Guangji Bridge in Chaozhou

Guangji Bridge in Chaozhou

Guangji Bridge in Chaozhou is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a key cultural relics protection unit of China.

Guangji Bridge, also known as Chaozhou Guangji Bridge, was historically called Kangji Bridge, Dinghou Bridge, Jichuan Bridge, commonly referred to as Xiangzi Bridge, and also known as Chaozhou Xiangzi Bridge. Located outside the east gate of Chaozhou city, it stretches 518 meters across the surging Han River, facing Brush Rack Mountain to the east, connecting to the bustling downtown area to the west, overlooking Phoenix Islet to the south, and gazing up at Golden Hill to the north — a spectacular and enchanting scene. Xiangzi Bridge is a key national cultural relics protection unit and also the world's first opening-and-closing bridge. It is ranked among China’s Four Great Ancient Bridges alongside Zhaozhou Bridge, Luoyang Bridge, and Lugou Bridge.

The bridge was first built in the seventh year of the Qiandao era of the Song Dynasty (1171), initially with one stone pier and 86 large boats forming a pontoon bridge tied together with thick ropes. By the eighth year of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty (1513), 24 piers were constructed, including 13 on the eastern section and 11 on the western section. Both the piers and the bridge spans were built from massive stones, with stone beams measuring 13 to 15 meters in length and nearly 1 meter in width. Eighteen shuttle boats were used to form the central pontoon section.

By the eighth year of Zhengde (1513), the unique style of “eighteen shuttle boats and twenty-four piers” was formed. This bridge combines beam, arch, and pontoon bridge structures, making it a unique example in the history of Chinese bridges. The piers were adorned with 24 pairs of uniquely styled pavilions and towers, along with two iron oxen placed east and west to control water flow and also serve as commercial shops, hence earning the nicknames “Twenty-Four Towers, Twenty-Four Styles” and “A Mile-Long Bridge, A Mile-Long Market.” After more than 400 years of weathering, the pavilions on the bridge no longer exist, and only one of the two iron oxen remains. In 1958, the central pontoon section was replaced with a steel truss bridge and underwent comprehensive reinforcement.

Guangji Bridge features a floating-beam combined structure, consisting of an eastern stone beam bridge section, a western stone beam bridge section, and a central pontoon bridge section. The beam bridge sections are made up of piers, stone beams, and bridge pavilions. The entire bridge is 518 meters long, with the eastern beam section spanning 283.35 meters, featuring 12 piers, one abutment, and 12 arches; the western beam section is 137.3 meters long, with 8 piers, 7 arches, and stone beams 5 meters wide. The central pontoon bridge is 97.3 meters long, formed by connecting eighteen wooden boats.

Guangji Bridge is 518 meters long and divided into three segments. The western urban section is 137.3 meters long, with seven arches and eight piers, with span lengths ranging from 8 to 17.5 meters. The eastern section is 283.4 meters long, with twelve arches, twelve piers, and one abutment, with span lengths ranging from 9.4 to 12.9 meters. Pier widths range from 6 to 13 meters, and lengths from 11 to 22 meters, with the smallest pier surface area exceeding 60 square meters and larger ones over 200 square meters. There are 43 inscribed plaques and 25 pairs of couplets on the bridge, including 25 plaque inscriptions for hall-style towers and 18 for pavilions. Currently, there are 30 bridge pavilions, 12 of which are hall-style towers and 18 are miscellaneous-style pavilions. Each span of the bridge supports four massive stone beams, the largest being about 15 meters long, 1 meter wide, 1.2 meters thick, and weighing approximately 50 tons, while the smallest are around 12 meters long, 1 meter wide, 0.8 meters thick.

Guangji Bridge is situated outside the east gate of Chaozhou Ancient City, spanning the Han River — the most important bridge over the river. The Han River basin has a long flood season with abundant water, and when all tributaries enter flood season simultaneously, water volume becomes extremely high. The large bridge piers are designed to withstand powerful currents. During the first 100 years after construction, the bridge spans were made of wood, and it wasn’t until the third year of the Yuan Dynasty’s Taiding era (1326) that they were replaced with stone beams. Due to the limitations of the materials used, the bridge piers are very densely spaced, with a maximum distance of 13.45 meters and a minimum of just 5.9 meters between them. These large, closely spaced piers significantly hindered flood discharge. The floating-beam combination structure reduces the number of piers in the central section, greatly lessening resistance to water flow. During floods, opening the pontoon section allows for rapid drainage, enhancing the bridge’s flood discharge capacity and greatly improving safety.

Guangji Bridge features two types of piers: ship-shaped piers and semi-ship-shaped piers. Ship-shaped piers are hexagonal, tapering to a point at both ends, resembling a boat. Semi-ship-shaped piers are pentagonal, with a pointed upstream end and a flat downstream side. All piers are sharply tapered upstream to effectively reduce the impact of water flow. The fully tapered ship-shaped piers help buffer impacts from both upstream and downstream. During the Southern Song Dynasty, when the Han River Delta had not yet formed, the downstream land was still in development, and the bridge faced the impact of tides. The ship-shaped piers mitigated the force of tidal surges. Over half of Guangji Bridge’s piers are ship-shaped. Due to the massive floodwaters during the flood season, many piers were damaged over time, and repairs were carried out using varying designs without strict adherence to the original forms. As the downstream land gradually formed and tides moved farther away, later piers were reconstructed as semi-ship-shaped.

The bridge houses on Guangji Bridge provide shelter for the structure and pedestrians, protecting them from sun and rain. They also add weight to the bridge, enhancing its stability, improving wind and tide resistance, and extending its lifespan. The bridge houses on Guangji Bridge differ significantly from those on the covered bridges of Southwest China. Southwestern covered bridges feature continuous corridors with enclosed walkways, whereas the bridge houses on Guangji Bridge are standalone structures built atop individual piers.

Guangji Bridge has undergone numerous renovations throughout history. The 2003 renovation transformed the bridge houses into open and well-ventilated bridge pavilions. Given the massive floodwaters of the Han River, which often overflowed the bridge during peak flood periods, these independent and ventilated pavilions allow for quick drainage. Chaozhou experiences frequent typhoons in summer, and with the wide river surface at Guangji Bridge, winds are strong. The open design of the pavilions ensures good airflow, reducing typhoon damage. The bridge pavilions feature traditional Chinese architectural styles, supported by thick stone columns holding up heavy timber roofs, whose size and strength meet the requirements for flood and wind resistance.

One legend, “Immortals and Buddhas Building the Bridge,” tells of Tang Dynasty literary figure Han Yu coming to Chaozhou and enlisting his grandnephew Han Xiangzi — one of the Eight Immortals — along with the monk Guangji of Chaozhou to compete in magical bridge-building, each constructing from opposite sides. When their magic failed midway, leaving a gap unbridged, Monk Guangji used his Buddhist staff and Immortal He Xiangu used her lotus flower to transform into a giant cable and eighteen shuttle boats to complete the connection. Hence, the bridge is called both “Xiangzi Bridge” and “Guangji Bridge.” At the spots where their magic failed, a sheep turned into “Wuyang Mountain” (in Fuyang Town) and a pig into “Pig Mountain” (in Linxi Town).

Another legend, “Wang Yuan Removes the Strange Rocks,” involves Wang Yuan, the Chaozhou prefect during the Ming Dynasty’s Xuande era who oversaw major bridge repairs and built the “Twenty-Four Towers,” earning the bridge the title “First Bridge of the South.” Needing vast amounts of stone for the project, it was said that two strange rocks on Hulu Mountain caused frequent fires and lawsuits in the region. Wang personally led people up the mountain to destroy the rocks and composed a poem about it (the poem and the inscription “Wang Yuan Removes the Strange Rocks” were carved on the stone but destroyed during the Cultural Revolution). His act not only dispelled local fears but also provided part of the stone needed for the bridge.

The third legend, “Magistrate Wu’s Water Ritual,” concerns Magistrate Wu Jun of Chaozhou during the Qing Dynasty’s Daoguang and Xianfeng eras. In a year when the Han River flooded and reached the city walls, putting Chaozhou in crisis, he performed a ritual for the waters from the east gate tower, praying for the flood to recede. When it didn’t, he threw his official hat and robes into the water, vowing to share the city’s fate. Miraculously, the flood then receded. Later, a statue of him was enshrined in the east gate tower, and a memorial archway inscribed “The People Will Never Forget” was erected on the eastern section of Xiangzi Bridge.

Address: Opposite Guangji City Gate, Huancheng East Road, Xiangqiao District, Chaozhou City

Type: Historic Bridge

Recommended Visit Duration: 2–3 hours

Phone: 0768-2222682

Opening Hours:

Monday–Friday: 10:00–17:30 (ticket sales stop at 17:00); Saturday, Sunday, and holidays: 9:00–17:30 (ticket sales stop at 17:00). During special navigation periods, please refer to official notices for exact opening times.

Ticket Information:

Door Price: 20.0 RMB

Xiangqiao Subdistrict: Located in the central area of Chaozhou Ancient City in Guangdong Province, Xiangqiao Subdistrict is named after the “Xiangzi Bridge” within its jurisdiction. Its office is located at No. 26 Liuyachang, Taiping Road. Xiangqiao Subdistrict borders the Riverside Promenade to the east, meets Shangxiping Road of Xihu Subdistrict to the west, extends to Dongping Street to the south, and reaches Shuishangmen Street to the north. The subdistrict administers five community committees: Kaiyuan, Yi’an, Changli, Taichang, and Fenshi, covering a total area of 0.63 square kilometers with a current population of 28,405. Within its jurisdiction are Kaiyuan Middle School, Changli Road Primary School, Yi’an Road Primary School, and Zhengrong Kindergarten, serving a student population of over 5,000.

　Xiangqiao Subdistrict... More details about Xiangqiao Subdistrict++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Key National Cultural Relics Protection Units