Yinxiu Bridge

Yinxiu Bridge

Built in the Jiayin year (1554) of the Jiajing reign during the Ming Dynasty, the bridge is constructed from purplish-red gravel stones and spans a stream with a single arch. It is 2.7 meters long and 2.45 meters wide, with an arch height of 0.92 meters. On the downstream side above the arch, there is an inscribed stone embedded with the bridge’s name, bearing the characters “Yinxiu Bridge” and “Jiayin Year, Summer, Jiajing Reign.” The three characters “Yinxiu Bridge” are exquisitely and vividly written, embodying a natural charm, widely regarded as a masterpiece. Interestingly, the three characters of “Yinxiu Bridge” are carved differently — the character “Yin” is incised in intaglio, “Bridge” in relief, and the upper half of “Xiu” is in intaglio while the lower half is in relief, making it half intaglio and half relief. This is said to symbolize the division between the yin and yang realms. According to legend, there was a nunnery on the mountain opposite, and the bridge was funded and built by nuns.