Qidu Guangfu Bridge

Qidu Guangfu Bridge

Qidu Guangfu Bridge is a Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Guangfu Bridge in Qidu Town, Wujiang District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, is located in Yindu Village. Its western abutment lies at the border of Huzhou, Zhejiang. It was renovated in the 14th year of the Zhengtong era of the Ming Dynasty (1449). It is listed as part of the seventh batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units.

The existing bridge was jointly constructed in the first year of the Tianqi era of the Ming Dynasty (1621) by Wujiang County of Jiangsu Province and Wucheng County of Zhejiang Province. According to inscriptions on the bridge, it was funded by 95 donors who contributed a total of 99 taels and 4 qian of silver. The bridge has a single-arch span and is built from Wukang stone (purple stone), bluestone, and a small amount of granite. It is 17.4 meters long, 2.34 meters wide at the top, 2.64 meters wide at the abutments, has an arch height of 3.17 meters, and a span of 6.9 meters.

The masonry technique used for the arch of Guangfu Bridge is quite unique, employing both the “segmented parallel” and “longitudinally linked segmented parallel” methods. The so-called “segmented parallel” refers to the offset jointing of the upper and lower arch stones, a method seen in bridges predating the Ming Dynasty. The “longitudinally linked segmented parallel” involves the addition of “dragon tendon stones” between the upper and lower arch stones. This technique was used in arched stone bridges during the Qing Dynasty and the Republican era. Compared to the earlier segmented parallel method, it enhanced both the transverse integrity and aesthetic appeal of the bridge, marking a significant advancement in bridge-building technology. Guangfu Bridge’s arch combines both segmented parallel and longitudinally linked segmented parallel masonry, displaying distinct transitional characteristics from the Ming to the Qing Dynasty—an extremely rare feature among all ancient stone bridges in Wujiang.

The bridge also features numerous inscriptions and carvings. In addition to the silver donation inscriptions, there are delicate carvings of pointed young lotus leaves and buds. The lotus is one of the “Eight Auspicious Symbols,” which in Buddhist tradition refer to eight treasures: the conch shell, 0-, umbrella, vase, white canopy, twin fish, endless knot (Chinese knot), and lotus. In ancient India, because the shape of lotus petals resembles the female genitalia, the lotus symbolized the female reproductive organ. Therefore, lotus carvings carry not only Buddhist significance but also express the ancients’ wishes for fertility and prosperity. On ancient bridges in the Jiangnan region, lotus patterns are often found on the end faces of the “bridge ears” (tie stones)—commonly depicted as outward-opening lotus petals with a seed pod carved inside—on the tops of balusters (distinguished as upright and inverted lotuses), or on column rows or arch stones. The lotus patterns on Guangfu Bridge are carved on the arch stones.

In December 2011, Guangfu Bridge was designated as part of the seventh batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units by the Jiangsu Provincial Government.

Yindu Village: Located 2 kilometers west of Qidu Town... More information about Yindu Village++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units