Houtang Bridge

Houtang Bridge

Houtang Bridge is a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Houtang Bridge is located in Shuiqiao Village, Xukou Town, Suzhou.

This bridge is a granite single-arch structure oriented from north to south, spanning the Nanguantang River. The bridge foundation is built with Wukang stone; some parts are bluestone (possibly limestone), inscribed with the characters “普？济”, which are believed to be relics of an ancient Song Dynasty bridge.

Houtang Bridge is 22.5 meters long. The arch span is 5.1 meters. The riverside dock next to the bridge is broad and well-preserved.

The couplet on the east side of the bridge reads: “May heaven always bring forth good people; may people always do good deeds.”

The couplet on the west side of the bridge reads: “Reconstructed by the collective families of Xiangshan; built in the year Ji Chou of the Daoguang reign.”

According to *The Culture of Ancient Bridges in Suzhou*, it was originally built in the ninth year of the Daoguang reign (an error), but was rebuilt in the eighteenth year of the Republic of China through funds raised by residents of Xiangshan.

Xukou Town: Xukou Town is located on the shore of Taihu Lake, 10 kilometers west of Suzhou. It is said to have been named after Wu Zixu, who dug the Xujing River leading into Taihu Lake. The town covers a total area of 36.6 square kilometers, comprising 6 administrative villages and 1 community neighborhood committee, with a registered population of 36,000 and a resident population of nearly 100,000.

Xukou Town has a long history and rich cultural heritage. It has been recognized by the Ministry of Culture as the “Hometown of Chinese Calligraphy and Painting” and a “National Demonstration Base for Cultural (Artistic) Industries”. The “Xiangshan Traditional Architectural Construction Technique” has been included in the first batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage and the *Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity... More details about Xukou Town++