Nanxun Tongjin Bridge

Nanxun Tongjin Bridge

Tongji Bridge is located on the ancient canal of East Street and was once the center of Nanxun Town. It sits at the intersection of a cross-shaped water system. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the area around Tongjin Bridge became a bustling silk market.

To the south of the bridge lies a small street called Sihangduo, which was known for its silk trade and served as a distribution hub for "Jili Lake Silk" in history. At that time, silk shops flourished at the head of Tongjin Bridge.

The bridge was built during the Song Dynasty (the exact year is unknown) and is a single-arch stone bridge. Originally named Xunxi Bridge, it was later renamed Tongjin Bridge and is commonly known as the "Big Bridge." It was rebuilt in the third year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1798), renovated in the fifth (1855) and seventh (1857) years of the Xianfeng reign, and repaired again in the fifth year of the Tongzhi reign (1866).

The bridge is 28 meters long, 4 meters wide, with a span of 14 meters and an arch rise of 7.6 meters. It has 33 steps on both the upper and lower sides, making it the largest among the bridges of Nanxun. The arch stones are laid using the method of longitudinal jointing with separate sections arranged in parallel. In March 1989, it was listed as a cultural relic preservation unit of Huzhou City.

Nanxun Town: Nanxun is a prosperous and culturally vibrant ancient town in the Jiangnan region. Its geographical coordinates are between 120°25’–120°26’ east longitude and 30°52’–30°53’20” north latitude. Located by Taihu Lake and bordering Suzhou, it serves as the eastern gateway for Huzhou to connect with Shanghai’s Pudong area. The Changhu-Shen railway line and National Highway 318 run through the town, giving it a superior geographical environment and convenient land and water transportation. The town covers a total area of 141.3 square kilometers, governs 51 administrative villages and 10 residential communities, with a total population of 116,000 and cultivated land area of 122,500 mu. In 2000... More detailed information about Nanxun Town++