Ziyang Bridge

Ziyang Bridge

Ziyang Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

Ziyang Bridge, originally named “Shoumin Bridge,” is located beneath the Yuliang Dam to the southeast of She County’s county town. It was later renamed due to its proximity to the scenic Ziyang Mountain to the west. Built during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, this nine-arch stone bridge spans 140 meters in length, 10 meters in width, and 14 meters in height, with each arch measuring 12.4 meters in span. The bridge is constructed from red sandstone. It is the tallest and widest ancient bridge in the county, allowing passing vessels to sail through without needing to lower their masts or sails.

Legend has it that when fundraising for the bridge’s initial construction began, although many people contributed, the target amount was not reached. At that time, someone noticed a lime buyer dressed in coarse linen also showing up to help and mocked him: “With your appearance, do you really dare to donate money for building a bridge?” Unexpectedly, the lime buyer boldly pledged, “I will build an arch all by myself.” True to his word, he single-handedly funded and constructed the first arch on the eastern end, nestled against the hillside—tall, wide, and imposing. As a result, the original donors had no choice but to exhaust their resources to construct the other eight arches to match the height and width of the first one. However, they eventually ran short of funds, leading to a project that started grandly but ended more modestly. Even today, Ziyang Bridge still appears higher on the eastern side and lower on the western, giving it a rather peculiar look. To withstand the fierce currents and high waves of the Lián River floods, the cutwaters of the bridge piers were built nearly as high as the bridge deck to enhance flood-diversion capacity—an unusual and rare feature among stone bridges in southern China.

Standing on Ziyang Bridge and looking north, you can see the riverside Yuliang Street, lined with buildings adorned with white walls and black tiles standing in neat rows; the two mountains, Gaomei and Ziyang, stand opposite each other to the east and west, their colors deep and elegant like ink wash; the waters of the Lián River surge over the Yuliang Dam and rush downstream with tremendous force, splashing waves and spray.

Ziyang Bridge is the most representative stone arch bridge among the ancient bridges of She County, notable for its width and height. Located at the departure point and distribution hub of the Huizhou merchants’ “golden waterway” to Hangzhou during the ancient times, it not only facilitated pedestrian passage but also allowed merchant ships to pass through without lowering their sails or masts. It serves as important physical evidence for the study of ancient bridges and holds significant cultural heritage value.

Protected area: 50 meters on the south and north sides of the eastern end of the bridge, 30 meters on the western side and 50 meters on the northern side of the western end, and 50 meters on both the northern and southern water surfaces.

Construction control zone: 50 meters beyond the protected area on all four sides.