Guangning Bridge

Guangning Bridge

Guangning bridge the bridge is located in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, Guangning bridge Zhijie east end, north-south, single arch stone bridge, across the Caohe River, it is said that there is no bridge here. The villagers raised funds to build the bridge, which benefited the common people, so it was named Guangning bridge.

history

Guangning bridge was built before Gaozong of Southern Song Dynasty and rebuilt in 1574. Standing on the bridge, you can see the mountains in the south of the city. The center of the bridge is facing Dashan Temple Pagoda and Longshan, which is an excellent view on water. Since the Southern Song Dynasty, it has always been a cool place for sightseeing. Zhu Kangzong, a monk of the Ming Dynasty, once wrote a poem nostalgic and melancholy: "the wind and moon of the river and the Liang River are old, so it's autumn. I don't see the first master dragging his staff to swim. Ten thousand fold far away, green sorrow against each other, a stream of rising green tears

In May 2013, Guangning bridge was merged with Bazi bridge, Guangxiang bridge, Silong bridge, Taiping Bridge, Xiegong bridge, tifan bridge, Baiwang bridge, Jiedu bridge, Rongguang bridge, Jingkou bridge, xikuahu bridge and Yingen bridge, named Shaoxing ancient bridge group, and listed in the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

structure

Guangning bridge is a single hole seven sided stone arch bridge, which is the largest existing single hole stone arch bridge in Shaoxing. The bridge is a seven sided arch bridge, with a total length of 60m, a width of 5m, a height of 4.6m and a clear span of 6.10m. There are 16 stone steps in the south of the bridge, with a length of 25.30m, and 20 stone steps in the north of the bridge, with a length of 26.30m. All the 24 bridge columns are carved with inverted lotus, which is vigorous and thick, and the pattern of column plate is elegant and generous. Six stone carvings, such as "carp leaping over the dragon's gate", are carved on the top arch stone of the bridge cave, some of which are ferocious and grotesque in appearance, and some of which are very exquisite. The Baogu of this bridge is 3.7 meters long, 0.65 meters high and 0.2 meters thick. Such a long Baogu is rare. On the arch stone of the bridge cave is engraved the name of donating money to repair the bridge. Under the bridge arch, there is a track for walking. Two roads on and under the bridge cross each other, so it is called ancient overpass.

It is adjacent to the eight character bridge in the South and faces Dashan tower. Guangning bridge is the longest existing seven fold edge single hole stone arch bridge in Shaoxing. It is a cultural relic protection unit in Zhejiang Province. The bridge is a South-North seven fold edge single hole stone arch bridge, with a total length of 57.2 meters. There are columns on the bridge, and the arch coupons are built in parallel in longitudinal joints. On the top of the coupons are engraved six round stone carvings, such as carp leaping over the dragon's gate and golden dragon with jade rabbit. The bridge feet are respectively provided with fiber channels. On the east side of the bridge, a stone tablet is embedded in the walls of the north and south approach bridges, and on the west side of the north end of the bridge is the stone tablet of rebuilding Guangning bridge.

Guangning bridge has a slightly arched deck, railings on the side of the net, plastic columns, and balustrades decorated with cloud heads. Some early practices have been preserved. There are several inscriptions on the bridge built in 1074. The polygonal arch structure of Guangning bridge is a typical practice in Shaoxing area in Ming and Qing Dynasties, which is rare in other places. Together with the eight character bridge in Song Dynasty, Guangxiang bridge in Yuan Dynasty and Taiping Bridge in Qing Dynasty, it forms the bridge development history sequence of Shaoxing water network area from Song Dynasty to Qing Dynasty.

When the bridge was rebuilt, the ancient seven fold side arch was used, most of which were original stones, and the weathering degree was similar to that of the eight character bridge and Guangxiang bridge. Therefore, it can be concluded that the bridge type of Guangning bridge today is the same as that in Kuaiji Zhi of Jiatai. Most folded arch bridges were built before Tang Dynasty. Guangning bridge is located in the main wharf of the ancient canal in the city. The ancient canal was very busy in the Tang Dynasty, so Guangning bridge should have existed in the Tang Dynasty, at least before the Song Dynasty. The Baiwang bridge and Chang'an bridge, which were built in the Tang Dynasty, are folded arches, which can provide evidence for the age of Guangning bridge.

The dragon in the Longmen stone carving on the vault of the bridge is a three clawed dragon, which is of pre song style. The stone carving pattern can also be used as evidence of the age of the bridge. The foundation of this bridge is composed of 7 layers of stone slabs, which is about 1 m thick. Such a thick foundation is rare in China. The inscriptions on the stone arch of the bridge can be read as "the second year of Wanli", "the twenty-three duzhang family of Kuaiji, with extended life", "Shanyin, Xinguan" and so on. The inscriptions were made during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty.

status

The earliest overpass in China is the Baziqiao in Shaoxing City, which has almost become a public opinion and has been written into some university textbooks. However, Luo Guanzhou, an expert on Shaoxing ancient bridge, recently found that the earliest overpass in China should be Guangning bridge, which is not far away from Bazi bridge. His new theory has been affirmed by some experts. Not long ago, Mao Yulin, the daughter of Chinese Bridge expert Mao Yisheng and member of the National Committee of the Chinese people's Political Consultative Conference, drew on his views in a proposal on the application of Chinese ancient bridges for world cultural heritage.

Luo Guanzhou is an expert who enjoys special allowance from the State Council. When he studied the ancient bridge, he found that the reason why the eight character bridge is considered the oldest existing overpass in China is that there is a track under the eight character bridge. But after his on-the-spot investigation, he found that the track under the eight character bridge did not pass through the bridge hole. He said that the key to judging whether the ancient bridge is an overpass is whether pedestrians can walk under the bridge, in addition to pedestrians on the bridge and boats on the bridge. There is no pedestrian under the eight character bridge, that is to say, this bridge is not an overpass.

The seven fold arch bridge and Guangning bridge, a key cultural relic protection unit at the provincial level, are not far away from the eight character bridge. Under the bridge, there is a path for the trackers to pass through the bridge hole, and the trackers can pass under the bridge, which is a real overpass. However, it was thought that the bridge was built in the Ming Dynasty. By chance, Luo Guanzhou found a stone tablet of Guangning bridge built into residents' houses. According to the tablet, the bridge was rebuilt in the fourth year of Shaoxing in the Southern Song Dynasty and rebuilt in the third year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, this bridge can be promoted from the Ming Dynasty to the Song Dynasty, which is the same time as the eight character bridge. After a series of textual research, he believes that Guangning bridge is the earliest existing overpass in China.

Interestingly, in Zhang Zeduan's "Qingming River map" of the Northern Song Dynasty, Luo Guanzhou found that there was a passage under the Daguan wooden arch bridge, and people were moving on the passage. This picture is documentary, so he thinks that there were overpasses in China at least in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Related records

Zhu Kangzong, a monk of the Ming Dynasty, once wrote a poem with nostalgic melancholy: "because of the wind and moon in the river, it's autumn, and I don't see the first master dragging the stick to swim. Ten thousand fold far away, green sorrow against each other, a stream of rising green tears

It is recorded in the collection of Shaoxing records that "the bridge is oriented from east to west, with a round hole, three or four feet high and more than ten feet long. The width of the bridge deck is two feet wide. There are stone railings on it, stele pavilions on it, and it is a large project in Vietnam.".

Xu Wei's "two songs on New Year's Eve": "every year, the county looks at the garden, and the village appreciates Shangyuan this year. Luo Qi is full of wind and light, fireworks and leaves. People like to sit in the city all night, music like Jun, Tianle inside turn. If you go back from the bridge, you will have to say when you come to Guangling. "

This bridge is recorded in Kuaiji annals of Jiatai: "Guangning bridge is in the east of Changqiao, Caohe River is quite wide, there are few residents, and the number of independent scholars is in Yan.".

Address: guangningqiaozhi street, Yuecheng District, Shaoxing City

Longitude: 120.59117

Latitude: 30.00122

Ticket information: free.

Chinese PinYin : Guang Ning Qiao