Lianyun Bridge

Lianyun Bridge

Lianyun Bridge is a cultural relics protection unit of Suzhou City.

Also known as Lotus Bridge and People's Bridge, it is located at the west end of Huotong Street on the former old Taoqiu Street in Taoqiu Community, Shengze Town, Wujiang City, spanning the Taoqiu River.

It was first built in the fourth year of the Yuan Dynasty's Yanyou era (1317) and named Lianyun Bridge. In the first year of the Qing Dynasty's Yongzheng era (1723), it was renovated and renamed Lotus Bridge. It was rebuilt in the 22nd year of the Qing Dynasty's Guangxu era (1897) and completed the following year, when its original name was restored. In the 17th year of the Republic of China (1928), stone railings were added, and the area beneath the stone pillars on both the east and west sides was constructed using large bluestones. During the Cultural Revolution, it was temporarily renamed “People’s Bridge,” and the characters “人民桥” (People’s Bridge) were carved on the north and south sides of the bridge’s top. After the Cultural Revolution, its original name was reinstated, but the words “人民桥” remained on the bridge. In 1984, two concrete vehicle lanes were built on the stairways on the east and west sides of the bridge, and the surrounding stone revetments were repaired and refurbished. On July 29, 1994, it was listed as a cultural relics control unit of Wujiang City.

A single-arch stone bridge oriented from east to west. The total length is 25.6 meters, width 3.1 meters, height 4.52 meters, and span 10.6 meters. The main body of the bridge is mostly built with bluestone, while the arch is constructed using Wukang stone laid in a longitudinal jointed method, with the rest made of granite. The southern side of the main wall features a bluestone stele inscribed in the 23rd year of the Qing Dynasty's Guangxu era, documenting the history of the bridge’s construction. Each side of the bridge is adorned with a couplet. The southern couplet reads: “The road spans east and west, bordering Sheng Lake and Lize; the waves ripple left and right, always accompanied by the bright moon and gentle breeze.” The upper line identifies the bridge’s geographic location, while the “bright moon” and “gentle breeze” in the lower line refer respectively to the Bright Moon Bridge and Gentle Breeze Bridge on the east and west sides. The northern couplet reads: “Dragons and fish leap by the White Lotus Pond; egrets and clouds fly together in the deep blue sky.” This couplet embeds the bridge’s name using the Yanhan structure, placing the characters for the bridge name in the second character position. The southern side of the bridge’s railing stone is inscribed with “For the Safe Passage of the People,” while the northern side bears the inscription “Excellent Engineering.” There are 28 steps on each of the east and west slopes of the bridge, all paved with Jinshan stone.

Source: Wujiang Archives Bureau

Taoqiu Community: Located 500 meters west of Shengxi Bridge in Shengze Town and south of Shengtan Highway, Taoqiu Community comprises the Hope Residential Area, Lianyun Residential Area, Mingyue North and South Streets, Yinjiang Bay, Huayuan Road, Yinhe Road, and the north and south sections of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. It covers an area of approximately 1.5 square kilometers. The community has 832 households, with a population of 2,221. It currently has one Party branch with 34 members, 152 rented households, and 682 migrant residents. The area offers convenient transportation and an elegant environment. Educational, cultural, communication, commercial, financial, and service industries are located on the western side of the community.

Taoqiu Community was established in 2002... More details about Taoqiu Community++