Xianmu Bridge and Jingshuang Bridge

Xianmu Bridge and Jingshuang Bridge

Xianmu Bridge and Jingshuang Bridge are cultural heritage sites protected at the provincial level in Zhejiang Province.

Xianmu Bridge is located in Huzhen, Jinyun County, Lishui City. It was built over 188 years ago during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty by a disciple of the Lü family named Zaiyang. According to the old county annals, “it has thirteen spans and is sixty-seven zhang long.” Xianmu Bridge is a stone arch bridge with twelve piers, spanning the upper reaches of the Haoxi River, and is entirely constructed with block stones in a horizontal linked arch design. The bridge is 201 meters long, with a span of 139 meters, a height of about 8 meters, and a width of 8.7 meters. The southern side serves as a motor vehicle lane, which is over 7 meters wide; the northern side is a pedestrian walkway, about 1 meter wide and raised 18 centimeters above the roadway.

Xianmu Bridge also has a glorious history. In September 1930, the Third Regiment of the Red 13th Army and over 1,600 insurgents passed through Xianmu Bridge together to carry out revolutionary struggles in Huzhen. After the battle, thirty to forty revolutionary martyrs sacrificed their lives beneath the bridge. The stone railings on both sides of Xianmu Bridge are carved with patterns such as red flags, hammers, rice ears, and sickles.

The reason Xianmu Bridge is so named is that Zaiyang dedicated it in gratitude to his mother.

Lü Zaiyang (1752–1825), styled Zhouying, also known as Jingzhen or Jixiang, was a native of Huzhen, Jinyun. He became wealthy through business. In the 16th year of the Jiaqing reign (1811), during a severe drought, he donated a thousand taels of silver to provide relief for famine victims. In the 22nd year, following his mother’s dying wish, he led his brothers Zaixiu, Zaixun, Zaixi, and his sons and nephews in the construction of Yongji Bridge in Huzhen. The project took one year and two months, costing over 30,000 taels of silver. The completed bridge had 13 spans, was 178 meters long, 4.1 meters wide, and 7.8 meters high. It was later renamed Xianmu Bridge. The imperial court conferred upon him the title of Rulin Lang, and later granted him the titles of Chengde Lang and Chaoyi Daifu. In the 6th year of the Daoguang reign (1826), his second son, Jiansheng, donated 2... More details about Lü Zaiyang++

Further reading:

· Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units