Yingxiang Bridge

Yingxiang Bridge

Yingxiang Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Shanghai Municipality.

Yingxiang Bridge (YingxiangQiao) is located at the southern end of Jinzhe Town in Qingpu County, spanning the Jinze Pond. Built during the Yuan Dynasty, it is a famous example of Yuan-style architecture in the Jiangnan region. After the Mongols conquered the Southern Song Dynasty and established the Yuan regime, the imperial court adopted a conciliation policy: on one hand, recruiting former Song officials ("remnant ministers"), and on the other, preserving relics of the Song era. When Yuan forces stationed in Jinze, they protected and maintained historical buildings, and vigorously developed bridge and temple construction in Jinze to boost the local economy. The Jiyue Temple in Jinze was commissioned by Emperor Gaozong of the Southern Song, Zhao Gou, and Chancellor Lü Yihao, and was the largest temple in the Jiangnan region—thus the Yuan government chose Jinze as the site for Yingxiang Bridge to enhance its historical significance.

The bridge features a unique design, constructed using a composite structure of brick, wood, and stone. Its pillars are made of bluestone slabs, with stone columns supporting flat stone beams. Dense rows of nanmu wood are laid atop the beams, while the outer edges of the bridge deck are covered with polished square bricks to protect the wooden beams. It is a five-arch brick-and-stone beam bridge, measuring 34 meters in length and over 2 meters in width. The bridge deck has no railings, a hallmark feature of typical Yuan-style bridges that reflects post-Yuan-establishment architectural traits. At the western end of Yingxiang Bridge, a grand Wan Shou An nunnery was built during the Yuan Dynasty, housing nearly 100 nuns and earning the nickname "Little Tiantai of Jiangnan." This bridge and temple combination formed a new center of prosperity.

During the Yuan and Ming periods, Yingxiang Bridge in Jinze served as the economic hub of the town. To its south lies Baimi Port, where agricultural produce and cash crops from various regions were gathered and distributed on both sides of the bridge, with constant flows of people coming and going. Many scholars and literati visited Yingxiang Bridge and Wan Shou An while touring the Jiyue Temple. At that time, Yingxiang Bridge was counted among the “Eight Ancient Scenic Spots of Jinze,” resembling a rainbow lying across the misty river, presenting the beauty of “moonlight mirrored in the flowing waters, blending sky and water into one”—a breathtaking view known as the “Moonlit Night of Yingxiang.”

In 2001, it was listed as a county-level cultural relic protection unit, and in 2014, it was designated as a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit.

Jinze Town: Located in the southwestern part of Qingpu, Jinze Town is the western gateway for Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces entering Shanghai, and is also the only town in Shanghai bordering both Jiangsu and Zhejiang. To the east, it neighbors Zhujiajiao Town; to the southeast, it connects with Liantang Town; to the southwest, it borders Dingshazhen and Dashunzhen in Jiashan County, Zhejiang Province; and to the northwest, it adjoins Xintazhen in Wujiang City, Jiangsu Province, as well as Zhouzhuang Town and Jinxi Town in Kunshan City. With convenient water and land transportation, it serves as an important hub between Shanghai and surrounding areas. National Highway 318 and the Huqingping Expressway run through the town. Major national waterways such as the Taipu River and Jishui Port are crucial routes leading to Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, and other provinces... More detailed information about Jinze Town++