Kaitai Bridge
bridge in Jiangsu, China
The Kaitai Bridge (simplified Chinese: 开泰桥; traditional Chinese: 開泰橋; pinyin: Kāitài Qiáo) is a historic stone arch bridge over a tributary of the Grand Canal in Yunyang Subdistrict, Danyang, Jiangsu, China. The bridge is 45 metres (148 ft) long, and 7 metres (23 ft) wide, and 8 metres (26 ft) high.
History
Kaitai Bridge was originally built between 1572 and 1620 during the Wanli era of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), but because of war and natural disasters has been rebuilt numerous times since then. In December 2011, it has been inscribed as a provincial-level cultural protective heritage site by the Government of Jiangsu.
The public source identifies “Kaitai Bridge” as bridge in Jiangsu, China. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Kaitai, Bridge and bridge.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Kaitai Bridge”, the useful work is to connect “bridge in Jiangsu, China” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 25, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q11065812. Authority coordinates are 31.993, 119.577. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1572, 1620, 1368 and 1644.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Kaitai Bridge”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Kaitai Bridge primary sources, Kaitai Bridge archive and Kaitai research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Kaitai Bridge”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Kaitai Bridge” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.