Little Zhaozhou Bridge (Yongfeng Ancient Bridge)

Little Zhaozhou Bridge (Yongfeng Ancient Bridge)

Yongfeng Ancient Bridge, commonly known as Little Zhaozhou Bridge, is located 2 kilometers north of Mingjing Town. It is a stone bridge built according to mechanical principles without using mortar or piers—just an elegant arc spanning both sides of the small river, appearing delicate and light. The local villagers now focus on tourism development, having newly constructed a 【Huanghua Park】, as well as a large parking lot and public toilets.

Little Zhaozhou Bridge is a centuries-old ancient stone arch bridge. Its large, irregularly shaped stones form uneven steps, while vines creep along the bridge’s body, together with the green water below and the rocky hills on both banks, creating a picturesque scene. If the path leading to the ancient bridge weren’t paved, and if there were more plants on the banks, the scenery would feel even more natural. A cluster of phoenix tail bamboo at the bridgehead tastefully decorates the Zhaozhou Bridge. The bridge is unadorned—no railings—and overgrown with weeds.

Not far from the bridge lies Yongfeng Ancient Temple, backed by rocky hills. The white-walled, black-tiled structure is aged, with peeling exterior paint and two later-installed rusty iron doors. The only somewhat lively decorations are the two lanterns at the entrance, though they’re also covered in dust. The statues enshrined inside the temple are unique—they are made of clay.

Location of the Attraction

2 kilometers north of Mingjing Town, Yingde City, Guangdong Province, China

Self-driving Route:

Foshan First Ring >>> Guanghe Bridge Exit >>> Enter via Chaoyang Entrance of Guangqing Expressway >>> Exit at Jiulong Jintan of Qinglian Expressway >>> Provincial Road 348 >>> National Highway 366 >>> Jiulong

The expressway distance is 140 kilometers, about a 2-hour drive. After exiting Guangqing Expressway, you’ll need to drive on regular roads through downtown Qingyuan, which are in relatively poor condition with a speed limit of 80 km/h. Once on Qinglian Expressway, there are many speed traps with a limit of 110 km/h—drive with caution.

Huanghua Town: Yingde City is located in central Guangdong, along the middle reaches of the Beijiang River, serving as a junction between the Pearl River Delta region and northern Guangdong. It lies 138 kilometers south of Guangzhou City and 108 kilometers from Guangzhou’s new international airport, and 90 kilometers north of Shaoguan City. Covering an area of 5,671 square kilometers, it is the largest county-level administrative region in Guangdong Province by land area, governing 30 towns and 1 tourism and cultural district, with a total population of about 1 million. Yingde has a long and rich history. As early as the sixth year of Emperor Wu of Han's Yuanding era (111 BC), two counties—Zhenyang and Hankuang—were established within the territory of Yingde. In the first year of the Qingyuan era during the Southern Song Dynasty (11… More details about Huanghua Town ++