Shengming Bridge

Shengming Bridge

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

Shengming Bridge is located at the mouth of Dongbaiyang Pond in Shengze Town (this pond is also called Dongbaiyang or Lingyeduo). According to the *Shenghu Zhi* (Annals of Shenghu), engraved during the Qing Dynasty's Qianlong era and compiled by Zhong Shenchu, supplemented by Zhong Shu and further revised by Zhong Zhoupei, the bridge was first built by local residents in the second year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty (1629) and renovated in the 11th year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1733). Additionally, according to the *Shenghu Zhi* (Annals of Shenghu) engraved in the 14th year of the Republic of China (1925) by Zhou Qingyun of Wucheng and compiled by Zhong Tingji of the Qing Dynasty, with continuations by Zhong Huteng, the bridge was built by local residents in the 14th year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty (1641) and reconstructed in the 9th year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1731). In 1986, Shengming Bridge was listed as a cultural relic protection unit of Wujiang County, and in 1991, the local government carried out renovations on the bridge.

Shengming Bridge has a total length of 46.94 meters, with a width of 4.25 meters at the top and 5.45 meters at the base. It features three arched spans, constructed using the method of vertically aligned, segmented, and parallel masonry. The central arch is larger, with a height of 5.39 meters and a span of 10.7 meters, facilitating boat passage. The two side arches are smaller, giving the entire bridge an elegant profile. The river spanned by Shengming Bridge is broad, and the bridge itself is tall. From a distance, the bridge’s reflection in the water, set against the backdrop of flowering trees along the bank, resembles three jade rings—large and small—half of which emerge above the water as the bridge itself, while the other half is submerged. Peering through the bridge’s arches, one sees sky beyond and water mirroring the sky, with smoke gently rising from homes along the shore—a breathtaking, poetic scene of the water town. To the west of Shengming Bridge lies the town center of Shengze, where the foremost of the historic “Eight Scenic Spots of Shenghu,” known as “Sounds of the Shenghu Market,” begins.

The scenery around Shengming Bridge is beautiful, and so are the couplets inscribed on both sides of the bridge. The east-facing couplet reads: “Auspicious light from the southeast, a rainbow soars high, magnificent for a thousand autumns; joy fills heaven and earth, a bright crescent moon graces the bridge, bringing peace to ten thousand households.” The upper line depicts the grand sight of a rainbow stretching across the sky, while the lower line portrays the pleasant view of a full moon rising near the bridge. The west-facing couplet reads: “Like geese teeth biting into the embankment, the nearby white pond flows as five converging streams; like a dragon’s waist spanning the crossing, it connects afar through three encircling rings to the vast sea.” The term “five converging streams,” according to the *Shenghu Zhi*, refers to the nearby Dongbaiyang Pond, which “receives waters from the market river to the west, from the Dongxiu and Dongjing bridges to the south, from Baijia Bridge to the northwest, and from Daifu Bridge to the northeast. In the past, people described its terrain as five streams converging and flowing eastward into the main channel.” Reading this couplet, one appreciates the beautifully crafted imagery: Shengming Bridge clasps the riverbanks like the teeth of geese, while distant streams converge to form the silken-like expanse of Dongbaiyang Pond before one’s eyes; the bridge carries travelers across as if a dragon’s back, with clear waters flowing through the jade-like rings above and connecting to the distant sea...

Shengze Town: Shengze Town is located at the southernmost part of Jiangsu Province, within the Taihu Lake Basin. Here, the land is fertile and flat, dotted with lakes, blessed with a warm climate and ample rainfall—ideal for growing rice and wheat, as well as raising silkworms and cultivating mulberry. It is a renowned land of fish and rice, as well as the capital of silk. The town covers an area of 118 square kilometers, including a built-up urban area of 22 square kilometers. It has a permanent population of 180,000, including 107,000 registered residents and approximately 70,000 migrant workers and merchants. Shengze Town is an economic hub of Wujiang City, particularly prominent in industrial output.

Shengze Town is an economic hub of Wujiang City, particularly prominent in industrial output... More details about Shengze Town++