Songling Yongning Bridge

Songling Yongning Bridge

Songling Yongning Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Huzhou City.

Commonly known as East Bridge, it is located in Bache Community, Songling Town, Wujiang City, spanning Beigang and connecting Central Street and Hangdong Street.

It was first built in the late Qing Dynasty, with the bridge abutments renovated in the 1960s. On July 29, 1994, it was listed as a cultural relic control unit of Wujiang City. This is a single-span beam-type stone bridge oriented from north to south. The total length is 18.8 meters, with a middle width of 2.85 meters, an abutment width of 3.6 meters, an arch height of 3.45 meters, and a span of 6.3 meters. The northern and southern staircases consist of 15 and 17 steps respectively. The main components of the bridge are bluestone and granite. The bridge abutments are built with a mix of granite and bluestone, and the bridge deck features four massive granite slabs. The granite railings are fully intact, adorned with carvings of flowers, twisted vines, and “Ding Sheng” (a traditional victory emblem) patterns. The railing pillars originally had four uniquely shaped stone lions, which were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution as part of the campaign against the “Four Olds.” In recent years, to facilitate cyclists crossing the bridge, two concrete ramps have been added to the bridge deck. Near the southern abutment are several historic houses, including the former residence of scientist Yang Chengzong and that of the prominent Bache family, the Shens. The entrance of one house features a covered porch with arched openings on the east and west sides. The western arch connects to the porch of a neighboring house, forming a covered corridor street extending for dozens of meters.

The four ancient bridges in Bache—Hepu Bridge, Lianyuan Bridge, Wan’an Bridge, and Yongning Bridge—are large in scale and beautifully designed. Locals say that the ancient town of Bache resembles a turtle, surrounded by water, with the Chenghuang Temple at its head and these four bridges as its four feet. When viewed from above, the resemblance is striking.

Source: Wujiang Archives Bureau