Sifan Bridge

Sifan Bridge

Sifan Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou City.

Sifan Bridge is located on Xizha Lane of Taiping Street in Zhenze Town, Wujiang. It is said to have been built in memory of Fan Li, hence the name “Sifan.” The original construction date is unknown. It was rebuilt in the 23rd year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1363), repaired by Taoist priest Ji Yuheng in the 11th year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1532), and reconstructed again in the 24th year of the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty (1819) by locals Gong Zhenlong, Chen Shiyuan, Chen Dekui, and Zhang Suwu. It was rebuilt once more in the 5th year of the Tongzhi era (1866).

It is a single-arch granite bridge oriented from north to south, spanning the Dishitang Market River. The bridge is 35.4 meters long, 4.9 meters wide at the top, 4.8 meters wide at the base, with a span of 10.3 meters and an arch height of 5 meters.

There is a pair of couplets on each side of Sifan Bridge. The one facing east reads:

The legacy of Yu rivals grand design, as twin moon shadows gaze east and west from afar;

By Fan’s retreat, we recall ancient abodes, as boats from all directions drift across the Five Lakes.

The upper couplet explicitly refers to the traces of Yu (the legendary flood-controller). Sifan Bridge and another bridge, positioned east and west, resemble two distant moons gazing at each other and responding to one another. The two bridges are also very similar in design, thus considered sister bridges that rival each other in beauty. The lower couplet mentions “Fan’s retreat,” referring to Lize Village, which is about two li south of Sifan Bridge. It is said to be the place where Fan Li once lived in seclusion. Fan Li and Xi Shi built a residence here, and even hired artisans to construct a high platform beside the lake next to their home. On clear days, they would climb the steps to fish by casting lines from above, which is why it was called “Fan Li’s Fishing Platform,” one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Zhenze. In those days, Fan Li would pass under Sifan Bridge when heading out from Lize to sail the Five Lakes to the north and south.

The couplet facing west reads:

From the headwaters of the Tiaoshui River, it has witnessed countless elegant boats;

Along the Dishitang waves, it divides the tail of Yue and the head of Wu.

In the upper couplet, “Tiaoshui” refers to the water flowing eastward beneath Sifan Bridge, originating from the Tiaoxi Stream of Tianmu Mountain. Boats come and go endlessly beneath the bridge, skillfully alluding with Su Shi’s phrase “laurel oars and orchid paddles” from his “Red Cliff Ode.” The lower couplet’s “waves” refer to the waters of the Dishitang River passing under Sifan Bridge. As the river flows out of Zhenze and heads upstream to the west, it gradually nears Zhejiang—the dividing line between the regions of Wu and Yue—hence referred to as “the tail of Yue and the head of Wu,” clearly highlighting the geographical features of the area.

In July 1994, Sifan Bridge was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Wujiang City.

Source: Wujiang Archives Bureau

Zhenze Town: This Jiangnan water town—Zhenze—is located in the southwestern part of Wujiang City, Jiangsu Province, adjacent to Zhejiang Province. Historically known as the “tail of Wu and the head of Yue,” it lies 90 kilometers east of Shanghai and 54 kilometers north of Suzhou. National Highway 318 and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal run through the area, providing extremely convenient land and water transportation. The town covers a total area of 57 square kilometers, including a town area of 3.93 square kilometers, nearly 40,000 mu of arable land, and a total population of over 50,000. The town has well-developed infrastructure, including one 220,000-volt and one 110,000-volt substation, a 25,000-ton surface water plant, and a mobile communication transmission station, offering... More details about Zhenze Town++