Xingchun Bridge

Xingchun Bridge

Xingchun Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

Xingchun Bridge, built during the Song Dynasty, is a nine-arch thin-pier semicircular arch bridge located along Shangfangshan Road in the Shihu Scenic Area of Suzhou. The bridge runs from east to west, with a total length of 54 meters. It is 5.2 meters wide at the center, with the central arch spanning 5.3 meters and a rise of 2.6 meters. In 1963, it was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou.

Located west of Yuecheng Bridge and spanning the northern part of Shihu Lake, it is a nine-arch stone bridge initially built in the Song Dynasty. Legend has it that on the 18th day of the eighth lunar month, the reflection of the moon can be seen in each of the bridge’s arches, appearing as if strung together. The “Shihu String of Moons” festival has become a folk tradition in the Wu region.

The original construction date of Xingchun Bridge is unknown. It was renovated in the 16th year of the Chunxi era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1189), and the poet Fan Chengda wrote a record of the event. The area features beautiful mountains, clear waters, shimmering waves, and the reflection of pagodas, creating a pleasant scenery. Fan Chengda wrote in his “Record of Xingchun Bridge”: “People come and go in bustling streams, as if walking through a painting. Those who visit Suzhou without going to Shihu or ascending Xingchun Bridge have not truly visited.” It was renovated again during the Chenghua and Chongzhen eras of the Ming Dynasty.

In 1949, the Kuomintang army dismantled the easternmost four arches while retreating. The bridge was restored in 1953 and renovated again in 1957. It is built with granite, but the long tie stones are made of Wukang stone, with carved beast faces at the ends, possibly remnants from the Song Dynasty. The stone railings feature crouching lions carved on the tops of each baluster. The bridge has a gentle slope, resembling a long rainbow.

In the past, Suzhou had the custom of visiting Shihu Lake on the 18th day of the eighth lunar month to view the “string of moons” under Xingchun Bridge. Legend says that on this day, when the moonlight first rises and enters the bridge arches, their reflections appear strung together. People from all over the city would flock to Shihu Lake and climb Xingchun Bridge. Boats crowded the waterways, and music and singing could be heard throughout the night. The Qing Dynasty poet You Tong wrote: “Often I take my child to see the string of moons, listening to flute music by Xingchun Bridge.”

On December 19, 2011, the People's Government of Jiangsu Province listed it as part of the seventh batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units