Guangsi Bridge

Guangsi Bridge

Guangsi Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou.

Guangsi Bridge

It is situated on Liandunbang, outside Xiaodongmen in the urban area, and is also known as Tuishuwu Bridge. Originally built during the Ming Dynasty, it was solely funded for repair by the local resident Xue Baojiu in the 39th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1774). In the early years of the Republic of China, the bridge deck collapsed, and in 1919, local residents such as Qian Zonghan raised funds for its restoration. A major renovation was carried out in 1988. The current bridge is a single-arch structure, oriented from north to south, constructed from granite, with the arch ring built using the method of longitudinal jointing in separate sections. It has a rise of 6.3 meters, a central width of 4.2 meters, a top surface measuring 2.3 meters vertically and 3.3 meters horizontally, a southern slope length of 10.4 meters, a northern slope length of 12.2 meters, and an overall length of 25.6 meters. The arch bearing stone is inscribed with the three characters “广嗣桥” (Guangsi Bridge). Each of the east and west vertical pillars bears a couplet: the eastern one reads “A hundred-foot rainbow spans the snowy waves, a half-moon locks the cold mist,” while the western one reads “To the west it catches the refreshing qi of Mount Wu, to the east it extends toward the evening ripples of the vast sea.” On the northern and southern abutments’ retaining walls are embedded a stele recording the bridge’s reconstruction during the Qianlong era and another commemorating its repair during the Republic of China period, respectively. It was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Changshu City in November 1982.