The Temple of Lord Shi and Yining Bridge

The Temple of Lord Shi and Yining Bridge

The Temple of Lord Shi and Yining Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou City.

Also known as the Temple of Lord Shi Bridge, it is located in Group 5 of Sidu Village, northeast of Hengshan Town, spanning Miaoqian Harbor.

Originally built during the Southern Song Dynasty and reconstructed in the 16th year of the Guangxu reign (1890). It was listed as a Cultural Relics Control Unit of Wujiang City on July 29, 1994.

This single-arch granite bridge, oriented from north to south, has a total length of 18.5 meters, a width of 2.25 meters, a height of 3 meters, and a span of 5.7 meters. At the northern end of the bridge lies the Temple of Lord Shi, also referred to as the Temple of Lord Shi Bridge. There is one couplet on each of the east and west sides of the bridge. The west-facing couplet reads: “The bridge was completed just in time for the immortal’s birthday; the inscription on the pillar hopes for talents capable of governing the nation.” The “immortal” mentioned in the first line refers to Lü Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals. The “governing” in the second line refers to “administering the country and benefiting the people.” The east-facing couplet reads: “Duck herding opens as spring waters rise soft; fishnets dry beneath the bright setting sun.” The “duck herding” in the first line is linked to the local legend of “Chang Yuchun Herding Ducks.” At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the founding hero Chang Yuchun came to Sidu Village with his mother at a young age and made a living by herding ducks. One day, as the mother and son were rowing a boat and herding ducks near the bridge, they heard splashing sounds among the ducks. When they looked, several ducks had gone missing. The next day, there was another commotion among the ducks, and several more disappeared. To find out what was happening, Chang Yuchun hid nearby and saw a large yellow eel emerge from the water—it swallowed a duck whole with each gulp. Furious, Chang Yuchun jumped into the water and captured the giant eel. Back home, he asked his mother to cook and serve it with wine. He ate the entire eel greedily. Soon after, he felt intense heat and discomfort all over his body, so he asked his mother to beat him with a stick. Surprisingly, every time she struck him, he grew taller and stronger. She continued until the heat subsided, by which time he had become a towering man of immense strength. Later, Chang Yuchun joined forces with Zhu Yuanzhang, became a great general, and achieved numerous military exploits.

Yining Bridge and the Temple of Lord Shi together form a uniquely scenic “bridge-and-temple” tableau typical of the water town.

Source: Wujiang Archives Bureau