Thousand-Eye Bridge

Thousand-Eye Bridge

The Thousand-Eye Bridge is located at the bottom of Poyang Lake near the western foothills of Duobao Mountain in Duchang County, Jiangxi Province, and is a protected cultural relic site of Jiangxi Province. The bridge is 2,930 meters long and 1.2 meters wide, with its surface paved in long strips of granite and supported by large pine pillars standing in the lake mud. It earned the name “Thousand-Eye Bridge,” also referred to as the “Thousand-Hole Bridge.”

Since ancient times, the Thousand-Eye Bridge has been an essential route from Duchang to Xingzi and Mount Lu, leading toward Xunyang. In summer when the water rises, travelers could cross by boat, but in winter during the dry season, they had to wade through mud and water across the lake, often suffering under the biting northern winds.

In the fourth year of the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty, Qian Qizhong, an official stationed in Duchang, initiated a fundraising effort using his own salary, which took five years to complete. He oversaw the construction of this bridge spanning the river, hence it is also called Qian Gong Bridge. Since then, the Thousand-Eye Bridge has served as a vital and convenient passage for the people living along the lakeshores of Duchang and Xingzi counties.

In April 2012, as Poyang Lake entered its dry season, this ancient stone bridge finally revealed its “true face.” In October 2013, during another dry spell in Poyang Lake, an ancient Ming Dynasty stone bridge lying at the lake bottom also emerged into view.

On December 30, 2014, as the water level of Poyang Lake dropped nearly 8 meters over time, an ancient stone bridge built in the fourth year of the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty (1631), nearly 400 years ago, emerged from the water. The bridge is entirely made of granite, stretches a total of 2,930 meters, and is hailed as “the longest lake-spanning stone bridge in China.”

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Protected Cultural Relic Sites of Jiangxi Province