Dazhong Bridge

Dazhong Bridge

Dazhong Bridge is a famous scenic spot on Mount Tai. There is a bridge on the mountain, built in an arched stone structure with iron railings, spanning the mouth of the Xixi Valley. Both the piers and the deck are made of stone, and the bridge is adorned with ornamental iron railings. The archway is inscribed with the clerical script characters “大众桥” (Dazhong Bridge). The bridge was constructed in 1935 during Feng Yuxiang’s residence on Mount Tai and remains sturdy to this day. Why did Feng Yuxiang build Dazhong Bridge back then?

Scholar Professor Yu once wrote an article titled "The Wuxun Primary School at the Foot of Mount Tai," which tells the true story behind Dazhong Bridge. Mr. Feng Yuxiang had a passion for building bridges. Whether in Zhangjiakou or his hometown in Chaohu County, he had donated funds to build bridges for the convenience of the public. In 1933, during his second retreat to Mount Tai, Feng set up 15 Wuxun Primary Schools in the suburbs of the mountain, with the main campus located in Xiaowangzhuang at the southern foot of Mount Tai. He funded these schools to enable children from poor families to receive an education. At that time, his small science laboratory was situated near Xiaowangzhuang at the western foot of the mountain, and one had to cross a stream to get to the lab.

The water in this stream flowed down from Black Dragon Pool. Normally, the water level was low, so people could cross by stepping on the rocks that emerged above the surface. But during the summer and autumn seasons, the water volume would surge dramatically, leaving people to “gaze at the river and sigh.”

One day, while taking a walk by the river, Mr. Feng walked back and forth several times before pointing to a certain spot and saying, “We can build a wooden bridge here.” A few days later, soldiers from the pistol battalion erected a makeshift wooden bridge at the location he had designated. But one night, a sudden storm hit, and the torrential waters rushing down from the mountain swept the wooden bridge away. The next day, Mr. Feng went to inspect the terrain again, selected a new site, and began construction anew. This time, they built a stone bridge, using stones entirely from Mount Tai. To save costs, the stones, slabs, and strips quarried by the stonemasons were transported to the construction site by soldiers from the pistol battalion. Mr. Feng often visited the construction site during the building process.

After the grand stone bridge was completed, his adjutant Pan Yunyu came to ask Mr. Feng, “May we ask you to give it a name?” Mr. Feng pondered briefly, then picked up his brush and wrote the three large characters “大众桥” (Dazhong Bridge), after which he said, “Wasn’t our original intention to build this bridge for the public?”