Shengxian Bridge

Shengxian Bridge

Shengxian Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Hebei Province.

Shengxian Bridge in Xingtang County is situated over the moat outside the west gate of the old county town and was first built during the Tang Dynasty. It was reconstructed in the fifth year of the Yuanyou era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1090). This is a single-arch, open-spandrel stone bridge formed by adjacent wedge-shaped stones. It is 15.3 meters in length, 6 meters in width, and 4.7 meters in height from the bridge deck to the river bottom. The main arch is made up of 20 single horseshoe-shaped segments, with a clear span of 11.3 meters and a central rise of 2.7 meters. At each end of the main arch are small auxiliary arches, each consisting of 6 single horseshoe-shaped segments with a span of 1.45 meters and a rise of 0.5 meters. The large and small arches together create an elegant visual effect reminiscent of flower petals on a pond.

Shengxian Bridge shares a fundamentally similar structure with the Anji Bridge and Yongtong Bridge in Zhaozhou, and is hailed as the sister bridge of the Anji Bridge. It is now a provincially designated key cultural relic under protection.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Hebei Province