Niuzhuang Taiping Bridge

Niuzhuang Taiping Bridge

Niuzhuang Taiping Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Liaoning Province.

Taiping Bridge is located in Niuzhuang Town, about 20 kilometers west of Haicheng City. Niuzhuang is an ancient town that was established as a post station as early as the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, and the city walls were rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty. The city walls were constructed in the eighth year of the Tianming era of the Later Jin (1623). The ancient Niuzhuang city had three gates: the eastern gate called Desheng Gate, the western gate called Waorang Gate, and the northern gate called Fusheng Gate. Outside the ancient city was a moat, and Taiping Bridge was built over the moat outside the eastern gate.

According to historical records, Taiping Bridge was built in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties and was renovated in the Jiyou year of the Daoguang era (1849). On the central stone railing slab on the southern side of the bridge, the characters "Taiping Bridge" are inscribed, along with the date “Jiyou Year of Daoguang, 9th Month, Auspicious Morning.” The bridge is approximately 50 meters long, 4.5 meters wide, and 5 meters high, with 15 arches. It runs east to west and is built from granite. Stone balusters and railings are installed on both sides of the bridge deck, with carvings on the tops of the balusters including lions, monkeys, pomegranates, peaches, and the Eight Treasures. The upstream side of the bridge piers features triangular water-dividing stones.

The ancient city walls of Niuzhuang had collapsed by the end of the Qing Dynasty, though careful observers can still find remnants of the wall foundations. Taiping Bridge remains well-preserved to this day. In 1858, the unequal Treaty of Nanjing between China and Britain designated Niuzhuang as a port, but it was later abandoned due to siltation in the inland river that made navigation impossible.

Protected area: With the first baluster on the southwest side of the bridge as the base point, the protected area extends 70 meters east, 30 meters south, 20 meters west, and 35 meters north.

Construction control zone: A Class I construction control zone extends 20 meters beyond the protected area, and a Class II construction control zone extends 30 meters beyond the Class I zone.

Niuzhuang Town: Located 20 kilometers west of downtown Haicheng City, Niuzhuang Town covers a total area of 53 square kilometers and has a population of 37,000. The Haigou Railway and Dapan Highway run east-west, while the Anshan-Yingkou and Niuzhuang Expressways run north-south. With convenient transportation and fertile land and water, it has long been the economic and cultural hub of the surrounding region, known as a historic ancient town.

The strength of Niuzhuang Town lies in its long commercial history. As early as 150 years ago, it was a nationally renowned trading port and became a relatively prosperous center for overland and waterway trade in Northeast China. In recent years, the garment industry group... Niuzhuang Town detailed information++

Further reading:

· Seventh Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Liaoning Province