Yushan Yulong Bridge

Yushan Yulong Bridge

Yushan Yulong Bridge is a cultural heritage site protected at the Jiangsu Provincial level.

Yulong Bridge is located outside the eastern gate of Yushan Town, Kunshan, spanning the ancient Lou River. It was built during the Liang Dynasty (527–528 AD) and renovated in the 12th year of the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1655).

The bridge was first built during the Dadao period of the Liang Dynasty (527–528) and collapsed in the 5th year of the Shunzhi reign (1648). It was reconstructed in the 12th year of Shunzhi (1655) with funding from local residents Zhou Si and Lu Rongzeng, and was later rebuilt again in the 8th year of the Daoguang reign (1828). The bridge is a granite three-arch structure, 40 meters long and 4.3 meters wide, with a central arch span of 11.8 meters, side spans of 7 meters each, and a height of 7 meters. The north and south approach ramps are 15.6 meters and 11.5 meters respectively. At the center of the bridge deck is a carved keystone featuring an eight-trigram wind-fire relief pattern, reflecting the local people’s reverence for deities and desire for good fortune. The three-arch stone structure uses vertically bonded, segmented, and parallel-laid voussoirs. There are a total of 72 stone steps. Both ends of the bridge have east-west stone stairways as approach ramps. The central keystone on the bridge deck features an eight-trigram wind-fire relief design, the top of the central arch is adorned with a relief of two dragons playing with a pearl, and all 16 bridge railing columns are intricately carved. The keystone at the center of the bridge deck bears an eight-trigram wind-fire relief, symbolizing the community’s faith in divine protection and pursuit of prosperity. On July 27, 1991, it was designated as a municipal cultural heritage site, and in 2011 it was listed as a Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Site.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites