Ancient Bridges of Lishu

Ancient Bridges of Lishu

The ancient bridges of Lishu are protected cultural heritage sites under the jurisdiction of Suzhou City.

Lishu Ancient Town is located in Changqiao Subdistrict, Wuzhong District, and is a historic town with a long history. Legend has it that during the late Spring and Autumn period, Fan Li, an aristocrat from the State of Chu who served as an official in the State of Yue, helped King Goujian of Yue defeat the State of Wu, then built a small villa here and left a rich historical and cultural heritage—hence the town’s name. Today, remnants of the ancient town can still be seen within the old town area. In particular, four ancient bridges are the most valuable, all built during the Qing Dynasty and now designated as municipal-level cultural heritage sites.

The four ancient bridges of Lishu are distributed along both sides of the Lishu Port in Lishu Town. Among them, the Yongxing Bridge was built during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty, with bridge railings made of blue bricks. The four drum stones at the east and west ends feature decorative patterns and demonstrate a high level of artistic craftsmanship. The Lishu Bridge was constructed in 1878, featuring a vault constructed using the method of longitudinal jointing with separate sections placed side by side. Its stone retaining wall includes projecting stones, and the railing pillars and drum stones are carved with decorative patterns, making it a typical stone bridge of the water town style. The Xumao Bridge, built in 1833, has stone pillars inscribed with poetic couplets, and the arches of the bridge contain decorative carvings. The Sijiao Bridge was built during the Guangxu reign, and several of its components are made of cast iron, which local residents commonly refer to as the Iron Railing Bridge.