Wansheng Bridge

Wansheng Bridge

Wansheng Bridge, located in Di’eduo Village, Di’eduo Town, Xinghua City, Jiangsu Province, stands as a remarkable feat of engineering in the water-rich yet mountain-free region of Xinghua. Constructed in the fifth year of the Daoguang reign during the Qing Dynasty (1825), the bridge spans 24 meters in length and 1.35 meters in width, built from stone and oriented east-west. Its surface is paved with three sets totaling nine long stone slabs, each measuring 5 meters in length and 0.34 meters in width. The bridge is supported by four piers made up of eight sturdy stone columns, each standing 5 meters tall. These columns are arranged in two pairs forming an outward V-shape, embedded into the riverbed, where thick stone bases at the bottom receive them via mortise-and-tenon joints. The central part of the side of each bridge slab features three circular patterns, within which the traditional Chinese characters for “Wansheng Bridge” are engraved in relief, reading from right to left. The southeastern pier in the middle of the river bears an upright inscription reading “Erected by Dong Wansheng, June, fifth year of the Daoguang reign, Qing Dynasty,” while the southwestern pier bears the upright engraving “Built in 1970.” The northwest side of the bridge is inscribed with the warning: “No Stone Rollers Allowed on Bridge” in six large characters.

As a historical witness and relic, Wansheng Bridge has been preserved intact. Repairs were carried out on-site in 1904, 1964, and 1970. In 2008, the local township government decided to develop a scenic belt centered around the bridge as part of an urban renewal plan. In 2009, the Xinghua Municipal People’s Government designated it as a cultural heritage protection unit.

In March 2019, Wansheng Bridge was included in the eighth batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units