Xiuwu Centipede Bridge

Xiuwu Centipede Bridge

The Centipede Bridge, also known as the Dragon Spring Bridge, is located on Centipede Slope, about 10 kilometers west of Xiuwu County. Running from north to south, it spans the Huajiao River and served as an important river crossing on the ancient route connecting Longchang Post (present-day Xiuwu) and Liuguang Post (present-day Liuguang).

The Centipede Bridge was first built in the 17th year of the Hongwu reign during the Ming Dynasty (1384), commissioned by Lady She Xiang. After being unjustly whipped by Ma Ye, the Provincial Commander of Guizhou...

Over the years, the bridge underwent multiple repairs and reconstructions. According to the "Record of the Construction of Ten Bridges" engraved in the 6th year of the Zhengde reign (1511), the "Ten Bridges of Shuixi," including the Centipede, Xiushui, and Maiguo bridges, were constructed under the direction of the An family, father and son, who served as the Guizhou Tusi (Native Chieftain). "The project commenced in the year of Ji Chou during the Chenghua reign and was completed in the year of Bing Wu, spanning three generations." This "spanning three generations" refers to the 17-year period from 1469 (the 5th year of Chenghua) to 1486 (the 22nd year of Chenghua), during which the bridge was overseen by three successive Tusi: An Guan, An Guirong, and An Zuo. By the Wanli era, An Guoheng renovated the Ten Bridges of Shuixi and renamed the Centipede Bridge as the "Dragon Spring Bridge." The "Record of the Renovation of Ten Bridges," engraved in the 20th year of the Wanli reign (1592), states that the Centipede Bridge was destroyed during military conflict in the "Battle of Liuguang." It was rebuilt in February of the 19th year of Wanli (1591) and completed in April of the 21st year (1593).

The existing Centipede Bridge, now known as the Dragon Spring Bridge, is a three-arch stone bridge, measuring 64 meters in length, 11 meters in width, and 9 meters in height. Stone railings are installed on both sides, consisting of 20 carved slabs featuring openwork thunder patterns, and 22 pillars topped with round carvings of stone lions.

The Centipede Bridge is a three-arch stone structure, largely intact. The bridge deck is 40 meters long, 10 meters wide, and 9 meters high, with arches 8 meters high and spaced 7 meters apart. The bridge body is built with large square stone blocks using mortise-and-tenon construction. Each stone is meticulously chiseled, with mortar joints as fine as lines, making the entire bridge appear as a single massive rock, exquisitely carved and placed over the Huajiao River. The bridge surface is paved with regularly shaped stone slabs, which remain smooth and level after centuries of use by pedestrians and livestock. The stones used in the bridge’s construction were quarried from Huatai Mountain, more than 1,500 meters away. Given the massive scale of the project, the vast amount of materials required, and the challenging transportation conditions, the solidity and refinement of the bridge are truly remarkable. For over 500 years, despite repeated floods, the bridge remains unscathed—testament to the wisdom and strength of the various ethnic groups in Guizhou.

At the top of each bridge arch is an inverted stone “nose,” pierced with a cup-sized hole. The central arch’s nose was once used to hang the “Dragon-Slaying Sword” during the bridge’s construction. Legend has it that one stormy night, with torrential rain and raging floodwaters threatening to wash away the bridge, a flash of sword light suddenly illuminated the riverbanks as bright as day. About a mile upstream from the bridge, a black dragon was seen swimming toward it. Upon seeing the gleaming sword, the dragon turned and fled, but as it did, its head struck the mountainbank. With a deafening roar, part of the cliff shot up a thousand feet, leaving behind a deep pool over ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) deep and over a hundred zhang long—now known as “Huilong Pool” or “Black Dragon Pool.” The dragon vanished instantly, the flood subsided, and the sword disappeared. Today, Huilong Pool is a serene, clear body of water connected to the natural bridge, forming a unique landscape. The remaining two arches once held bells that would ring when water levels rose too high, warning people of danger—but they have since gone missing. In June 1988, villager Zhao Liancai found a black, semi-circular iron object while bathing in the river. He showed it to his father, Zhao Bingrong, who recognized it as one of the bridge’s bells and preserved it. In July 2001, it was handed over to the county cultural relics management office, where it remains today.

On both sides of the bridge deck stand 23 square pillars each, with 22 rectangular stone railings between them, combining openwork and relief carvings of wave and cloud patterns. The tops of the end and middle pillars are each carved with a vivid, playful tiger. Why tigers instead of lions? Because the An family was of the Yi ethnic group, whose ancestral totem was the tiger. As the bridge was originally built, rebuilt, and maintained by generations of the An family, the image of the tiger was chosen for the bridge. On the northern side of the bridge stand two parallel stone steles: the left one, erected in the 6th year of the Zhengde reign (1511), bears the “Record of the Construction of Ten Bridges,” inscribed by Zhou Wen, a presented scholar of the Hanlin Academy; the right one, from the summer of the 22nd year of the Wanli reign (1594), is the “Record of the Renovation of Ten Bridges,” written by Li Chen, a Hanlin probationary scholar.

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Guizhou Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units