Ancient Pavilion Bridge at Magu Mountain

Ancient Pavilion Bridge at Magu Mountain

A pavilion bridge is both a pavilion and a bridge. In ancient times, traveling was not as convenient as it is today. Whether officials on official duties, scholars heading to the capital for imperial examinations, or commoners visiting relatives and friends, most had to make their way to their destinations step by step. Thus, along those ancient roads, there were always rest shelters or wayside inns every five or ten li for travelers to take a break.

When a shelter happens to be built atop a short bridge, serving as both a pavilion and a bridge, it is called a pavilion bridge.

In the provincial scenic area of Magu Mountain in Nancheng County, there is a pavilion bridge named Longmen Pavilion Bridge, featuring a typical integrated bridge-and-pavilion structure. It is about six or seven steps in length and two or three steps in width. According to records, Longmen Pavilion Bridge was anciently known as the Three Gorges Bridge, initially built during the Song Dynasty. It was rebuilt in the first year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1821 AD) by the scholar Liao Lian, and renovated in the first year of the Xuantong reign (1909 AD) by a local resident named Zhou Da. Both the eastern and western sides of the pavilion bridge are inscribed with steles bearing handwritten calligraphy from the Song Dynasty. Beneath the bridge lies the famous Shen Gong Spring. Legend has it that this spring was formed when the Southern Pole Immortal struck the ground with his staff during his travels here. The Fairy Magu is said to have gathered spiritual herbs and used the water from this spring to brew fine wine as an offering to the Queen Mother of the West. It is one of “China’s Six Most Remarkable Springs.”

In addition, approximately 200 meters northeast of Yuantou Village in Shangtang Town, Nancheng County, there is another pavilion bridge spanning a small flowing canal. Known as the Huoshui Pavilion Bridge, it stretches 27.7 meters in total length, 4.6 meters in width, and 4.9 meters in height, featuring three arches and two piers. The bridge body is entirely constructed from bluish hemp stone, while the bridge deck is paved with horizontal red stone slabs. The railings are adorned with exquisitely carved patterns of intertwined vines, scrolling grass, and cloud motifs. Not a single nail was used in the construction of the bridge components. Historical scholars have confirmed that in the first year of the Qingyuan reign during the Southern Song Dynasty (1195), Zhu Xi traveled to Nancheng, then the administrative seat of Jianchang Military Prefecture. He was invited to give lectures at the “Reading Hall” in Yuantou Village. He stayed there for dozens of days and enjoyed browsing through the collection of books in the Wu family’s library every day. To Zhu Xi, the village ancestral hall, the pond in front of the library, and the flowing stream… the interplay of light on the water and surrounding landscape evoked poetic inspiration, prompting him to spontaneously compose the famous lines: “How can the channel be so clear? Because it has a source of living water.” Though there is debate over where Zhu Xi wrote this poem, according to the Nancheng County Annals, it is believed that he composed it while residing in Nancheng, specifically in Yuantou Village of Shangtang Town.