Established during the North­ern Song Dynasty (960-1127), Tangxi is located along the Grand Canal. The town is situ­ated by the water, as suggest­ed by its Chinese name, which came from the quote, “Dikes are built near the water, so near the water people dwell.” In the late 19th century, Tangxi was recognized as the finest of the top ten famous towns south of the Yangtze. The town served as a key gateway on the water route to Hangzhou in ancient times, and its infrastructure was established over a span of more than five centuries. Guangji Bridge, built in 1498, is the only seven-arched stone bridge on the Grand Canal.