Zhou'an Yongji Bridge

Yongji Bridge is situated on the Pangjiang River to the southwest of Jiuzhen Tun in Gupeng Town. Constructed in the 19th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1893), it was once one of the key bridges on the historic road connecting Qingyuan Prefecture to Binxian. The bridge is 72.6 meters long and 6.8 meters high, featuring six piers and seven arches, with each arch spanning 6 meters. The bridge deck is 3.6 meters wide, flanked by rectangular stone slab railings supported by stone pillars, standing 0.6 meters high. Above the 2nd–3rd and 5th–6th arches, each is adorned with a beautifully carved stone lobster fish, facing upstream toward the Pangjiang River and with tails downstream—crafted with fine detail and lifelike appearance. Both the bridge piers and arches are constructed from precisely cut square stone blocks using dry-laid masonry techniques. The masonry surface is smooth, with tight joints and no mortar used, making it nearly impossible to insert even a nail. The pier bases are wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, with the narrowest part measuring just 0.4 meters in width. The craftsmanship is exquisite and extremely rare among ancient stone arch bridges. In 1984, the bridge was designated as a county-level key cultural relics protection unit.
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