Wanshan Stone Bridge

Wanshan Stone Bridge

The Wanshan Stone Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Jilin Province.

Before liberation, Fuyu County had 14 bridges of various sizes, including one stone bridge and 13 wooden bridges, as well as six culverts. Apart from the Wanshan Stone Bridge, all these bridges and culverts had deteriorated over time and were no longer usable.

The Wanshan Stone Bridge is located 9 kilometers west of Changchunling Town in Shiqiao Village, Shiqiao Township, spanning the Jiajigouzi area, which is a key thoroughfare of the Fusannorth Line. The Jiajigouzi connects to the Songhua River in the north and leads to areas such as Jichang and Nantianmen in the south. Whenever heavy rains increased water levels, the stream would swell with rapid currents. Although there was a wooden bridge, it often collapsed and could not endure long-term use, causing great hardship for travelers. Local residents petitioned the county government to advocate for "raising charitable funds to build a stone bridge." Construction began in the first year of the Republic of China. Wu Laochang and Shi Laohong from the Changchunling Charity Association encouraged a group of local monks to go on fundraising missions as far as the provinces of Shandong, Shanxi, Hebei, and Henan. Their slogan was: “Building a bridge is an act of kindness — if not in this life, then for the next.” Their efforts moved officials, merchants, wealthy families, and even the poor across the regions. Contributions ranged from several thousand strings of cash to just a few, totaling 1,644,652 strings and 800 wen. The stone materials were sourced from Ashihada near Jilin City, transported via the Songhua River to Fuyu, and then hauled by carts to the construction site. The Wanshan Stone Bridge was completed in the tenth year of the Republic of China (1921), making it the earliest highway stone bridge in Jilin Province.

The bridge is a three-arch structure, built with bluish-gray and light yellow granite slabs. It has a total length of 40.1 meters, a width of 4.1 meters, and a height of 7.7 meters. The three arches consist of a larger central span that is 6.1 meters wide and 6.3 meters high, while the two identical side spans are each 5.4 meters wide and 4.7 meters high. The deepest part of the bridge piers underwater reaches 11 meters, and the shallowest is 9 meters. The sides of the bridge are equipped with carved stone railings, with 23 pillars on each side, each 82 cm high and spaced 1.45 meters apart. The design of the three arches is optimal, reducing the bridge's weight, conserving materials, and distributing floodwaters to ease flow, thereby enhancing the bridge’s durability. The piers are shaped like the bottom of a boat, with cutwater points on the upstream side to resist floods and protect the piers. The three arches are designed in the shape of lotus petals, with edges adorned by lotus leaf patterns and continuous decorative motifs. At the center of the middle arch is an intricately carved dragon head spurting water, adding a unique and elegant touch. On the upper southern side of the bridge is engraved the phrase “Heaven and Earth as One, Wanshan Stone Bridge,” while the upper northern side bears the four large characters “Flowing Fame Through the Ages.” At the top of the stone pillars at both ends of the bridge sit small carved lions, each gazing forward with lively expressions.

The day the stone bridge was completed was the 26th of the eighth lunar month. A grand celebration was held, inviting all benefactors to cross the bridge and enjoy the view, along with five days of opera performances in commemoration. To mark the occasion, details about the bridge construction process, scale, expenditure, and the names of those who donated 50 strings or more were engraved on six stone steles (including two project steles) and placed inside a double-eaved stele pavilion located on the north side of the western end of the bridge, intended to stand for eternity. Today, the pavilion has collapsed, and the steles have been lost. The stone lions on the bridge pillars were destroyed during the “Smash the Four Olds” campaign in 1966. In August 1966, a major storm caused severe flooding, washing away the eastern abutment of the stone bridge. To enhance flood discharge capacity and protect the stone bridge from further damage, a reinforced concrete bridge was constructed not far from the eastern end of the stone bridge during its restoration that year. This new bridge is 43.34 meters long, with five spans, a clear span of 7.5 meters, and a deck width of 9 meters. It features double-column piers and a gravity-type abutment, with a load-bearing standard of 13 tons for vehicles and 60 tons for trailers. The construction of this bridge improved flood discharge and reduced the impact of floodwaters on the stone bridge.

This Wanshan Stone Bridge, built nearly 70 years ago, has drawn attention from provincial cultural heritage authorities.

Changchunling Town: Located in the northeastern part of Songyuan City, Changchunling Town borders Dalinzi and Gongpengzi to the south, Yijiadian Township to the east, Sanjun Township to the west, and faces Zhaoyuan County of Heilongjiang Province across the Songhua River to the north. The town covers an area of 300 square kilometers, governs 31 administrative villages and one neighborhood office, with a total population of 52,896. Among them, there are 7,087 non-agricultural residents and 6,743 residents in the town center. ... Changchunling Town detailed information++