Guangji Bridge

Guangji Bridge lies on the rolling Hanjiang River outside the east gate of Chaozhou City. It is adjacent to Bijia mountain in the East, Dongmen downtown in the west, Phoenix Island in the South and Jincheng Mountain in the north.

Guangji Bridge, with its unique style of "18 shuttle ships and 24 continents", is known as the four ancient bridges in China together with Zhaozhou Bridge, Luoyang Bridge and Lugou bridge. It was once praised as "the earliest open and close bridge in the world" by famous bridge expert Mao Yisheng. Guangji Bridge, commonly known as Xiangzi bridge, was founded in 1171 by Zeng Jiang, the prefect of Qiandao in Song Dynasty. It was originally a floating bridge and was connected by 86 giant ships. It was named "Kangji bridge". During the reign of emperor chunxiyuan (1174), the floating bridge was washed down by flood. The governor Chang Wei rebuilt it and built the Jiege on the West Bank. During the 54th year of the first year of shaoding (1194), the governors Zhu Jiang, Wang Zhenggong, Ding Yunyuan and sun Shujin successively built ten piers. Among them, the West Bridge was renamed "Dinggong bridge" because of the largest scale and the most outstanding achievements built by Ding Yunyuan in 1189. In the fifth year of the reign of emperor Shaoxi (194), the Taishou Shen Zongyu built "gaixiu Pavilion" on the East Bank of Pushi, and called the East Bridge "Jichuan bridge". Then, the Taishou Chen Honggui, Lin Pu, and Lin Hui built more bridges one after another. In the second year of Kaixi (1206), they completed 13 piers in 12 years. After the East-West bridge was built, it was still connected by pontoons in the middle, forming the basic pattern of the combination of beam bridge and pontoon bridge. From the end of the Song Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty, Guangji Bridge had many ups and downs. In 1435, Wang Yuan, the magistrate of the Ming Dynasty, presided over an unprecedented scale of "stone folding reconstruction". After the completion of the project, "on the West Bank, there are nine holes of ten piers, with a total length of 49 Zhangs and 5 feet; on the east bank, there are twelve holes of thirteen piers, with a total length of 86 Wen; on the middle air, there are twenty-seven Zhangs and three feet, and there are twenty-four boats, which are floating bridges." there are 126 pavilions and houses on the bridge ”It was renamed "Guangji Bridge". In the eighth year of Zhengde (1513), the magistrate Tan Lun added another pier and reduced the number of floating ships by six, thus becoming the unique style of "Eighteen shuttle ships and twenty-four continents". In 1724, the magistrate Zhang Ziqian built Guangji Bridge and cast two cattle, which were divided into the eighth Nen pier of the West Bridge and the twelfth pier of the East Bridge, aiming to "control the bridge and control the water". Daoguang 22 years gate (1842) flood, dongdun iron cattle fell into the river. Therefore, there is a folk saying: "the Xiangqiao bridge in Chaozhou is very romantic. There are 18 shuttle boats, 24 continents, 24 buildings and 24 platforms. There are two iron oxen and one running.". Guangji Bridge is the earliest existing switch movable Dashi bridge.

Guangji Bridge

Guangji Bridge, or Chaozhou Guangji Bridge, is called Kangji bridge, dinghou bridge and Jichuan bridge in ancient times. It is also called Xiangzi bridge in Chaozhou. It is located at the east gate of ancient city in Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province. It crosses the Hanjiang River and connects the East and West banks. It is a traffic hub for ancient Guangdong to Fujian and Zhejiang. It is one of the eight scenic spots in Chaozhou. It is a famous cultural relic tourist attraction in Chaoshan area and is also a tourist attraction in China One of the four ancient bridges, a national key cultural relics protection unit

National AAAA scenic spot

Mao Yisheng, a bridge expert, praised it as "the earliest open close bridge in the world".

Guangji Bridge was built in 1171, the seventh year of Qiandao in the Southern Song Dynasty; in 1530, the ninth year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty, a pattern of "Eighteen shuttle ships and twenty-four continents" was formed; it was dilapidated before liberation; in 1958, it was reinforced and repaired, and the eighteen shuttle ships were demolished and rebuilt into three hole steel frame and two high pile cap bridges; in October 2003, it began to carry out comprehensive maintenance, which was based on the style of the Ming Dynasty It can be positioned as a tourist pedestrian bridge and completed in 2007.

Guangji Bridge is a floating beam combined structure, which is composed of East-West stone beam bridge and middle floating bridge. The beam bridge is composed of pier, stone beam and Bridge pavilion. Guangji Bridge is 518m long, with 283.35m long East beam bridge, 12 piers, one abutment and 12 spans; 137.3m long West beam bridge, 8 piers, 7 spans and 5m wide stone beam. The middle pontoon is 97.3 meters long and is connected by 18 wooden boats

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Construction process

The Southern Song Dynasty

In the seventh year of Qiandao reign (1171), Zeng Wang, the prefect, proposed to build a floating bridge with 86 boats as beams, and build a large stone pier with a length of 5 Zhang and a width of 5 Zhang in Zhongliu to fix the floating bridge, named "Kangji bridge".

In the summer of the first year of Chunxi (1174), there was a flood on the Hanjiang River. The pontoon was destroyed by the flood. Chang Wei, the governor of the prefecture, donated money to the residents and repaired the pontoon. The number of boats increased to 106. After the bridge was built, there was still money left, so a Jiege was built on the West Bank, facing Hanshan on the other side of the river, named yanghan Pavilion. Stone masonry is used as the foundation to protect the platform from the impact of flood.

In the sixth year of Chunxi reign (1179), Zhu Wang, the governor of the state, built the Nanzhou wonder building on the right side of dengliumen, and built two more Shizhou (shidun) in the river, including the original one, a total of three Shizhou. There are two pavilions on each island. The one in the East is curling, the one in the west is Yujian, and the one in the middle is xiaopenglai.

In the seventh year of Chunxi reign (1180), the sheriff Wang Zhenggong built a stone pier on the West Bank of Hanjiang River, which was several steps offshore (about seven or eight meters). A huge wooden beam bridge was built between the stone pier and the bank, under which boats and rafts could be built, initially solving the contradiction between land and water transportation. Since then, Kangji bridge has become a combination of floating bridge and girder bridge.

In the 16th year of Chunxi (1189), Zhou Shou Ding Yunyuan repaired the floating bridge and built four additional stone piers from the West Bank, including the original four, with a total of eight stone piers. A beam bridge was erected on the piers and covered with gorgeous bridge houses, which was named dinghou bridge.

In the fifth year of Shaoxi reign (1194), Shen Zongyu, governor of the state, built a stone pier on the east bank. Baoxiu pavilion was built in front of the pier, opposite to dengbin gate across the river.

In the second year of Qing Yuan Dynasty (1196), Zhou Shou Chen Honggui built two more stone piers on the east bank. On the piers, a wooden bridge was erected, which was named Jichuan bridge. Baoxiu pavilion was renamed Jichuan Pavilion, which was used as a resting place for businessmen and officials. Behind the pavilion is jiansi temple. Since then, there has been Jichuan bridge in the East, dinghou bridge in the west, and floating bridge in the middle, which has the rudiment of Guangji Bridge.

In the fourth year of Qing Yuan Dynasty (1198), Zhou Shoulin drifted to the west of Jichuan bridge and built four stone piers. The wooden bridge was more magnificent than dinghou bridge. Because the road from Chaozhou to Zhangzhou is difficult to travel, the stone road was built.

Jiatai three winter (1203), Jichuan bridge fire, pavilions and pavilions burned down in one night. The sheriff Zhao Shi will raise the stone piers, rebuild the bridge, cover the bridge house, lower the urn of bricks and stones, and build a pavilion on the bridge. The name is the same as before.

In the second year of Kaixi (1206), the State Forest Guard Association built another five stone piers on the west side of Jichuan bridge, repaired one old stone pier, covered the house on the top and the urn brick on the bottom. The plaque was still called xiaopenglai.

In the first year of shaoding (1228), sun Shujin, governor of the state, added two stone piers to the east of the dinghou bridge. In this way, the dinghou bridge has ten piers, the Jichuan bridge has twelve piers, and the middle is connected with a floating bridge.

In the early years of Duanping (1234), due to floods and typhoons, the pavilions and houses on the bridge were gradually dilapidated. Zhou Shouye Guan appointed Zhao Rudu to renovate the bridge and house. The plaque in the middle was named Yujian, opposite to xiaopenglai in the East. Another two new pavilions were built on the bridge, one called Feiyue Pavilion, which was a place for the saints to be set free, and the other called Zan Pavilion, which was the place for the honorary guests.

At the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, in the first year of Xiangxing (1278, the 15th year of the Yuan Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty), Yuan soldiers arrived in Chaozhou, and the bridge was destroyed by the fire.

Yuan Dynasty

In the second year of Dade (1298), the general manager of Dazhong Yili (Mongolian) built bridges, pavilions and houses, but they were destroyed by floods in a few years.

In the 10th year of Dade (1306), the sheriff Chang Yuande built each pier more than three feet high and rebuilt the bridge pavilion.

At the end of Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of Ming Dynasty, Guangji Bridge was in disrepair for a long time.

Ming Dynasty

In 1435, Wang Yuan, Chaozhou magistrate, presided over the unprecedented reconstruction of the bridge. 23 piers were comprehensively strengthened. Beams were added to the piers, which were used between wood and stone. Thick plates were laid on the beams, bricks were laid on the plates, and mortar was used for pointing to prevent fire. In order to protect pedestrians from the sun and rain, 126 pavilions were built on the bridge, among which 12 pavilions (also known as "towers") were built. At the rapids in the middle of the river, 24 ships are still connected as pontoons. The floating bridge is fixed with three iron cables, each of which weighs 4000 Jin. After the bridge was repaired, it was renamed "Guangji Bridge", which means "Guangji people".

Jiajing nine years (1530), Zhou Shou Qiu Qiren minus six pontoon ships, "18 shuttle ships 24 continents" pattern formed. Since its establishment, it has lasted 359 years.

The Qing Dynasty

In 1650, Zheng Chenggong besieged Chaozhou City, and Guangji Bridge was destroyed. Chief soldier Cai Yuan repaired it.

In 1653, Hao Shangjiu of Chaozhou Town turned against the Qing Dynasty and returned to the Ming Dynasty. Geng Jimao, the general of the Qing Dynasty, led 100000 Han soldiers to encircle Chaozhou City. Guangji Bridge was damaged by the war again, and Cai Yuan restored it.

In the second year of Yongzheng (1724), Zhang Ziqian, the magistrate, built Guangji Bridge and cast two cattle, which were divided into the eighth pier of the West Bridge and the twelfth pier of the East Bridge, aiming at "Zhenqiao Yushui". Daoguang 22 years gate (1842) flood, dongdun iron cattle fell into the river.

the Republic of China era

In 1929, Zeng

Chinese PinYin : Guang Ji Qiao