Dongxi Bridge

Dongxi Bridge

Dongxi Bridge

Located at the eastern end of Lanshutou, it spans the Dong and Chengzi weirs. The bridge is arched in shape. It was first built in the first year of the Zhi Shun era of the Yuan Dynasty (1330), and was later rebuilt during the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty by Li Chuan and others. In the third year of the Chenghua era, local residents Ding Yuanji and Gu Chang, noting that “Dongxi Bridge is less than half a li from the lake, and when winds and waves rise, the low and narrow river crossing caused great hardship for travelers,” resolved to take action. Gu Chang donated 600 taels of silver to relocate the bridge inland (to its current location), renaming it Dongxin Bridge, and declaring it “the finest of all the town’s bridges.” In the fortieth year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1561), local residents rebuilt the bridge and reverted to calling it Dongxi Bridge, commonly referred to as the Big Dongxi Bridge (to distinguish it from Puan Bridge, which became known as the Small Dongxi Bridge). After liberation, the arched bridge was reconstructed as a reinforced concrete beam flat bridge. An original boundary stone tablet of Dongxi Bridge was laid horizontally on the western central part of the northern bridge pier. The upper part of the stone is engraved with the three regular script characters “Dongxi Bridge,” while the lower part contains twelve smaller characters arranged in three rows of four, reading “Erected on a propitious day in the first month of the fortieth year of the Jiajing era of the Great Ming.” This Ming Dynasty stone carving, though weathered by time, remains clearly legible. The bridge served as the main thoroughfare leading east out of town. In ancient times, wooden gate barriers were installed on the bridge deck for defense. To the east of the north end of the bridge along the riverside were houses from the Qing Dynasty where a tax checkpoint was once established to collect duties from passing merchant vessels. This was abolished in the early years of the Republic of China. Dongxi Bridge is situated in the eastern corner of the town and acts as a key hub controlling waterway access. From atop the bridge, looking east, one can take in the lush greenery and whitewashed walls of Luoxingzhou at the mouth of Tongli Lake, along with its flying eaves and grand pavilions—all within easy view. The “Dongxi Moon Viewing” scene, one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Tongli as later defined in the Ming Dynasty, refers precisely to this spot.

Dongxi Moon Viewing draws its name from the original Dongxi Bridge, which stood at the mouth of Tongli Lake. The single-arched Dongxi Bridge features an exquisitely crafted structure. On nights around the middle of the lunar month, strolling onto the bridge allows one to gaze upon the full moon hanging high in the sky, its reflection mirrored perfectly in the lake—a serene sight like a piece of jade sinking into still waters, offering endless delight. Especially on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the bridge becomes an ideal place for moon appreciation. With the bright moon shining overhead, the blue sky and clear water blend seamlessly with shimmering moonlight on the waves, uniting heaven and earth in shared radiance—a scene of poetic beauty as if one has stepped into a fairyland.

The Tongli Annals record a poem titled “Dongxi” by Ren Daren, a prominent scholar of the late Ming and early Qing period, which reads: “Who walks alone with staff in hand? / Who returns with a guest, lute in embrace? / A lone boat drifts on the river, / An ancient house stands deep in the woods.”

Near Dongxi Bridge, there used to be the Panwo residence of Gu Chang, a local scholar and participant in the Ming Dynasty’s rural drinking ceremony, dating back to the Chenghua era. It has since been destroyed. A commemorative text was written for him by Mo Dan, an academic official of the Imperial College in the Ming Dynasty, and the site was inscribed by Yao Ming. (See the classical poem and prose below.)