Guangji Bridge

Xiangzi bridge is a masterpiece of ancient Han bridge architecture. Located outside the east gate of Chaozhou ancient city in Guangdong Province, it was first built in the Song Dynasty and has a history of more than 800 years. The unique structure of Xiangzi bridge integrates the forms of beam bridge, arch bridge and floating bridge, which condenses the wisdom and art of ancient Han working people. It is the first open and close bridge in China and the world. With its unique style of "18 shuttle ships and 24 continents", it is also known as China's four ancient bridges with Zhaozhou Bridge in Hebei, Luoyang Bridge in Quanzhou and Lugou Bridge in Beijing (also known as Lugou 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), Ding Yunyuan, the governor of the state, 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.

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), Chen Honggui built two stone piers on the east bank. The wooden piers were called Jichuan bridge, and 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, the floating bridge was cancelled and the suspension bridge was replaced, but it was abandoned once it was opened to traffic.

With historical changes, to the beginning of liberation, Guangji Bridge Pier has been reduced to 20, 19 holes, the whole bridge length: 517.95 meters, including 12 East bank piers and one abutment, 12 holes, 283.4 meters long, eight West Bank piers, 7 holes, 173.3 meters long, 5 meters wide, 97.3 meters in the middle, still connected by 18 wooden boats.

New China period

In 1958, the people's Government overhauled the Guangji Bridge. The original shuttle ship was removed and two double column piers (high pile cap) were built. Steel beams were erected and the road was paved to connect the East West Bridge. The original old stone piers are retained after renovation, and reinforced pavement is paved on the old stone beams. The original width of the road was five meters, but the width was widened to seven meters. A pedestrian line was set up on both sides of the road. There were lattice railings and lamp posts outside the road. To is the whole East-West bridge for one, cars through the bridge.

In 1977, another expansion was carried out. The original 7-meter bridge deck was used as a traffic lane, and the two sides of the bridge were widened by 2 meters for sidewalks.

In March 1988, Guangji Bridge was declared as a national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council due to its great historical, artistic and scientific value

 

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In November 1989, Chaozhou municipal government built a modern Hanjiang Bridge one kilometer downstream of Guangji Bridge, thus ending the historical mission of Guangji Bridge as a traffic link and providing a prerequisite for its comprehensive restoration

In 1990, the State Administration of cultural relics held a "demonstration meeting on the restoration of Chaozhou Guangji Bridge" in Chaozhou, which opened the prelude to the restoration of the ancient bridge.

In July 2001, Chaozhou municipal government reported the maintenance plan of Chaozhou Guangji Bridge to the Provincial Department of culture and the State Administration of cultural relics. In December of the same year, it was officially approved by the Cultural Relics Bureau.

In April 2002, Chaozhou municipal

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