Mudu Xijin Bridge

Mudu Xijin Bridge

Mudu Xijin Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou City.

Xijin Bridge is located on West Street in Mudu Town, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City. It was built during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty by Mao Jiao, a local resident. The bridge is a granite, single-arch, round-arch stone bridge oriented from north to south, spanning the key thoroughfare over the Xushu River.

In the 20th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1681), Wu Xushang from Dongshan, Dongting Lake, rebuilt the bridge and renamed it Yongping Bridge. In April of the 13th year of the Tongzhi reign (1874), the Jishantang of Mudu Town raised funds to rebuild it. The bridge is 22 meters long, 3.05 meters wide, with a deck length of 1.9 meters and an approach width of 3.5 meters. It stands 4.65 meters above the water surface, featuring a spacious arch that facilitates boat passage. The arch ring is 4.2 meters high with a span of approximately 8.6 meters. The arch ring is thin, only 0.32 meters thick, including an outer layer of 0.12 meters and an inner layer of 0.2 meters. The bridge opening is constructed with vertically jointed, segmented, and parallel-laid stonework. The bridge deck is flat, with stone steps—25 steps on the southern slope and 22 on the northern—offering spaces for resting.

The upper part of the arch features shallow-relief carvings of coiled dragons, vivid and lifelike. Eight long iron rods running across the width of the bridge, along with eight vertical pillars forming a tight railing, unify the bridge structure horizontally and vertically, reinforcing the arch ring. There is also a couplet inscribed on the bridge: “On horseback, gaze toward Gusu Terrace, where layers of green mountains embrace Tiger Hill; with whip in hand, ride toward Lake Tai, where timeless winds and waves weep for Chi Yi,” which is quite eloquent.

In March 1986, Xijin Bridge was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Wuxian County. It is now classified as a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou City due to administrative division adjustments.