Huaqing Bridge

Huaqing Bridge

Huaqing Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Nanjing City.

Huaqing Bridge is located on the eastern section of Jiankang Road in Qinhuai District, Nanjing. It gets its name from the confluence of the ancient Qingxi Stream and the Qinhuai River here. The bridge was built during the Southern Dynasties period and was originally called Huaqing Bridge, but it is commonly referred to as Huaqing Bridge by later generations. There is a pavilion by the ancient bridge for people to rest. The bridge pavilion features a couplet composed of famous lines by Tang Dynasty poets Liu Yuxi and Wei Zhuang: “The moon that once shone east of the Huaishui River, tides come and go at the Jinling ferry.” The artistic conception is elegant, making it one of the finest bridge couplets in Jinling.

The current bridge was rebuilt during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty. Unfortunately, the pavilion was not reconstructed, and the couplet is no longer there. The Peach Leaf Ferry, where Wang Xianzhi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty welcomed Tao Ye, is located near this bridge. Yu Huai, a poet of the late Ming Dynasty, wrote a poem about the “Qingxi,” describing the appearance of the Huaqing Bridge in those days. The poem reads: “Before the cup, crimson snow presses on ice-silk; celestial clouds from the sea fall upon the bridge’s steps. To ask where the master’s wandering soul has gone, look to the red-railed bridge at the Qingxi ferry.” The book *The Scholars* also makes numerous references to it. After the liberation, the bridge deck and railings were renovated. The current bridge is 17 meters long and 14 meters wide, and it remains a stone arch structure.

Huaqing Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Nanjing City.