Puzhi Bridge in Chuzhou

Puzhi Bridge in Chuzhou

Puzhi Bridge in Chuzhou is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The name Puzhi Bridge originates from the Zen Buddhist concept of "saving all beings and helping the world." Located at the southern water outlet of Yuyan Village, it was built during the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, spanning the Dayuan Pit. Oriented east-west, it is a double-span stone-pier, double-cantilever wooden-beam covered bridge with a span of 6.5 meters, a total length of 26.5 meters, and a width of 5.5 meters. The eastern and western abutments are built with horizontal stone slabs laid in staggered joints, while the piers are constructed of stone blocks in a boat-like shape, with wave-dividing wing walls built on the upstream-facing side. Each pier is 3 meters wide. Five layers of cross-stacked wooden cantilever beams are arranged vertically and horizontally on the piers, with seven main wooden beams placed on the fifth layer. Seventeen square sleeper beams are laid on top of the main beams to support the bridge deck. A covered walkway is built atop the bridge deck, spanning nine bays with a total width of 25.9 meters and a depth supported by five-rafter beams with single-step front and rear beams. The central bay and end bays of the walkway feature double-eave hip-and-gable roofs. To this day, the central bay remains in its original state. The four central columns in the central bay are connected and secured by flat bracket arms, above which 18 sets of bracket sets (dougong) are installed — the outer set featuring seven-curved double-knuckle single-drooping ang, and the inner set featuring seven-curved “?” character dougong. The inner components also include a caisson ceiling. The eave columns are fitted with bracket arms (ding tou gong) that support the overhanging rafters, and the roof is covered with small blue tiles. Inside the bridge walkway, benches are placed along both sides for people to rest, accompanied by wooden railings, an additional wooden rainshield, and an overhanging short eave layer outside the railing to block rain, protecting the bridge deck and sleeper beams from erosion. Puzhi Bridge was built in a verifiable period, and the entire structure relies entirely on mortise-and-tenon joinery. The cantilever beams, main beams, walkway, and bracket sets in the central bay remain in their original form. The use of the "?" character caisson design is also relatively rare. The covered bridge is closely tied to feng shui culture, typically located at the water exit of a village — as water symbolizes wealth, the bridge helps retain prosperity, often accompanied by a feng shui forest. Nestled among ancient trees and reflected in the stream, Puzhi Bridge has become a uniquely charming cultural landmark of Yuyan Village — “Rain Shelter at the Stream” (one of the Ten Scenes of Yuyan). The Qing Dynasty poet Yang Guanggan once wrote a poem about it: “Dark clouds like spilled ink suddenly shroud the hills, but luckily there are several village bridge rooms. Torrential rain and wind shoot down like arrows, as I sit and watch the creek swell in the bend ahead.”

Stone-pier wooden covered bridges are uniquely elegant ancient bridges in the mountainous regions of southern Zhejiang. Puzhi Bridge features a complex structure, exquisite craftsmanship, and comprehensive functionality. It integrates pavilion-style architecture into bridge construction, making it a rare and exemplary surviving example of stone-pier wooden covered bridges, with significant historical, scientific, and artistic value. It was designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 2013.

Yuyan Town: (1) Geographic Location and Area Yuyan Town is located on the southwestern border of the county, adjacent to Suichang County, 61 kilometers from the county seat. It borders Xiecun Township to the north, and connects to Xinchu Township, Yecun Township, Zhuyuan Township, and Dadongba Town to the east. To the south, it borders Anmin Township and Fengping Township, and to the west, it neighbors Tuan kou Township of Suichang County. It is a historic town in southwestern Zhejiang and also a former revolutionary base area, with remnants such as Red Army slogans and other revolutionary sites. The town government is located in Yuyan Village. The town covers a total area of 134 square kilometers, comprising three administrative offices — Yuyan, Genkeng, and Daohuikou — and 32 administrative villages, with cultivated land area of 5... More details about Yuyan Town++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units