Ershun Bridge

Ershun Bridge

Ershun Bridge

It is located in Beigang Natural Village, Beigang Village, Yaozhuang Town. According to the Jiashan County Annals from the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, it was built in the fifth year of the Qianlong reign (1740) and rebuilt in the second year of the Daoguang reign (1822). It was designated as a county-level cultural relics protection site in May 2011.

The bridge covers an area of 56 square meters and is a three-arch pier-type stone slab bridge running north-south across Beigang. It is 23.6 meters long, 2 meters wide on the deck, and 2.4 meters wide at the abutments. The bridge piers are built with stacked block stones. The central arch of the bridge deck is paved with 15 small stone slabs laid horizontally, while 11 and 10 small stone slabs are laid on the north and south sides respectively. It features semi-circular railings, with seven steps on the south side and six on the north. This is the only stone bridge in Jiashan County with horizontally laid stone slabs on the deck, and due to its age, it holds certain historical and artistic value.

The most distinctive feature of Ershun Bridge is that the stone slabs on the deck are laid horizontally. As a result, walking on the bridge produces a clacking sound as the stones strike each other. It is said this is not due to damage but rather an intentional design by the bridge builders. Originally, there was a Xu family hall to the south of the bridge. At the time, bandits were common, so the owner deliberately designed the bridge to make noise when walked upon. If someone hurried across, a series of clacks would alert the homeowner in a unique way. Additionally, the railings are also quite special, being semi-circular in shape — it is said they were designed to prevent people from resting or sleeping on them and possibly falling into the water.

Yaozhuang Town: Yaozhuang is located in the northeastern part of Jiashan County, known as the "Silver Jiashan." It lies 80 kilometers east of Shanghai, 98 kilometers west of Hangzhou, and 90 kilometers north of Suzhou. Covering a total area of 30.8 square kilometers, it governs nine administrative villages and one community neighborhood committee, with a total population of 30,000, including 10,000 “new Jiashan residents.” The terrain in the town is flat, the land fertile, and the climate mild with distinct seasons, earning it the reputation of a “Land of Fish and Rice.” It is projected that in 2006, the town will achieve a gross production value of 950 million yuan, with a total industrial and agricultural output value of 7.5 billion yuan — including 7.22 billion yuan from industry and 280 million yuan from agriculture, fiscal... More details about Yaozhuang Town++