Yucheng Bridge

Yucheng Bridge

Yucheng Bridge is a Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Yucheng Bridge is located in Futou Village, Gulai, Shengzhou City, Zhejiang Province, and, like Yingxian Bridge, is a quasi-catenary stone arch bridge.

It was completed in the year of Bing Shen during the Daoguang reign (1836), built by Ma Zhengxuan from Kengju. Records of the bridge’s construction are documented in the Ma family genealogy. After the bridge was completed, local villagers, believing that its unusually flat arch might collapse, refused to pay the construction fee. In order to demonstrate his good intentions in building the bridge for the people, Ma Zhengxuan actually did not collect the payment, thus bringing the project to a successful completion—hence the name “Yucheng,” meaning “successfully accomplished.” For over 160 years since its completion, the bridge has remained intact, and this legacy has been celebrated by the descendants of the Ma family, recorded in their genealogy. This bridge is another newly discovered example of an outstanding ancient bridge design and has been included in the "History of Science and Technology in China" (Bridges Volume).

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units