right at the moment, Wang Daye who lived nearby walked past the tree. He saw the poor old man and took him into his own house.
Wang offered him a place to live in and things to eat. The old man stayed there for a whole year, chiselling the stone he had carried. One morning he said to Wang, “I’m leaving. I’ll never forget your kindness. I’ll give you the stone in return.” Wang did not think the stone was anything special and asked the man to take it with him. The old man said, “This stone will be priceless. You’ll see.” Then he left.
The construction of the Seventeen-arch Bridge was almost completed. Qianlong Emperor was also prepared to come and inspect it in a few days. However, the last stone at the centre of the bridge would not fit however hard the craftsmen tried. It was such an emergency because the emperor would be very angry to see the bridge unfinished still. At that moment somebody spoke of the old man with the Dragon-gate stone, and the chief engineer sent people to look for him.
They soon got new of the whereabouts of the stone. The chief engineer went to Wang’s house and found the stone under the window. He measured it and it fit precisely. They bought the stone from Wang and fixed it onto the bridge. The project was complete!
Afterwards, the craftsmen talked about this and decided that the old man was no other than Lu Ban, the most famous carpenter and builder in China who lived in 5 B.C. His spirit had come specially to help them build the bridge!
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