Guangshan Yongji Bridge

Guangshan Yongji Bridge

Guangshan Yongji Bridge is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Yongji Bridge, also known as Wanjin Bridge, is located at the northern end of the town street in Pobihe Town, 25 kilometers south of Guangshan County. It spans the Pobihe River from north to south, connecting the two sides of the river. Originally built during the Ming Dynasty, it is a typical multi-arch stone bridge, entirely constructed from carved granite slabs. The architectural structure is rigorous, and its style features distinct southern Chinese architectural characteristics.

Yongji Bridge is the longest ancient stone arch bridge in Henan Province. It is 101 meters long from north to south and 10 meters wide from east to west. The bridge has nine arches of varying lengths, ranging from 6 to 12 meters, with both width and height decreasing from the central arch toward the sides, giving the whole bridge an eight-character shape. This design allowed large boats to pass smoothly in ancient times while enabling rapid drainage of rainwater from the bridge deck to prevent seepage and corrosion of the structure. Each pier “bears” two arches, with the arches interconnected. On the eastern side of each pier is a tall spillway that diverts floodwaters through the arches to reduce the impact of mountain torrents on the bridge. Guardrails are installed along both sides of the bridge deck, with pedestrian walkways on either side and a central roadway. Historical records indicate that there were once ornamental columns at both ends of the bridge, and the railings featured balusters combined with stone slabs engraved with various patterns, each baluster carved with lions in different poses. The bridge deck is made of step-shaped column-top granite slabs, and the entire structure is built entirely from granite. Both banks of the river have rock reinforcements, and the slopes feature ancient city walls, with a gate tower at the southern end of the bridge. About 20 meters to the east is the Dadongmen entrance, which leads down to the base of the bridge, while to the west lies the Mingsheng Temple and to the east the Ming-Qing Street. Unfortunately, since the Ming and Qing dynasties, the bridge has been repeatedly built and destroyed, with the original stone railings and columns replaced by concrete. The bridge deck was paved with asphalt, and the gate tower and ornamental columns were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, leaving only ruins. The Mingsheng Temple, riverbank reinforcements, ancient walls, Dadongmen, and some of the piers have also suffered varying degrees of collapse.

Yongji Bridge is the longest and largest ancient multi-arch stone bridge in Henan Province and a crystallization of the wisdom of the people of Guangshan. It holds significant value for understanding the architectural art of China’s Ming Dynasty. In 2000, it was designated as a Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the Henan Provincial People's Government.

Pobihe Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Guangshan County. In 1957, the Pobihe Commune was established, changed to a township in 1983, and upgraded to a town in 1985. Located in the southern part of the county, it is 25 kilometers from the county seat. Covering an area of 150 square kilometers with a population of 54,000, it is traversed by the Beijing-Kowloon Railway, the Zhaihe-Xinxian Highway, the Pobihe-Yanhe Highway, and the Pobihe-Liangting Highway. The town administers Wuweizi, Wangweizi, Caiweizi, Zhaofan, Yangbang, Quecun, Chunshudian, Huangdatang, Liugang, Caiwan, He’erchong, Huangtuwang, Huanglaowan, Xinjie, Xinjian, Luowa, Dongyuesi, Tianwa, Liutian, Xuping, Zengweizi, … For detailed information about Pobihe Town, click ++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units