Thirteen-Arch Bridge

Thirteen-Arch Bridge

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

The Thirteen-Arch Bridge is located in Dongjia Natural Village, Hushan Village, Jishigang Town, Haishu District. Built during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty, it is the longest multi-arch stone beam bridge in our district. The bridge generally runs from east to west, spanning over Lake River, which lies on the former site of Guangde Lake. It has a total length of 53.31 meters, a width of 2.2 meters, and piers nearly 6 meters high, consisting of thirteen arches, hence the name Thirteen-Arch Bridge. In January 2017, it was announced as part of the seventh batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units.

The bridge deck is paved with long stone slabs, slightly arched in the center. Originally, there were three stone steps at each end of the bridge, now covered by a concrete road surface. On the stone railings, one stone slab spans each arch, with the four large characters “十三洞桥” (Thirteen-Arch Bridge) carved on the central span—though the inscriptions have been chiseled off during the Cultural Revolution. The piers are constructed from rounded strip stones. All bridge materials are made from Xiaoxi stone sourced from Yinjiang.

Since its construction, the bridge has withstood countless floods. While many bridges over the former Guangde Lake river have disappeared over time, the Thirteen-Arch Bridge still stands firmly. It embodies the extraordinary perseverance and wisdom of the laboring people and holds significant cultural value.

It is said that during the Republican era, a water buffalo crossing the bridge to the second arch on the western side caused a slab of the bridge deck to break, trapping the animal. Then, around 13:00 on December 4, 2010, Cao Guiyang, a worker from Ningbo Zhongji Plastics Co., Ltd., drove a 2.5-ton forklift onto the bridge, resulting in all three central bridge slabs collapsing. The southern central arch and two side railings, totaling three pieces, along with two pillars, fell into the river. When the bridge was repaired on June 23 of the following year, it was discovered that the salvaged railing had not actually broken. According to the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Cultural Relics, the entire restoration project was funded by the responsible company. The restored central three bridge slabs are made of granite from Huashan in Wenlin Shitang.

Hushan Village: Located northwest of Jishigang, Hushan Village covers an area of 3.2 square kilometers. The village includes 1,960 mu of arable land, 11 natural villages, and a total of 788 households, with a population of 3,897—2,016 of whom are permanent residents. It is recognized as a district-level well-off and civilized village.

In recent years, the village Party branch has actively responded to the call for building a new socialist countryside. Improving the village’s appearance and enhancing the living and production environment for residents have been treated as key people’s projects and practical initiatives. Infrastructure has continued to improve, with the construction of six new bridges and the repair of all mechanized farming roads across the village... More detailed information about Hushan Village++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Zhejiang Province