Qingfeng Bridge

Qingfeng Bridge

Qingfeng Bridge, also known as Guangfeng Bridge, is an ancient stone arch bridge located in Dingxi Village, Caoyan Township, Dafeng County. It spans the Dingxi Jia River and dates back to the Song Dynasty. The bridge is 25 meters long and 5 meters wide, with the northern and southern ends each being 7 meters wide. The bridge features two types of bricks in alternating sizes, and the stones are uniformly yellow hemp strip stones. At the center of the bridge deck lies a four-foot square yellow hemp stone slab engraved with clear floral patterns. Legend has it that this slab is called the "Eight Dragons Controlling Water," as four dragon heads protrude from both the north and south sides of the bridge, symbolizing "eight dragons managing water to prevent drought and eliminate flooding."

On the outer sides of the railings at both the northern and southern ends of the bridge, the four regular script characters "古庆丰桥" (Ancient Qingfeng Bridge) are inscribed. These were written during the Qing Dynasty when the bridge was renovated. The bridge was originally built during the Chunxi era of the Song Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, Yang Dacheng proposed and funded its sole reconstruction. In the ninth year of the Daoguang reign (1829), local gentry invited Mr. Yuan Keting from Yan Shang to lead the reconstruction. Due to consecutive years of severe flooding, the bridge foundation had been submerged, and the supply of stone materials from Zhejiang, which had been allocated for seawall construction, only arrived this summer. The project was completed in the winter of the same year. The bridge was previously named Taiping Bridge in the Ming Dynasty, but its original name has been retained.

The Ancient Qingfeng Bridge, with a history of over 800 years, is the oldest and most well-preserved Song Dynasty bridge on the Yánfú Plain. It is now listed as a key cultural relic under protection by Dafeng City.