Dingyuan Bridge

　　Dingyuan Bridge is situated in Guanxia Town, Suining County, Hunan Province. It was constructed in the 23rd year of the Kangxi reign (1684) by Fan Chenglong, the magistrate of Suining County, who funded the project with his own salary. The bridge is 12 zhang 6 chi (approximately 42 meters) long, 2 zhang 6 chi (approximately 8.7 meters) wide, and 5 zhang 6 chi (approximately 18.7 meters) high. The river beneath the bridge runs clear and fast, its rushing waters creating a powerful, melodious sound... The bridge deck is paved with bluestone slabs that have been polished smooth by time, evoking images of the bustling activity that once took place here... The roof of the bridge features wooden brackets, lintels, dark gray tiles with upturned eaves, and bright white tile ends... The bridge is built against the mountain, with thin mist curling around the hillsides as the peaks fade into the clouds...

　　The bridge was advocated for and funded by Fan Chenglong, the Qing-era magistrate of Suining County, with the assistance of the local scholar Li Ruozuo, and was constructed in the 23rd year of the Kangxi reign (1684). It is now a protected cultural relic of Hunan Province. The structure is 12 zhang 6 chi (approx. 42 meters) long, 2 zhang 6 chi (approx. 8.7 meters) wide, and 5 zhang 6 chi (approx. 18.7 meters) high. It has a single arch with a semicircular shape, a body made of bluestone, and an appearance that is both simple and majestic.

　　. Originally, there was a covered pavilion called Fan’s Pavilion. It was destroyed in the early years of the Republic of China. In 2001, the Suining County government invested 120,000 yuan to rebuild it and erected a commemorative stone tablet. The pavilion is built with fir wood, using mortise-and-tenon joints without a single nail. It stands on round stone bases, with huge wooden columns, plank railings, and rectangular seating—offering a place to rest and shelter from wind and rain. The three-tiered flying eaves are covered with layered dark gray tiles, outlined with white lime, creating fluid lines. The upturned corners on all four sides look from afar like birds spreading their wings, ready to take flight, or up close like crescent moon scimitars pointing straight at the sky.