Qiaoxi Bridge and Gaodu Qin Cave

Qiaoxi Bridge and Gaodu Qin Cave

Qiaoxi Bridge and Gaodu Qin Cave are municipal cultural heritage sites of Xiamen City.

The Qiaoxi Stream within Xiamen Wanshi Botanical Garden originates from Lion Mountain and flows from the northeast to the southwest into the Wanshiyan Reservoir. Qiaoxi Bridge spans the Qiaoxi Stream in front of Ziyun Rock. It holds cultural relic value due to the cliff inscriptions from the “Southern Ming” period preserved nearby.

The stone bridge is constructed from granite, stretching from the southwest to the northeast, measuring 14 meters in length and 1.5 meters in width. It is a single-pier, double-arch stone beam bridge. The northeastern end of the bridge is supported by a massive boulder on the bank, while the southwestern bank uses a stone-built pier as support. The middle section of the bridge rests on a natural large boulder serving as the pier. The bridge deck is paved with seven long flagstones laid side by side, with 3–5 stone steps at each end. On the rocks by the southeastern bank of the bridge, there is an inscription carved in 1653 (the 7th year of the Yongli reign during the Southern Ming Dynasty) by Dai Zhou Yu Hong, reading “Qiaoxi Bridge.”

Crossing the stone bridge and walking along the Qiaoxi Stream into the mountains, within less than a hundred meters, you will come upon a natural stone cave formed by a huge rock covering and overlapping over the stream — this is what people call the “Qin Cave.” Legend has it that at the foot of the mountain near the Qin Cave was the study place of Zheng Chenggong when he stationed troops in Xiamen during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties — Gaodu Rock. The *Xiamen Annals* records: “Passing the high point above Qiaoxi Stream, you reach Gaodu Rock, said to be where Zheng’s family studied, but now all is in ruins.” Today, Gaodu Rock no longer exists, but the Qin Cave remains.

The entrance of Qin Cave is about 2.5 meters wide and high, with the interior being 5 meters high, 3 meters wide, and 13 meters long. It is named “Qin Cave” because there is a long rock lying inside resembling an ancient zither, or perhaps because the sound of the stream flowing beneath the rock resembles the tones of an ancient zither. Above the cave entrance, there is an inscription carved in the 16th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1771), reading “Qin Cave.”

Since the Qing Dynasty, “Gaodu Qin Cave” has been one of Xiamen’s “scenic spots beyond the scenic spots.” Today, strolling along the ancient forest paths and tracing the footsteps of our ancestors, a sense of nostalgia is bound to arise.

It was designated as a municipal-level cultural heritage site in 1982.

Protected area: The Qin Cave itself, Qiaoxi Bridge, and the supporting rocks.

Kaiyuan Subdistrict: Kaiyuan Subdistrict, Siming District, Xiamen City, Fujian Province

Kaiyuan Subdistrict covers an area of 5.7 square kilometers, with a registered population of 63,362. It governs 12 communities: Shen Tian, Xi’an, Mei Ren, Xi Bian, Hou Jiang, Hu Bin, Yang Tai Shan, Mei Hu, Xi Wang, Hu Xi, Keng Nei, and Tian Hu.

Kaiyuan Subdistrict code: 350203007

The subdistrict office is located at No. 489 Hexiang West Road, governing 12 communities: ~010_Shen Tian Community, ~013_Xi’an Community, ~015_Mei Ren Community, ~017_Xi Bian Community, ~020_Hou Jiang Community… Kaiyuan Subdistrict detailed information++