Luban Bridge

Luban Bridge

Luban Bridge is a cultural heritage protection site of Jiangyou City.

Luban Bridge is located in Luban Village, Longfeng Town, running from north to south and spanning the Luban River. It is a two-pier stone flat bridge constructed with red sandstone slabs. The bridge deck consists of nine stone slabs and measures 13 meters in length and 2.3 meters in width. The two piers are built with eight layers of stone slabs, each topped with a dragon-shaped bridge structure. The dragons’ heads face west and their tails east—full sculpted figures—and the carving craftsmanship is quite refined. On the north side of the bridge stands a square pyramidal pavilion that houses an inscribed stone tablet, which records that the bridge was originally built during the Qinglong reign of the Qing Dynasty and renovated in the 27th year of the Republic of China (1938). According to the *Tongzhi Chronicles of Zhangming County*, the original construction date of Luban Bridge is unknown, but it was rebuilt during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty. The bridge is located on a significant historical transport route connecting Mianzhou and Zizhong during both the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The bridge built in the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty was remarkably majestic, featuring three massive stone beams. At that time, Wang Mingshan, a successful candidate in the Mianzhou imperial examination, praised it, saying: “Luban Bridge was not truly built by Lu Ban; however, though fashioned from just three stones, it is perfectly integrated, as if naturally formed—only Lu Ban could have done it.” In the early Qing Dynasty, Luban Bridge was destroyed by a flood and was reconstructed in the 42nd year of the Qianlong reign (1777), changing from a single stone arch to a three-stone two-pier structure, thus attaining its current appearance. Luban Bridge holds certain value for the study of local Qing Dynasty bridge architecture and transportation history.