Linying Xiaoshang Bridge

Linying Xiaoshang Bridge

Linying Xiaoshang Bridge is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

Xiaoshang Bridge is situated on the Xiaoshang River (the old course of the Ying River) south of Xiaoshang Bridge in Huangdi Temple Township, Linying County. It is an open-spandrel single-arch stone bridge, 20.87 meters long and 6.67 meters wide. The main arch spans 11.6 meters, with a rise of 2.13 meters and a rise-to-span ratio of 1/5. The arch ring is 0.65 meters thick. The smaller arch has a clear span of 2.13 meters and a rise of 1.2 meters. The distance between the springings of the small arches on both banks is 20.2 meters. Both the main and smaller arches are constructed from 20 voussoirs laid side by side, with iron clamps connecting the voussoirs of the main arch. The surface of the arch rings features bas-reliefs of heavenly steeds, lions, lotus flowers, and geometric patterns. At the top of the arches are carved beasts extending beyond the bridge body. The lower corners of the bridge piers are adorned with high-relief statues of Vajra warriors, about one foot tall, each carrying the arch on their shoulders and lifting it with their hands, depicted vividly in an ancient style. Historical records indicate that Xiaoshang Bridge was first built in the fourth year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty (584 AD), but the current main structure reflects the architectural style of the Northern Song Dynasty, with renovations carried out in the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The most significant renovation took place during the Dade era of the Yuan Dynasty (1297–1307 AD). Xiaoshang Bridge is an early and elegant ancient stone bridge with a rigorous structure and exquisite craftsmanship, serving as important material for the study of architectural and transportation history. In 1986, it was designated as a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit, and in 1994, the National Cultural Heritage Administration allocated special funds for major repairs.

Xiaoshang Bridge is an open-spandrel stone arch bridge with a flat arch, sharing a fundamentally similar structure with the Zhaozhou Bridge in Hebei. Experts therefore speculate that this bridge may have been an experimental precursor to the Zhaozhou Bridge. The bridge is 21.3 meters long and 6.45 meters wide, with a main arch clear span of 12.14 meters. The structure consists of one main arch and two smaller side arches. Both the main arch and the smaller arches are made up of 20 red stone voussoirs arranged in parallel. The voussoirs are connected by iron clamps. The surfaces of the main and side arches are adorned with carvings of heavenly steeds amid clouds, dragons, lotus flowers, peonies, and triangular geometric patterns. The central keystone of the main arch features a bas-relief of a mythical beast believed to be the Taotie, a legendary creature that devours water. Additionally, at the junctions between the main and side arches, there are carved animal heads protruding—one a dragon at the northern end and a turtle at the southern end. These carvings, with their unusual designs, ancient style, and exquisite craftsmanship, provide rich and valuable physical evidence for the study of ancient Chinese stone carving art.

Location

Xiaoshang Bridge Scenic Area, Huangdi Temple Township, Linying County, Luohe City, Henan Province

Yang Zaixing ( ? –1140), a famous Southern Song general who fought against the Jin. A member of the Yao ethnic group from Wugang Army (then governed from present-day Penxi, Xinning County), he was born in 1104 in Chengbu during the Southern Song. Orphaned at a young age, he went with his mother, Lady Li, to live with her parents in Penxi, Langshan, Xinning. From childhood, he trained in martial arts and became remarkably skilled with the bow. In the first year of the Shaoxing era (1131) under Emperor Gaozong, Cao Cheng gathered an army of over 100,000 troops, occupying Daozhou and Hezhou. Yang Zaixing served as one of Cao Cheng’s generals. It is said that Yang Zaixing was a descendant of Yang Ye, a famous general of the early Song Dynasty. Initially a bandit, he later became a key member of Yue Fei’s army, making great contributions to Yue Fei’s defeat of the puppet Qi regime and achieving a major victory over Jin Wushu at Yancheng... More details about Yang Zaixing ++

Yue Fei (1103–1142), courtesy name Pengju, was a native of Tangyin, Xiangzhou (now in Henan), an outstanding military strategist and commander of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Yue Fei’s father was Yue He and his mother was Lady Yao; they were generations of farmers. In his youth, Yue Fei studied archery and spear techniques under Zhou Tong and Chen Guang, becoming the most skilled martial artist in the county. However, due to poverty, he later went to Xiangzhou (now Anyang), “working as a farm laborer for Han Wei Gong (Qi)’s estate.”

In the early fourth year of the Xuanhe era (1122), Yue Fei joined the army for the first time. In October of the same year, during the Northern Song’s campaign against the Liao, he reached the Liao capital of Yanjing... More details about Yue Fei ++

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Fifth Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level