Banqiao

Banqiao

Banqiao is a cultural relic protection unit of Nanjing City.

Banqiao is located on Banqiao Street in Banqiao Subdistrict, Yuhuatai District, dating back to the Qing Dynasty.

In the town of Banqiao, there is a Banqiao River with a bluestone slab bridge crossing it, connecting the north and south of the town. Such an inconspicuous little bridge has a history that can be traced back 1,500 years, when the bridge over the river was merely a pontoon made by laying wooden planks on boats or rafts, which later gradually evolved into a wooden bridge with fixed piers and planks. Hence, the place got its name from the bridge. Historical records state: “Beneath Banqiao lies a mighty current, ‘three zhang wide and one zhang deep, flowing down into the great river.’” The renowned work of the Northern Wei geographer Li Daoyuan, Commentary on the Water Classic, contains records about it: “The river flows past Sanshan, and Xiangpu emerges here. On the water, floating bridges were built across the river from north to south, hence the place is called Banqiao Pu. It is commonly known as Renzi River.”

In the 27th year of the Kangxi reign (1688), virtuous scholars in Nanjing’s Banqiao raised funds to rebuild the wooden bridge over the Banqiao River into a bluestone slab bridge. The railings were constructed from bricks, with carved dragon heads on the exterior and stone inscriptions of the characters “Banqiao” embedded within. Initially a single-arch bridge, it was later transformed into a triple-arch bridge, and to this day remains largely intact — a marvel. The bridge is 23 meters long, 12 meters wide, and 4 meters high, capable of bearing a load of 10 tons. On both inner sides of the bridge are embedded decorative stone carvings and commemorative steles. Each stele is 87 cm tall and 47 cm wide. The one on the west side originally had 99 characters, but unfortunately, all were chiseled away during the Cultural Revolution, and the dragon heads on the railings were also destroyed. The stele on the east side is intact and records: “Reconstructed on the second day of the eleventh month in the twenty-seventh year of the Kangxi reign, in the cyclical year of Wushen. Guo Xianwu and Taoist priest Zhao Songru of Citang Temple in Shishan jointly raised funds for the restoration.”

The bluestone slab bridge over the Banqiao River is actually not called Banqiao by local residents, but rather “Hualan Bridge” (Flower Basket Bridge). According to the Yuhuatai District Place Names Record of Nanjing City: “The bridge over the Banqiao River is ‘commonly called Hualan Bridge because its shape resembles a flower basket.’” It also cites a local anecdote: “During the Qing Dynasty, the Banqiao was a wooden bridge built through the fundraising efforts of Taoist priest Jiang from Citang Temple in Baijia Village. Later, it was washed away by floods. Nearby lived a wealthy Chen family who had only one son, already an adult but wayward and idle, spending his days gambling outside. The wealthy man’s hope of having his son inherit the family business was dashed, so he donated his money to rebuild the flood-damaged wooden bridge into a stone bridge. People sighed that Mr. Chen had toiled all his life, hoping his only son would inherit his estate, but it turned out to be like ‘drawing water with a bamboo basket’ — all in vain. Thus, people began calling the bridge ‘Hualan Bridge’ in memory of his good deed.”

Banqiao is a cultural relic protection unit of Nanjing City.

Banqiao Subdistrict: I. Historical and Cultural Heritage

Banqiao, also known as Guxiong, was historically referred to as Banqiao Pu during the Han Dynasty. As written in Li Daoyuan’s Commentary on the Water Classic: “The river flows past Sanshan, and Xiangpu emerges here. On the water, floating bridges were built across the river from north to south, hence the place is called Banqiao Pu.” This floating bridge was the earliest version of Banqiao. The area has long been a hub for merchants and a gathering place for culture and talent. Salt, ceramics, timber, and bamboo products converged here before being distributed far and wide. A line from the Southern Dynasties’ poem “Song of the Three Isles” reads: “Singing farewell at Banqiao Bay, waiting atop Sanshan Head, gazing at a thousand sails on the horizon, knowing they ride the wind’s flow.” Here, the “Three Isles” refer to the scenic spot “Sanshanji” within Banqiao. … More details about Banqiao Subdistrict ++