Why it looks like this

Chaozhou is the old cultural capital of the Teochew people — a walled riverside town of temple lanes, archways and the long pedestrian street of Paifang Jie. It faces the Han River, and the crossing point fixed the city's position.

That crossing, the Guangji Bridge, was begun in the 12th century. Its builders never managed to bridge the fast middle of the river with stone, so they closed the gap with a chain of boats — a floating section that could open for river traffic, and still does today for visitors.