Zhili Ancient Road and Bridge

Zhili Ancient Road and Bridge

Zhili Ancient Road and Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou City.

The Zhili Ancient Road was built during the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty. It is an embankment road connecting Zhili Village to overland routes, running from north to south with a total length of 177.75 meters, a width of 1.4 meters, and a height of 0.62 meters. The base on both sides is built with yellow stones, leaving a 0.5-meter gap in the middle to form a drainage channel. The road surface is paved with 448 granite slabs, each 0.32 meters wide and 0.12 meters thick. At the northern end of the ancient road lies Yongfeng Bridge. Built in the 41st year of the Kangxi reign (1702), the Yongfeng Bridge also runs from north to south. It is a single-arch stone bridge constructed with a longitudinal jointed and tiered masonry technique. Made of granite, it has a total length of 18.5 meters, a central width of 2.7 meters, a height of 3.8 meters, and a clear span of 4 meters. Stone steps are laid at both ends, along with square balusters and slab railings. A stone tablet is embedded in the bridge arch, recording the year of construction. The small river beneath the ancient bridge connects to Taihu Lake, just 800 meters from the lakeshore. Beside the bridge stands an ancient camphor tree that provides shade like a large umbrella. The ancient road, ancient bridge, and ancient camphor tree are acclaimed as the most beautiful village entrance in Taihu’s ancient villages when the rapeseed flowers bloom in spring.