·1888年建在南運河上的天津第一座開啟式鐵橋——金華橋

天津的河多，水多，因此渡口也多。天津早年的渡口有私渡、官渡和義渡，另外還有專渡。私渡出現(xiàn)得最早，官渡是官家為便利驛使往來而設(shè)。據(jù)乾隆 《天津縣志》記載，明萬歷十六年(1588),在天津設(shè)官渡8處，院門口是其中的一個渡口。船只用官銀制造，每船水手一名，每月工食錢三錢。船只年深日久，到清朝初期便淹廢無存，行人叫苦。
清初，天津重要渡口共建浮橋6座。第一座是西沽浮橋，康熙五十四年(1715)造； 第二座是鈔關(guān)浮橋，又稱北大關(guān)浮橋、北浮橋； 第三座是鹽關(guān)浮橋，又名孟公橋，俗稱東浮橋，雍正八年(1730)由青州運使孟周衍建造。此外還有院門口浮橋、窯洼浮橋、老龍頭浮橋。浮橋是用木船聯(lián)綴而成，有船經(jīng)過則開橋，船過以后則閉橋；引橋及搭板也是木結(jié)構(gòu)，能適應(yīng)每日潮差的變化。清代天津的浮橋中，北大關(guān)至三岔河口南運河上就占了3座，即鈔關(guān)、院門口、窯洼浮橋?？梢娔线\河當時之交通便利和繁華情景。
浮橋為清代 “天津八景”之一，稱作《浮梁馳渡》: “萬國輪蹄盡此經(jīng)，方舟鐵鎖壯金城。澤梁無禁行人歇，閑聽關(guān)門鼓角聲”。
從清光緒十三年(1887)至20世紀30年代，天津先后新建、遷建和重修了6座鐵橋，大多為開啟橋。其中院門口首先建造了鐵橋和開啟鐵橋金華橋。
南運河院門口浮橋，是天津城通往總督衙門的必經(jīng)之路。光緒十三年(1887),時任直隸總督的李鴻章，為了便于天津城到行署的來往，擬把大胡同南端原鹽院門口的浮橋改為鐵橋。因鐵橋不能開啟，影響行船，鹽道反對，于是便把這座鐵橋移建到子牙河上。該鐵橋是天津第一座鐵橋，按《清明上河圖》中拱形建造，所以稱為大紅橋。
光緒十四年(1888),在院門口建造了能開啟的金華橋，俗稱“老鐵橋” 。這是天津第一座開啟式鐵橋。
光緒三十一年(1905)金華橋進行重建，建設(shè)了新的開啟式的金華橋。原來的“老鐵橋”移建于金鐘河上，改名金鐘橋。1918年三岔河口裁彎取直時，金鐘河廢棄，金鐘河上的金鐘橋遷建于三條石東首刷紙廟南運河上，仍稱金鐘橋。
1920年南運河裁彎取直，裁掉了南運河侯家后一段大灣，院門口的金華橋也在這段被裁掉之內(nèi)。于是金華橋便從院門口，移建于北大關(guān)，仍稱金華橋。
1982年，河北大街拓寬時，把開啟式的金華橋，改建為鋼筋混凝土橋。河海之利，漕運之興。橋的歷史，就是城市發(fā)展的歷史； 橋的變遷，見證了天津歷史的變遷。
Tianjin was abundant in rivers and ferries. The ferriesin Tianjin were classified as private,public,official andspecial. The history of private ferries was the longest.Official ferries were set mainly for posting. Accordingto the Tianjin County Annals of the Emperor Qianlong`sreign,there were eight official ferries in 1588. The ferryboats were made by using official money. Each boat wasequipped with one sailor with the salary of three qianof taels one month. The boats` maintenance was in poorcondition by early Qing Dynasty. Passengers complaineda lot.
In the end of Qing Dynasty,there were six floatbridges above the key ferries in Tianjin. The first one wasXigu Float Bridge,made in 1715; the second,ChaoguanFloat Bridge; the third,Yanguang Float Bridge,or MengBridge,Dong Float Bridge,built by Meng Zhouyan,magistrate of Qingzhou. The others were YuanmenkouFloat Bridge,Yaowa Float Bridge and LaolongtouBridge. These bridges were joined by wooden bridges.When boats passed by,the bridges would open,otherwise closed. The other components such asintroductory parts and link parts were made by wood toadjust to tides. From Beidaguan to Sancha Bayou,therewere three float bridges: Chaoguan,Yuanmenkou andYaowa,which exhibited the convenient water traffic andprosperity of the South Canal.
Float bridges were one of the "eight views" ofTianjin in the Qing Dynasty. From 1887 to 1930`s,Tianjin built,removed and rebuilt 6 iron bridges. Mostof them were openable bridges. The Jinhua Bridgeat Yuanmenkou was the first openable iron bridge inTianjin.
The float bridge on the South Canal was the onlypassage from Tianjin to Governor-General Yamen.Li Hongzhang,Governor-General of Zhili,wanted tochange the float bridge at Yuanmenkou to iron bridge forthe traffic from Tianjin to his yamen. The Salt Bureauwas against the idea because an iron bridge could notbe open for passing boats,so the bridge was built overZiya River,which was the first iron bridge in Tianjin. Itwas designed in the form of a famous painting in China-"River Painting during Qingming",also called DahongBridge.
In 1888,the Jinhua Bridge was built atYuanmenkou,also called "Laotieqiao",which was thefirst openable iron bridge in Tianjin.
In 1905,the Jinhua Bridge was rebuilt. The original"Laotieqiao" was removed to Jinzhong River,thuscalled Jinzhong Bridge. In 1918,the Sancha Bayou wasdug straight. Jinzhong River was deleted and JinzhongBridge was removed to South Canal at Paper Temple,still called Jinzhong Bridge.
In 1920,the South Canal was dug straight anddeleted Hou`s Bay. Jinhua Bridge was again removed toBeidaguan,still called Jinhua Bridge.
In 1982,Hebei Road was broadened. The JinhuaBridge was rebuilt by steel and cement. Many rivers andsea brought about the prosperity of transportation. Thehistory of the bridges reflected the changes of Tianjin.

·1905年改建的開啟式金華橋