Huangyan Five-Arch Bridge

Huangyan Five-Arch Bridge

The Huangyan Five-Arch Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

The Huangyan Five-Arch Bridge, built over 700 years ago, is located in Guoxi Village, Chixi Town. It runs east to west, spanning the Xijiang River. Constructed using the "longitudinal joint, sectional, and parallel" masonry technique, the bridge deck undulates in five tiers following the arches, with stone steps leading up and down. Both sides feature lotus-shaped pier caps and railings.

The Five-Arch Bridge is over 60 meters long and 4.3 meters wide, with four arches crossing the water. The stone railings on the bridge deck are carved with lotus columns, and the bridge is flanked by arched stone piers. The five arches have a rise-to-span ratio of one-half, which offers advantages such as minimal thrust at the arch feet, large clear spans, an imposing appearance, and suitability for the passage of boats on the Xijiang River. Each arch ring consists of five segments, built mainly with hingeless voussoirs using a sectional and parallel masonry method, interspersed with vertical and horizontal stones. The central sections of the arches are reinforced with long stones laid longitudinally to strengthen the connection among the five arch rings. This masonry technique offers better transverse integrity compared to traditional parallel or sectional methods. The bridge piers are equipped with “dividing water vanguard wings” to reduce the impact of water flow. Between the arch rings and the bridge deck, long stone slabs longer than the bridge width are installed to tightly connect the side walls, thereby reinforcing the arch rings through the structure above them.

The structural technology of the Five-Arch Bridge has withstood the test of time. In 1933, the Xijiang Sluice was completed with seven piers and eight openings, designed to handle a maximum discharge of 141 cubic meters per second. During flood seasons, when the sluice gates are fully opened, the surging waters from upstream, along with various debris, strike the Five-Arch Bridge, subjecting the piers to prolonged unilateral water thrust. Yet the bridge stands firmly, showing no displacement in 60 years. In 1958, when the Changtan Reservoir in the western mountainous region urgently needed to transport materials, the five-tiered bridge deck was filled in to allow continuous passage of heavy trucks. The solid structure of the Five-Arch Bridge endured the immense pressure, though slight cracks appeared in the arch rings. These examples are ample proof of the superior craftsmanship of Monk Shiyue, who designed and oversaw the construction.

The Five-Arch Bridge employs the “sectional and parallel” arch masonry technique, featuring a five-tiered stone bridge with semi-circular arches and a rise-to-span ratio of 1/2. It offers advantages such as minimal thrust at the arch feet, large clear spans, and an imposing appearance. The stone railings on the bridge deck are carved with lotus columns, and the bridge is flanked by connected arch piers. By the late Qing Dynasty, it already had four arches crossing the water. The bridge is 63.5 meters long and 4.3 meters wide, with five stone arches, each spanning 8.7 meters. The bridge body undulates with the arches, resembling a dragon swimming in the water from a distance — a unique feature. In 1958, the bridge deck was filled to allow cars to pass, but car traffic stopped in 1963.

The bridge body and arch rings are constructed from sturdy, neatly arranged strips of bluestone, with exceptionally tight joints that can withstand powerful water impacts. The design is rational; aside from the inherent structural advantages of stone arch bridges, each of the bridge’s four piers features a triangular cutwater on the upstream side to split incoming water flow, directing it swiftly to both sides and thereby reducing impact on the bridge body.

The Five-Arch Bridge is uniquely elegant in design, labor-saving, and material-efficient, embodying distinctive local characteristics. Its bridge-building techniques were widely adopted across the Wenhuai Plain and have become representative of ancient bridge engineering in the region, holding significant scientific, historical, and artistic value.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Zhejiang Province