Nanan Dongshan River Wharf

Nanan Dongshan River Wharf

Nanan Dongshan River Wharf is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Jiangxi Province.

Dongshan River Wharf is located in the eastern part of Dayu County, Jiangxi Province, on the banks of the Zhang River, about 150 meters from the Meiguan Bridge. The wharf is surrounded by water on its east, south, and north sides, featuring a wide river surface and superior terrain.

Originally built during the Tang Dynasty and fully developed by the Song Dynasty, it covers an area of approximately 20 acres for loading and unloading goods, allowing several cargo ships to operate simultaneously. It served as a crucial transportation hub and transshipment port on the ancient route from the Central Plains to Lingnan (southern China), playing a significant role as a junction before the completion of the Canton–Hankow Railway and the Yuxiong Highway. The existing ruins include steps, mooring posts, boarding platforms, memorial archways, and stone pillars. The steps run roughly parallel to the river’s flow. The steps are 23 meters wide, with a 14-meter-long sloped stone ramp featuring 24 steps. The wharf and adjacent river embankment stretch about 170 meters in length and stand 3–4 meters above the water surface. A striking octahedral stone (vermilion-colored) memorial archway with four pillars and three gates stands at the wharf, bearing seven characters in relief: “Nanan Dongshan River Wharf,” each character about one square foot in size. The two central pillars are 5.5 meters tall, while the outer two are 4.5 meters tall, adorned with bas-reliefs of figures and animals. The mooring post is a dragon-headed structure extending horizontally from a one-meter-wide stone platform on the east side of the steps out into the river. The river embankment is constructed from blue bricks and rubble stones, bonded with a mixture of lime and tung oil, and remains sturdy to this day. Beside the archway stands a stone stele erected in June 1805 (the 10th year of the Jiaqing reign in the Qing Dynasty), inscribed with the “Imperial Decree Prohibiting Violations.” The inscription documents the management of river transport along the Zhang River during the Ming Dynasty.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Sites Protected by Jiangxi Province