Wudong Bridge

Wudong Bridge

Huangyan Wudong bridge, also known as the West Bridge, is located between the West Street and Qiaoshang street of Huangyan City, across the Xijiang River. Ninghai Wudong bridge is called "the first bridge in goubei". Both bridges are key cultural relics protection units.

Construction art

Huangyan Wudong bridge has been built for more than 700 years. It is located in Guoxi village, Chixi Town, and runs East-West across Xijiang River. The longitudinal joints are laid side by side. The bridge deck fluctuates with the bridge opening, and the stone masonry level rises and falls. The two are covered with lotus pillar and fence.

The five hole bridge is more than 60 meters long and 4.3 meters wide, with four holes across the water. Lotus columns are carved on the stone railings of the bridge deck, and arch stone piers and abutments are built on both sides of the bridge. The arch span of the five holes is half. The county has the advantages of small thrust of arch foot, large clearance of bridge opening, spectacular appearance, and suitable for ships in Xijiang River. There are 5 arch rings in each hole, which are made of non hinged arch stones. The masonry method is mainly divided into sections and juxtaposed. The straight arch stones are alternated with the transverse arch stones, and the half arch part is longitudinally connected with long stones, so as to strengthen the connection of the 5 arch rings. This kind of masonry technology is superior to the traditional parallel and longitudinal technology in horizontal integrity. The bridge pier built "water diversion King Kong goose wings" can reduce the impact of water flow. Between the arch ring and the bridge deck. In addition, a long strip stone with a length exceeding the width of the bridge is set to connect the side walls on both sides, so that the arch ring can be consolidated by the building on the arch.

The construction technology of Wudong bridge has withstood the severe test of the times. In 1933, Xijiang sluice was built with 7 piers and 8 holes, with the designed maximum discharge of 141 cubic meters per second. When the gate is wide open in flood season, the torrent and debris in the upper reaches of Xijiang River impact the Wudong bridge, which makes the pier bear the thrust of unilateral flow for a long time. However, the Wudong bridge stands in a dignified and majestic manner, and has not been displaced for 60 years. In 1958, a reservoir was built in Changtan, a mountainous area in the western part of China, which was in urgent need of transporting materials. As a result, the 5-fold bridge deck was filled up, trucks flowed continuously, and the Wudong bridge bore heavy pressure with a solid body, causing a little cracking of the arch ring. The above can show the superb skills of Shiyue monk in design and construction.

Five hole bridge uses the technology of "section by section and side by side" arch construction. The half circle arch is a half span stone arch bridge, which has the advantages of small arch foot thrust, large bridge opening clearance and spectacular appearance. Lotus columns are carved on the stone railings of the bridge deck, and double arch stone piers and abutments are built on both sides of the bridge. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, four caves crossed the water. With a total length of 63.5 meters and a width of 4.3 meters, the bridge is a five hole stone arch bridge with a clear span of 8.7 meters per hole. The body of the bridge fluctuates with the arch and looks like a dragon in the water. In 1958, the bridge was filled and leveled, and the vehicle was stopped in 1963.

The bridge body and arch ring are made of hard and regular strips of bluestone. The joints are especially tight and can withstand the impact of heavy water. The design is reasonable. In addition to the structural advantages of the stone arch bridge itself, the four piers of the bridge are equipped with triangular water dividing points at the parts facing upstream. Facing the incoming water, the water flows naturally separate from each other, and the impact on the bridge body is reduced.

Wudong bridge has unique local style with its unique and beautiful shape, labor and material saving. Its bridge construction technology is widely popular in the wenhuang plain, and has become a representative work of ancient bridge engineering in this area, with high scientific, historical and artistic value.

Construction history

Wudong bridge was first built in the song and Yuan Dynasties (1086-1094). County magistrate Zhang Xiaoyou led the people to build a stone bridge. To commemorate him, it is also called Xiaoyou bridge. Less than 100 years after its completion, it was destroyed by water in the second year of Qingyuan (1196) of the Southern Song Dynasty. The existing bridge system was rebuilt by Zhao boshu in Huangyan County in the second year of Qingyuan in the Southern Song Dynasty. It is said that the project is ten times as big as the old bridge. The stone arch has 5 holes and the bridge deck has 5 fold. Later, it was rebuilt in the 13th year of Yongzheng (1735) of the Qing Dynasty, and still maintained the shape of the Song Dynasty. This bridge form is more popular in Wenzhou, Huangyan and other places. Huangyan was an important town in Zhejiang Province in ancient times. Wu Jinyi, a native of Shuo county, Ningxia, donated his salary to raise money. Wu Zongbing entrusted Shi Yue, a monk of Mingyin Temple (the first hospital at the site), to be responsible for the design and construction. Monk Shiyue improved the shape of the original bridge and recruited bridge workers. After years of hard work, it was completed in 1726.

significance

Wudong bridge is the Sixth Batch of national key cultural relics protection units. When it was prosperous, merchant ships bustled under the bridge and in and out of Chixi port, which was the only way for the export of Fengyang porcelain bowl and Fanshan alum. It was of great significance to investigate the ancient coastal traffic and bridge construction technology.

Current situation

Through the vicissitudes of life, the Wudong bridge is now blocked by mud, lying on the field, forming a strange environment with "thousands of mu of rice fragrance and frog sound" beside the bridge. Near the bridge is the iron making palace, which was built in memory of the famous iron melting craftsman Lin Zuqing in the Xianchun period of Song Dynasty. There is an ancient stage in the palace, which looks like a pavilion. It is elegant and exquisite in shape.

World evaluation

Pan Shiji, a poet of the Yuan Dynasty, wrote the poem "West Bridge waiting for autumn" by Huangyan Wudong bridge: "the Jade Rainbow is across the city, and the night trace is cold in the blue sky. "The wind produces WANLAI Xiejin liquid, and the wind sets a mani round."

Cultural relics protection

In February 1982, the people's Government of Huangyan District announced it as a key cultural relics protection unit at the county level. In December 1989, the people's Government of Zhejiang Province announced it as a key cultural relics protection unit at the provincial level. Now it is a national key cultural relic protection unit.

Address: xinqiaotou village, Dayang street, Linhai City

Longitude: 121.1805100497

Latitude: 28.866636951

Ticket information: free.

Chinese PinYin : Wu Dong Qiao