Suburban Zhuangyuan Bridge

Suburban Zhuangyuan Bridge

The Suburban Zhuangyuan Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiaoling County.

The Suburban Zhuangyuan Bridge is located within the County People's Primary School in Chengjiao Village, Jiaocheng Town, Jiaoling County, Meizhou City, Guangdong Province. According to the *Jiaoling County Annals* (first edition, October 1992), it was built in the 11th year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1672). It runs from north to south and consists of a pan-shaped pool and a stone arch bridge, forming a horizontal-linked masonry arched stone bridge. The Zhuangyuan Bridge spans the north and south ends of the pan pool, with a total length of 11.5 meters, an arch span of 2.2 meters, a width of 2.92 meters, an arch rise height of 0.7 meters, covering a total area of 236 square meters, and a building footprint of 42 square meters. The bridge arch is constructed with bluestone, the bridge piers are plastered with lime sand, and the bridge deck is equipped with railings and balusters on both sides. The pan pool is crescent-shaped, surrounded by railings and balusters. Legend has it that during the Ming and Qing dynasties, successful candidates in the imperial examinations would dress in formal attire, wear flowers on their chests, walk around the pan pool, cross the Zhuangyuan Bridge, and then be congratulated by speeches from local officials. This bridge features a unique structure and elegant design. It is the only remaining structure in Jiaoling County that reflects the ancient Hakka people’s reverence for literature and education, as well as the development of local humanities. It holds significant reference value for studying the traditional Hakka culture of valuing scholarship and the architectural craftsmanship of stone arch bridges. In 1985, it was approved by the Jiaoling County People's Government as one of the first batch of county-level cultural relic protection units.

Source: Jiaoling County Museum

Chengjiao Village: Chengjiao Village in Meizhou City’s Jiaoling County is located in Chengjiao Village, Jiaocheng Town, Jiaoling County, Meizhou City. The village administers 19 villager groups, with 716 registered households and a population of 2,303. The total area of the village is 3.048 square kilometers, with cultivated land spanning 18.55 mu. The annual average temperature is 21.3°C, and the annual precipitation is about 1,901 mm, characterized by a subtropical maritime monsoon climate. Major cash crops include rice, fruit trees, and vegetables. The village’s special economic income amounts to 4.9 million yuan, and the total rural economic income for the previous year was 14.7 million yuan. …… More details about Chengjiao Village++