「鳳凰橋」原名是環湖橋，舊橋興建於民國42年，是路面4米寬的橋，倚著欄杆可以遙望青草湖，是青草湖三座橋中最負盛名的一座。
在民國52年，新竹市民柯子餘、柯子清和吳影共同出資拍攝《難忘的鳳凰橋》台語電影，以鳳凰橋為拍攝場景，述說新竹女中學生與窮畫家在鳳凰橋相遇相戀的故事，並由葉俊麟寫了「難忘的鳳凰橋」台語歌曲，此片上映之後座無虛席，連續102場滿座，被喻為台語版的梁山伯與祝英台，正因為此，新竹人則開始以「鳳凰橋」稱之，並且使得鳳凰橋聲名大噪，成為許多情侶的定情之地。被譽為「台灣卓別林」的國寶級藝人脫線，就是從電影《難忘的鳳凰橋》出道。
從「鳳凰橋」俯瞰壩堤下的水道，宛如超寬的滑梯，是民國98年「新竹市青草湖重生工程」完工的充氣式橡皮壩，是為排洪渠道，最大的特色是能在洪水期間自動倒伏渲洩洪水，以免湖面水位過高造成氾濫。在水壩集水區下方是許多鳥類的棲息地，包括夜鷺、黑冠麻鷺及白鷺鷥等等。
另外，若天氣晴朗且能見度足夠時，從鳳凰橋向東方望去，可以遠遠的看到新竹縣的五指山，還有雪山山脈大霸尖山的山頭
The most memorable “Phoenix Bridge” was originally named Huanhu Bridge (Lake-Circling Bridge). The old bridge, built in 1953, was four meters wide. Leaning against its railings offered a distant view of Green Grass Lake, and it was the most renowned of the lake’s three bridges.
In 1963, Hsinchu residents Ke Zi-yu, Ke Zi-qing, and Wu Ying co-financed the Taiwanese-language film The Unforgettable Phoenix Bridge. With Phoenix Bridge as its primary filming location, the movie tells the story of a student from Hsinchu Girls’ Senior High School who meets and falls in love with a poor painter on the bridge. Yeh Chun-lin also wrote a Taiwanese song of the same name for the film. Upon its release, the movie played to packed houses, selling out for 102 consecutive showings, and was hailed as the Taiwanese version of The Butterfly Lovers. Because of this, the people of Hsinchu began calling the bridge “Phoenix Bridge,” and its fame soared, transforming it into a cherished destination for couples to declare their love. The national treasure artist Tuo-Hsien, revered as the “Charlie Chaplin of Taiwan,” made his acting debut in this film.
Looking down from Phoenix Bridge, the waterway below the dam resembles an extra-wide slide. This is an inflatable rubber dam, part of the “Green Grass Lake Rebirth Project” completed in 2009. It functions as a flood discharge channel, and its most remarkable feature is its ability to automatically deflate and collapse during floods to release excess water, preventing the lake from overflowing. The water catchment area below the dam is a habitat for numerous bird species, including the Black-crowned night heron, the Malayan night heron, and various egrets.
Furthermore, on a clear day with sufficient visibility, looking east from Phoenix Bridge reveals a distant view of Wuzhi Mountain (Five Finger Mountain) in Hsinchu County, as well as the peak of Dabajian Mountain in the Xueshan (Snow) Mountain Range.
Bring a pen, and maybe take a moment to enjoy the nature view. Good luck, and don’t forget to log your find!
དྲན་སྣང་དང་དུང་ཞིང་། ཀུན་ལ་བཀྲ་ཤིས་ཤོག