Shouxing Bridge

Shouxing Bridge

Shouxing Bridge is a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Shouxing Bridge is located on North Ye Family Lane near Dongwangxing Bridge in the ancient city area of Suzhou, spanning the Fourth Straight River. Originally named Ying Bridge, it is recorded in the Song Dynasty’s Pingjiang Map.

Legend has it that in the tenth year of the Shaoxing era during the Southern Song Dynasty (1140), a porcelain statue of the god of longevity was discovered beneath the bridge during dredging, leading to its current name. It is a single-arch bridge constructed from Wukang stone. Wukang stone is purple-brown in color with a rough, ancient texture, commonly used in buildings across the Suzhou area during the Song and Yuan dynasties. The bridge is 18 meters long, with an arch span of 4.7 meters and a rise of 2.6 meters. Steps are built on both slopes.

The bridge’s railing panels were moved here in 1965 from the nearby demolished Baishizi Bridge. They feature carved reliefs of lions—some crouching, others dancing—lively and vivid. The bridge retains many Song Dynasty components. Though modest in size, it has a solemn form and a simple, rustic color tone that harmonizes beautifully with the surrounding weeping willows and pagoda reflections, making it a fine example of Suzhou’s small ancient bridges.

On October 22, 1982, Shouxing Bridge was designated by the municipal government as part of the second group of Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Units.