The Ancient Bridge Group of Fandao

The Ancient Bridge Group of Fandao

The Ancient Bridge Group of Fandao, located in Gaocheng Town, Yixing City, consists of five ancient bridges: Xiuning Bridge, Yongxing Bridge, Xinglong Bridge, Yongnian Bridge, and Yongfeng Bridge. In March 2003, the Yixing Municipal People's Government designated it as a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit.

Xiuning Bridge is located at the eastern end of Meijiadu Village, Gaocheng Town, Yixing City. In March 2003, the Yixing Municipal People's Government designated it as a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit. Built in the 25th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1899), Xiuning Bridge is a single-arch stone bridge oriented east-west (5° south of west), constructed with a mix of bluestone and granite—bluestone for the arch and granite for the deck and steps. The bridge is 12.58 meters long in total, with a deck length of 1.42 meters, a central width of 2.90 meters, and an abutment width of 3.25 meters. The clear span of the arch is 4.90 meters, with a rise of 3.05 meters. The western slope is 5.63 meters long with a 16° incline, and the flat approach is 2.50 meters long. The tread stones are 0.50 meters wide. Each side of the bridge has 13 stone steps, with two grooves in the middle of each step, carved to facilitate the passage of rickshaws in the past.

Yongxing Bridge is located at the northern end of Hejiadu Natural Village, Meijiadu Village, Gaocheng Town, Yixing City. In March 2003, the Yixing Municipal People's Government designated it as a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit. Built in the 26th year of the Guangxu reign (1900), Yongxing Bridge is a single-arch stone bridge oriented east-west (10° south of east), built entirely of granite. The bridge is 10.28 meters long in total, with a deck length of 1.42 meters, and a central width of 2.80 meters. The clear span of the arch is 4.50 meters, with a rise of 2.60 meters. The western slope is 4.55 meters long, the abutment is 2.99 meters wide, the flat approach is 1.30 meters long, and the base of the flat approach is 3.07 meters wide, with a 20° incline. Each side of the bridge has 13 stone steps. On the northern riverside of the bridge, there are two broken stone steles with partially legible inscriptions. One stele is 1.20 meters long and 0.68 meters wide, with an inscription dated to the 29th year of the Guangxu reign (1903). The other is named the Yongning Chan Temple Stele Record, measuring 1.40 meters long and 0.95 meters wide, with an inscription dated to the 5th year of the Hongguang reign during the Ming Dynasty (1645).

Xinglong Bridge is located in Hejiadu Natural Village, Meijiadu Village, Gaocheng Town, Yixing City. In March 2003, the Yixing Municipal People's Government designated it as a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit. Built in the 11th year of the Guangxu reign (1885), Xinglong Bridge is a single-arch stone bridge oriented east-west (5° west of south), constructed with a mix of bluestone and granite—bluestone for the arch and granite for the deck, steps, and arch ring. The bridge is 15 meters long in total, with a deck length of 2 meters, a central width of 3.20 meters, and an abutment width of 3.35 meters. The clear span of the arch is 4.80 meters, with a rise of 2.75 meters. The western slope is 6.20 meters long, the abutment is 3.40 meters wide, and the slope is 17°. The tread stones are 0.50 meters wide. The deck features a vortex-patterned keystone, and each side has 15 stone steps, with two grooves in the middle of each step, carved to facilitate the passage of rickshaws in the past.

Yongnian Bridge is located at the northeastern end of Zhujiaodu Natural Village, Meijiadu Village, Gaocheng Town, Yixing City. In March 2003, the Yixing Municipal People's Government designated it as a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit. Built in the 26th year of the Guangxu reign (1900), Yongnian Bridge is a single-arch stone bridge oriented east-west (10° south of east), constructed with a mix of bluestone and granite—bluestone for the arch and granite for the deck, steps, and arch ring. The bridge is 13.85 meters long in total, with a deck length of 1.65 meters, a central width of 2.8 meters. The clear span of the arch is 4.20 meters, with a rise of 2.70 meters. The western slope is 5.6 meters long, the abutment is 2.87 meters wide, and the lower bearing stone on the west side is 3.30 meters long. The eastern slope is 5.70 meters long, the abutment is 2.90 meters wide, and the lower bearing stone on the east side is 3.43 meters long; the flat approach is 1.96 meters long, 3 meters wide at the top, and the tread stones are 0.47 meters wide. The deck features a vortex-patterned keystone, and each side has 15 stone steps.

Yongfeng Bridge is located at the eastern end of Zhujiaodu Natural Village, Meijiadu Village, Gaocheng Town, Yixing City. In March 2003, the Yixing Municipal People's Government designated it as a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit. Built in the 14th year of the Guangxu reign (1888), Yongfeng Bridge is a single-span stone beam bridge oriented east-west, constructed with a mix of bluestone and granite—bluestone for the arch and granite for the deck, steps, and bridge piers. The bridge is 14.35 meters long in total, with a deck length of 6.45 meters, a central width of 2.80 meters, a clear span of 5 meters, and a deck panel width of 0.57 meters. The western slope is 4.15 meters long, the abutment is 3.70 meters wide, and the slope is 20°. The eastern abutment is 3.32 meters wide, the flat approach is 1.90 meters long, and 3.50 meters wide at the top. The bearing stones are 4 meters long, 0.52 meters wide, 0.30 meters thick, and extend 0.58 meters. The deck features two vortex-patterned keystone blocks. The stone steps on both sides have two grooves in the middle, carved to facilitate the passage of rickshaws in the past.

Gaocheng Town: Located in the northern suburbs of Yixing City, Gaocheng Town covers a total area of 82 square kilometers and has a population of 50,100. It administers 10 administrative villages and 1 neighborhood committee. The Xinchang Railway and the Suyi Expressway run through the town, with a service area established within the town. Gaocheng Town has a long history

Gaocheng Town is an economically strong and industrial hub in Yixing City. In 2005, the town achieved an industrial taxable sales volume of 7.65 billion yuan, with town fiscal revenue... Gaocheng Town detailed information++