Ancient Xianghe Bridge

Ancient Xianghe Bridge

The Ancient Xianghe Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

The Ancient Xianghe Bridge is located in Quanjiao County, Chuzhou City, dating back to the Ming, Qing, and Republic of China periods.

The Taiping Bridge in Quanjiao was originally called Helu Bridge, as legend has it that the Sui Dynasty General Heluo Bi once built oars here. After the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, it was renamed Taiping Bridge and served as a necessary crossing on the ancient post road from Chuzhou to Luzhou (today’s Hefei). Around 1931, the construction bureau of Quanjiao County under the Nationalist government had it renovated. Originally a single-arch stone bridge, after the founding of the People’s Republic, it was changed to a wooden-deck bridge, and later covered with sand. Legend says that when Liu Ping served as the county magistrate of Quanjiao, he used funds allocated by the imperial court for city construction to buy grain to aid disaster victims, which led to his dismissal and criminal charges. He was escorted to the capital for execution. When the people of Quanjiao learned of this, they saw him off en masse to Taiping Bridge east of the city—it happened to be the 16th day of the first lunar month. Since then, every year on this day, the people would go to the bridge to burn incense and bamboo, commemorating Liu Ping. This gradually evolved into the tradition of “Walking on Taiping.” “Walking on Taiping,” also known as “Walking on Taiping on the 16th of January,” is a unique traditional folk custom of Quanjiao County. It has been passed down since the Eastern Han Dynasty and remains popular to this day. The "Book of Han" records the proverb “On a clear day, there is peace,” marking the origin of this tradition in Quanjiao. The Southern and Northern Dynasties’ "Jingchu Chronicle" by Zong Lin specifically describes the custom of walking on Taiping Bridge on the 16th of January, referring to it as “walking to ward off illness,” aimed at dispelling disasters and diseases. The new Taiping Bridge adopts a three-span continuous beam covered bridge design, with a span of 101 meters and a deck width of 16 meters. The central deck is 8.8 meters wide, with 3.6-meter-wide corridors on each side, paved with granite slabs. The new bridge piers feature an arched reinforced concrete structure, with four double-eave pavilions placed at the corners, and both the crossbeams at the main pier locations and the deck are widened by 2 meters to form viewing platforms. The middle span of the deck is flanked by connecting corridors, creating a Taiping Bridge that embodies both classical charm and modern flair, resembling a “covered bridge with echoing eaves and pavilions.” The tradition of “Walking on Taiping” in Quanjiao has been passed down to this day and is associated with three historical figures. Taiping Bridge is an ancient bridge; according to the county annals, it is also called Helu Bridge, as legend says that when the Sui Dynasty General Heluo Bi was campaigning against Chen, he built oars here, hence the name Helu Bridge. It was later renamed Taiping Bridge. In the early years of the Yongle era, a fortune-teller in Quanjiao suggested that if the city’s mountain peak (Bi Feng, or Pen Peak) were heightened, more scholars would emerge. The education officer Wu Ying led a group of scholars to build up the soil there. Coincidentally, a military officer passed by, quarreled with the scholars, felt insulted, and falsely accused the people of Quanjiao of plotting rebellion. Emperor Yongle intended to send troops to massacre the city, but the censor Chen Ying heard of this and reported: “The people of Jiao are kind and would never rebel; I am willing to stake my life to guarantee their loyalty.” After Chen Ying’s death, the people of Quanjiao buried his robes and hat on the high mound near Taiping Bridge at the eastern gate. “Walking on Taiping” also serves to commemorate this official who dared to speak up for them. **Night view of the new Taiping Bridge. The old Taiping Bridge, originally rebuilt in September 1992 and completed in February 1994, is a steel cable-stayed pedestrian bridge with a traditional style and modern structure. It is 90 meters long and 3.56 meters wide. At both ends of the bridge stand memorial archways, beneath whose towering eaves hang plaques inscribed with “Backbone of Jianghuai” and “Corridor of Wu and Chu.” The bridge resembles a long rainbow lying on the waves, combining classical charm with modern flair. It is truly a major cultural landmark of Quanjiao. Legend says that when Liu Ping served as the county head of Quanjiao, he used funds allocated by the imperial court for city construction to buy grain to aid disaster victims, which led to his dismissal and criminal charges. He was escorted to the capital for execution. When the people of Quanjiao learned of this, they saw him off en masse to Taiping Bridge east of the city—it happened to be the 16th day of the first lunar month. Since then, every year on this day, the people would go to the bridge to burn incense and bamboo, commemorating Liu Ping. This gradually evolved into the tradition of “Walking on Taiping.”

In 2012, the Ancient Xianghe Bridge was designated as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit in the seventh batch by the People’s Government of Anhui Province.

(1) Jiyu Bridge.

Protected area: 20 meters to the northwest, 25 meters to the southwest, 20 meters to the southeast up to the old diesel engine factory, and 20 meters to the northeast up to Banbian River.

Construction control zone: 20 meters beyond the protected area on all sides.

(2) Yongjin Bridge.

Protected area: 14.6 meters to the southeast up to the East Campus Road of Quanjiao Middle School, 13.7 meters to the southwest up to the Quanjiao Town Rice Mill, 12.9 meters to the northwest up to the Riverside Park of Quanjiao Middle School, and 17.5 meters to the northeast up to the Dormitory Area of Quanjiao Middle School.

Construction control zone: 20 meters beyond the protected area on all sides.

(3) Baolin Bridge.

Protected area: 8 meters to the southeast up to the residential houses at the Xiaonanmen intersection, 20 meters to the northeast up to the residential houses at Fenghuang Street intersection, 20 meters to the northwest up to the residential houses (next to the church), and 20 meters to the southwest up to the residential houses.

Construction control zone: 20 meters beyond the protected area on all sides.

(4) Honglan Bridge.

Protected area: 30 meters to the southeast up to the Outpatient Department of Xianghe Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, 30 meters to the northeast up to the residential buildings in Quanjiao Town, 25 meters to the southwest up to the Honglan Bridge Outpatient Clinic, and 8 meters to the northwest up to the Yuanjiawan Street intersection.

Construction control zone: 30 meters beyond the protected area on all sides.

(5) Baiwang Bridge.

Protected area: 25 meters to the southeast up to the residential buildings, 15 meters to the northeast up to the Second Branch Factory buildings of the Diesel Engine Factory, 15 meters to the northwest up to the residential buildings at the crossroads, and 12 meters to the southwest up to the residential buildings in Huayuan Administrative Village.

Construction control zone: 20 meters beyond the protected area on all sides.

(6) Tuoban Bridge.

Protected area: 30 meters to the northwest up to the residential buildings at Guhewan Street, 28 meters to the northeast up to the dormitories of the Seasoning Company, 50 meters to the southeast up to the Yuanjiawan residential area, and 100 meters to the southwest up to the residential buildings at Banbian River (Yuanjiawan Street intersection).

Construction control zone: 20 meters beyond the protected area on all sides.

(7) Ancient Xianghe River Channel.

Protected area: 20 meters on both sides within the city river channel.

Construction control zone: 20 meters beyond the protected area on all sides.