Dongqiao Bridge in Miaoxia Town

Miaoxia Town Dongqiao Bridge

Dongqiao Bridge is located on the Lizhou Stream in Lizhou Miaoxia Village, Siming Mountain Town. It is a single-arch stone-corridor bridge. The bridge is 7.8 meters long, 4.6 meters wide, with an arch height of 4.7 meters, and the entire structure is built from block stones. The bridge features a five-bay corridor house built on top for people to rest, with three bays spanning the stream and one bay extending to the pathway on each side, making the total length 13.2 meters.

The bridge was built during the Ming Dynasty. Legend has it that the builder was a monk from Shangyang Temple. He once painted a horizontal line at the center of the arch and told the crowd: "When floods pass over the bridge, the water must not go above this line. If it does, the water will overflow the bridge, but Dongqiao Bridge will remain unharmed." Centuries of history have proven this prediction to be no exaggeration. During several severe floods, other ancient bridges on the stream and nearby buildings were damaged, but Dongqiao Bridge remained intact. In fact, this is related to the scientific location of the bridge. As the Lizhou Stream approaches Dongqiao Bridge, it makes a sharp 90-degree turn where the rocky riverbank juts out abruptly. The fast current is blocked by the mountain, significantly reducing its force, and the splashes caused by the impact of the water against the rocks leap cleanly over the bridge just downstream. As a result, the bridge avoids the direct impact of the floodwaters and remains safe forever.

On the west side of the ancient bridge stands the Wenchang Pavilion, a two-story tower-style building 7.3 meters high, resembling a bridgehead fortress, giving it an imposing and majestic presence. Across the stream from the Wenchang Pavilion is the “Huang Lizhou Memorial Hall.” Over three hundred years ago, when Huang Lizhou led resistance against the Qing in the Siming Mountains, he once lived in Lizhou and wrote and lectured at Shangyang Temple. To commemorate this sage who shared the village’s name, this memorial hall was specially built. The exhibition inside is divided into three sections: “Huang Lizhou’s Life and Achievements,” “Huang Lizhou and Lizhou,” and “Famous Historical Figures and Siming Mountain,” displaying texts, images, and artifacts. Between the memorial hall and the bridge, there are dozens of towering trees, including an ancient cypress with a trunk several feet in diameter, its bark rugged and mottled, estimated to be at least 500–600 years old. If it could speak, it would surely recount in detail the footsteps of Master Lizhou in those days.

Downstream along the stream near the bridge, there are many red maple cultivation bases. Walking along the stream, the eye is filled with red leaves complemented by green mountains and clear waters, offering a feast for the senses.

Siming Mountain Town: Located at the southernmost tip of Yuyao City, Siming Mountain Town borders Yinzhou, Fenghua, Shengzhou, and Yuyao, and is named for being situated atop the Siming Mountain Range. It is a mountain town rich in produce and blessed with beautiful scenery. The town has a total population of 11,960 and administers 12 administrative villages, covering an area of 121 square kilometers, including 7,137 mu of arable land and 118,678 mu of forest. With an average elevation of 700 meters, Siming Mountain enjoys an annual average temperature of 13°C, with the summer maximum rarely exceeding 32°C and the winter minimum seldom falling below -15°C. It is known as "...Summer’s breezy Mount Mogan, winter’s white..." For more detailed information about Siming Mountain Town ++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Units in Yuyao City