Lili Qinglong Bridge

Lili Qinglong Bridge

Originally named Jien Bridge and commonly called Xiangjia Bridge, it is located on the eastern section of Shih River in Lili Town, Wujiang District, spanning Pinglou Street and Jiunan Street.

It was first built in the 18th year of the Chenghua reign during the Ming Dynasty (1482) by a wandering monk. In the 18th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1753), a local resident surnamed Chen rebuilt it. In the 29th year of the Daoguang reign (1849), local residents collectively funded its reconstruction. In January 2005, it, along with the river revetments and other ancient bridges of Lili, was listed as a cultural relic protection unit of Wujiang District.

A single-arch stone bridge oriented from north to south. The total length is 13.1 meters, with a central width of 2.6 meters, an abutment width of 3.1 meters, a height of 3.8 meters, and a span of 5.45 meters. The northern abutment has 14 stone steps, while the southern abutment has 16. There are two dragon heads and two bridge ears (i.e., tie stones) on each side of the bridge. The arch ring, bridge plaque, dragon heads, and bridge ears are all made of Wukang stone; most of the bridge body is bluestone; one granite railing faces east, while the rest are bluestone railings. The bridge plaque is inscribed with the three characters “Qinglong Bridge.” The greenstone pillars are carved with inverted lotus patterns, and there are couplets on both sides of the bridge. The eastern couplet reads: “A long rainbow hangs over a thousand moonlit doors, a giant lock connects vast clouds afar.” The western couplet reads: “When nature’s bounty shines bright, this land thrives with extraordinary people.”

Qinglong Bridge is commonly called Xiangjia Bridge. The character “xiang” is homophonous with “xiang” (meaning dried fish), and locals find the taste of dried fish salty and delicious, hence it is nicknamed “Salty-Salty Xiangjia Bridge.”

Source: Wujiang Archives Bureau

Fenhu High-Tech Zone (Lili Town): Lili Town is located 30 kilometers southeast of Wujiang County and is a well-preserved, typical Jiangnan water town. The town follows a one-river-two-streets layout, with most of the buildings along the banks being two-story structures from the Ming and Qing dynasties, with adjacent shops and storefronts. Another feature of the ancient town is its long river revetments, all built with piled-up jieji stones. Even after hundreds of years, they remain neat and solid. Over 300 stone railings are embedded along the revetments, among which the exquisitely crafted elephant-trunk railings resemble seals crafted by stonemasons—small in size but full of charm. They serve as excellent mooring facilities and are also valuable works of art. Lili is also home to the famous patriotic… Fenhu High-Tech Zone (Lili Town) more details++