West Lake Bridge

West Lake Bridge

West Lake Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Hubei Province.

West Lake Bridge is located on Zhengjie Street outside the west gate of Xiaogan’s urban area. It was first built in the fourth year of the Zhengtong era of the Ming Dynasty (1439 AD), with a history of about 600 years. The bridge spans the ancient moat from east to west. It is a single-arch stone bridge, 29 meters long, 6 meters wide, with an arch span of 7.4 meters. The arch is constructed with longitudinal bonding, the bridge deck is paved with hemp-slab stones, and the sides feature stone balustrades with columns, the tops of which are adorned with floral patterns. A memorial archway originally stood at the bridgehead, inscribed with the four large characters “帝子亭骖” (translated roughly as “Imperial Son’s Pavilion and Steeds”). This archway was destroyed by the Japanese army during the Anti-Japanese War. West Lake Bridge is one of the ancient Eight Scenic Spots of Xiaogan. In 2008, the bridge was designated as part of the fifth batch of Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Units in Hubei Province.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Hubei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units