Hongyan Bridge

Hongyan Bridge

Hongyan Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Sichuan Province.

Hongyan Bridge, built during the Ming Dynasty, is a stone flat-beam bridge stretching from southeast to northwest across the Jiuqu River. The bridge is 43.73 meters long, 1.37 meters wide, and the bridge slabs are 0.47 meters thick. Originally consisting of 16 piers and 17 arches, it now has 15 piers and 16 arches. On the fourth and eleventh piers from the northwest to the southeast, there is one round-carved dragon on each, and the seventh pier currently retains one round-carved duck tail, while the duck head has been damaged. The northeast end of each pier features a dragon head at the top, and the southwest end features a dragon or duck tail. The dragon heads are raised with mouths open and holding pearls; their bodies are in an “S” shape with cloud patterns carved on them; the tails are coiled. The duck tails are upturned in a “V” shape. The carving techniques are delicate, the shapes vivid, and the overall presence quite imposing. In June 2007, it was designated as part of the seventh batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units by the People’s Government of Sichuan Province.