The city and bridge in harmony

The city and bridge in harmony

"City" refers to the ruins of Zhangjiawan City, and "bridge" refers to Tongyun Bridge beside it. Together, they form a picturesque historical site. Located south of Zhangjiawan Village in Zhangjiawan Town, it is a cultural relic protection unit of Beijing.

Zhangjiawan City borders the Lu River (the former course of the Grand Canal) to the east. During the Tianbao era of the Northern Qi Dynasty, a frontier garrison was built here; in the Tonghe era of the Liao Dynasty, it served as a horse breeding ground. In the Yuan Dynasty, General Zhang...

...oversaw maritime grain transport to this location, which also became the northern terminus of the canal. In the 43rd year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1564), to protect the vital canal route and defend Beijing from incursions by remnants of the Mongolian Yuan forces, the city was hastily constructed. Its walls follow the river’s contour and take the shape of a trowel, spanning 905 zhang in circumference, with brick cladding both inside and out...

...and filled with rammed earth. After liberation, the walls were gradually demolished. Today, only the southern wall ruins remain, approximately 300 meters long. In 1992, a section on the eastern side of the southern gate was restored, including 20 meters reconstructed to its original appearance. It is the longest preserved city wall site in the suburbs. Within the city lies the Changcheng site mentioned in *Dream of the Red Chamber*. Also found here are Shijijie (Ten-Mile Street) and Huazhi Lane—within the latter still stands the site of the Cao family pawnshop, related to Cao Xueqin.

Tongyun Bridge is located outside the southern gate of Zhangjiawan City, spanning the Xiao Taihou Grain Transport River, commonly known as the Xiao Taihou Bridge. Originally a wooden bridge, it was rebuilt as a stone bridge in the 33rd year of the Wanli reign (1605). This three-arch, flat-span bridge is 43 meters long and 10 meters wide, with numerous cart wheel marks visible on the stone pavement. Guardrails line both sides, adorned with stone lions—male and female placed alternately—each with unique expressions and distinctive charm, embodying the bold style of the Ming Dynasty. Each railing slab features bas-relief carvings of lotus-leaf shaped bottle mouths with intricate veins, exquisitely crafted and uniquely styled. This type of ornamentation is unique among surviving stone bridge guardrails in China, exhibiting delicate elegance and serving as a representative heritage site of Tongzhou’s canal culture. To the east of the bridge lies the cargo dock at the northern terminus of the Grand Canal; to the west is the passenger dock. North of the bridge is the city, and to the south is the market—making it a unique cultural landscape in the Beijing area.