In 1998, Ningbo Municipal Cultural Bureau and Ningbo Daily jointly selected "Top Ten Famous Bridges in Ningbo".
More than twenty years have passed. Are these bridges still in good condition now?
Throughout Yingzhi’s travels, many events from ancient to modern times can be found in the ancient bridges.
1. Lingqiao
Lingqiao is the oldest bridge in Ningbo. It is not only an architectural landmark of Ningbo, but also a spiritual and cultural landmark.
During the Tang Dynasty, Sanjiangkou was successively set up as the county seat of Luan County and the prefectural government of Mingzhou, which promoted the development of Sanjiangkou. Floating bridges were built on the three rivers and six banks.
The floating bridge at Lingqiao is called Dongjin Floating Bridge, also called Lingqiao, and is commonly known as Laojiang Bridge among the people.
It is said that when the pontoon bridge was first built, the water was deep and fast, and it was difficult to build the bridge foundation. It happened to be a rainbow after the rain, so the craftsmen drove bridge piles at both ends of the rainbow and successfully built the bridge. People thought that God had Lingxian, so the name of the bridge is Lingxian Bridge, or Lingqiao for short.
The floating bridge has been repaired and destroyed many times in the past dynasties, and it has been destroyed and rebuilt many times.
In 1931, all walks of life in Ningbo called for the reconstruction of the Laojiang Bridge, and the Laojiang Bridge (i.e. Lingxian Bridge) preparatory committee was established in Ningbo and Shanghai. With fundraising from all walks of life, in 1934, the German Siemens Company contracted and started construction reconstruction.
On May 25, 1936, Lingqiao was completed and became the first fixed bridge on the Sanjiang River in Ningbo. It also became the largest new single-hole ring bridge in China at that time, with a design life of 70 years.
During the Anti-Japanese War and the Civil War, Lingqiao was bombed repeatedly. The bridge deck was riddled with holes and the steel beams were riddled with bullet scars. However, Lingqiao survived the chaos.
In 1995, when the design life of Lingqiao was about to reach 60 years, bridge experts from Siemens came to Ningbo to inspect Lingqiao and concluded that Lingqiao could be used for at least 20 more years.
On the 70th anniversary of Lingqiao, Siemens once again wrote to Ningbo to remind Ningbo to pay attention to the repair and maintenance of Lingqiao.
You have to admire the craftsmanship of the Germans!
In 2005, Lingqiao was included in the Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Building.
In 2011, a serious ship collision occurred at Lingqiao. After three years of repairs, Lingqiao was reopened to traffic on July 28, 2016.
2. Gaoqiao
Gaoqiao Town, Haishu District, Ningbo City, is named after the bridge because there is a stone arch bridge in the town, named Gaoqiao.
The Gaoqiao was built in the early years of Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty Zhao Ji Chonghe, that is, in 1118 AD. There are four characters engraved on the bridge foreheads on the north and south sides. On the south side: Wenxing Gaozhao, on the north side: Zhiri. Gaosheng, both contain the word "高", hence the name "Gaoqiao".
Literary stars are shining brightly, and the sun is rising. Whether it is a student going north to take the exam or an official coming by boat, he will feel happy when he sees this horoscope.
Eleven years after the completion of Gaoqiao, in the third year of Jianyan, that is, in 1129 AD, the Jin army drove southward, and Song Gaozong fled through Lazhou. The famous Song-Jin Gaoqiao Battle occurred in the Gaoqiao area. The historical story of "Village Girl Saves King Kang" was also staged.
In the era of prosperous shipping traffic, boats were constantly coming and going under the high bridge.
The Xitang River is the main waterway in the Ningbo section of the East Zhejiang Canal. It is also an important waterway from Ningbo to Hangzhou and connects the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Officials, students, merchants and military personnel of all dynasties must pass through the Xitang River when leaving the city and heading north. Therefore, Xitang River is also called Guantang River.
Leave the city from the west gate of Ningbo, take a boat north along the Xitang River, cross the high bridge, pass the Daxi Dam, and connect with the Yao River.
Gao Qiaoqiao was tall. Zeng Gong wrote about Gao Qiao in "The Story of Guangde Lake", saying that "the sails of ships never fall when they pass by."
Big waves and long winds want to see the princes proud. Square pots and round mountains all come here to ask questions, and literary stars shine brightly.
When the water rises, the spring river's oars move to the sky. The bright moon shines at the center of the wave, and the sun rises high.
3. Bailiang Bridge
In Huijiang Village, Dongqiao Town, Haishu District, Ningbo City, above the Hui River, there is a famous covered bridge called Bailiang Bridge.
The Bailiang Bridge was built in the first year of Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Xu Yuanfeng, in 1078 AD. It was funded by Zhu Wenwei and his son Zhu Yongmi.
The Hundred-Beam Bridge is 100 meters long, with 6 piers and 7 holes. The middle bridge hole uses 16 wooden beams, and the other six bridge holes have 14 wooden beams in each hole, totaling 100 wooden beams. , hence the name "Hundred Liang Bridge".
In the third year of Jianyan of the Southern Song Dynasty, that is, 1129 AD, the Jin army drove southward. Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty fled through Mingzhou, and the Bailiang Bridge was destroyed by the war.
In 1145 AD, Zhu Shize brothers, descendants of the Zhu family, and the villagers rebuilt it as it was, creating a story of three generations of covered bridges being built.
Shen Mingchen, a poet of the Ming Dynasty, wrote a poem praising: "Wherever the blue sky looks back, thousands of peaks will rise as the setting sun rises."
The Bailiang Bridge has been renovated many times in the past dynasties. Protected in the 22nd year of Guangxu, that is, 1896 AD.
The Bailiang Bridge is the longest surviving ancient covered bridge with stone and wooden beams in Zhejiang Province. It is magnificent and has a complete structure. It is known as the "First Covered Bridge in Eastern Zhejiang" and is a rare opportunity for studying ancient bridges. Example.
4. Huiming Bridge
In Dongqiao Village, Dongqiao Town, Haishu District, Ningbo City, at the confluence of Huiming Port and Nantang River, there is the Huiming Bridge, which was built in the Tang Dynasty .
In 832 AD, when Wang Yuanwei presided over the construction of Tashan Weir, Mingzhou Governor Yu Jiyou dug a canal and built a weir at Huiming Port, and then built Huiming at the confluence of Huiming Port and Nantang River. bridge.
Yang Meng of the Song Dynasty praised Huiming Bridge: "The water flows through it, the boat flows over it, it is used for irrigation, watering, and drinking for swimming."
Huiming Bridge was demolished several times, and the existing bridge was rebuilt in 1868, the seventh year of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty.
The couplet in the north of the bridge: "The new bridge is still built to divert the sound of Qixiang, and guide the convergence of the two factions in spring and mid-summer." The important role of Huiming Bridge as a water and land transportation hub can be seen.
Couplet on the south side of the bridge: "Benefit flows from the lake to the sun and the moon, and the Mingshan Mountain stretches far and wide to the three counties." The first word combined is the name of the bridge "Huiming".
5. Tongji Bridge
Tongji Bridge spans the Yao River in Yuyao City, connecting the north and south cities of Yuyao. It is also known as the Shunjiang Bridge. It is the longest and highest bridge on the Yao River. It is an ancient bridge, so it is called "the first bridge in eastern Zhejiang".
Tongji Bridge was built in the Qingli period of Renzong Zhao Zhen of the Northern Song Dynasty, that is, from 1041 to 1048 AD. It was originally a wooden bridge and was first named Dehui Bridge and later renamed Hongqiao.
In the third year of Yuan Zhishun, that is, 1332 AD, it was rebuilt into a stone three-hole bridge and named Tongji Bridge. A stone tablet was erected next to the bridge with the inscription: "The ship passed by but the sails were not sailing. The eight characters "jie" are similar to talking about Gao Qiao with Zeng Gong.
Wang Anshi of the Northern Song Dynasty went to Yuyao when he was the magistrate of Yin County. He wrote a poem about it:
The mountains are like blue waves rolling over the river, and the water is like the blue sky shining on the moon.
Call the immortals to come and live here, don’t teach them to work hard in the upper city.
The existing Tongji Bridge was rebuilt in the seventh to ninth years of Yongzheng reign in the Qing Dynasty, that is, from 1729 to 1731 AD.
In 2019, Tongji Bridge and Fenghua Guangji Bridge were listed as national key cultural relics.
6. Bihuan Bridge
In Renjiu Village, Wuxiang Town, Yinzhou District, Ningbo City, the crisscrossing water system divides the village into pieces and is connected by bridges. It is a typical Jiangnan water village and is known as It is Ningbo's water Venice and can be used as a rural tourism destination.
Bihuan Bridge means "Bishuihuan Village". The name of the bridge is "Bihuan" engraved on the forehead, with the upper inscription "Jiajing Guiji" and the lower inscription "Midwinter Dingjian".
Bihuan Bridge is a single-hole arched stone bridge. The bridge deck is mostly paved with bluestone. The total length is 11 meters. The span of the bridge hole is only 2 meters, which can only accommodate small boats.
Why is the small Bihuan Bridge selected as one of the top ten famous bridges in Yongshang?
Bihuan Bridge was originally a wooden bridge. In the twelfth year of Jiajing, that is, 1533 AD, the Wu family rebuilt the wooden bridge into a stone arch bridge and named it "Bihuan Bridge".
The Bihuan Bridge is exquisitely carved. There are ten relief lotus leaf railings beside the bridge, and there are ten gentle steps at the east and west bridge ends, symbolizing "perfection and perfection".
There are 12 columns between the railings. The capitals are carved with lotus flowers, some are double-layered compound lotus, some are double-layered upward lotus, and there are various shapes such as compound lotus, upward lotus, and mixed lotus. The bridge is decorated with colorful cloud patterns. The drum-holding stone is exquisite.
Bihuan Bridge is the smallest bridge among the top ten famous bridges in Yongshang.
7. Guangji Bridge
Nandu Village, Jiangkou Street, Fenghua District, Ningbo City. Guangji Bridge was first built in the second year of Jianlong of Zhao Kuangyin in the Northern Song Dynasty, that is, in 961 AD, when the monk Shiwu , build an earth bridge here.
The earthen bridge was easily destroyed by floods. Later, Yu Tan, a scholar from the city, rebuilt it into a wooden bridge, named Guangji Bridge. It has been renovated and rebuilt many times in the past dynasties.
The existing bridge foundation was built in the 23rd year of the Yuan Dynasty from Kublai Khan to the Yuan Dynasty, that is, 1286 AD. It has been more than 700 years ago.
At that time, Lu Zhen, the administrator of Fenghua County, initiated the reconstruction. The philanthropist Shen Sen funded the construction and hired Xu Cheng, a well-known stonemason, to construct the building.
Build embankments, erect stone pillars, build bridges, lay wooden boards, and build stone pillar and wooden plank covered bridges.
Xu Cheng, a stonemason, was from Xiaoxi, Yin County, which is now Yinjiang Town, Haishu District.
Guangji Bridge, with five piers and four holes, is the only remaining Yuan Dynasty gallery-style bridge in Fenghua District and has high historical value.
The water across the Guangji Bridge was the early County River. The County River originally passed under the Guangji Bridge and meandered through Nandu Village.
The name of Nandu Village comes from the ferry on the river.
As time goes by, the world changes. After the County River changed its course from Shenjiabu Village, it went straight north from the west side of Nandu Village, then turned to the northeast, merged into Fenghua River, and rushed to the sea.
8. Fuxing Bridge
Changzhao Village, Dayan Town, Fenghua District, Ningbo City. The ancient bridge over the county stream at the entrance of the village is called Fuxing Bridge. It spans the county stream and has a stone arch. Five holes, also known as the five-hole bridge.
In 1891 AD, the monk Jingxiu of Putuo Mountain claimed to be guided by Guanyin to build a stone arch bridge across the stream. After seven years of construction, in the 24th year of Guangxu, the bridge was completed in 1898 AD.
People were grateful for the bridge construction and called the monk Jingxiu "Lucky Star", and the bridge he built was called "Lucky Star Bridge".
Fuxing Bridge, with a total length of 96.3 meters and a height of about 14 meters, is the five-hole stone arch bridge with the largest span in eastern Zhejiang and is known as "the first long stone arch bridge in eastern Zhejiang".
The name of the bridge is engraved on the forehead of the middle hole bridge: Fuxing Bridge. The four side holes are engraved with the characters Anlan, Yongqing, Zhuzhu and Changxin respectively, each with its own meaning.
There are also reliefs such as pine cranes, lotus flowers, bamboo chrysanthemums, and pine deer on the stone slabs of the bridge deck. The 28 bridge pillars on both sides are carved with stone sculptures such as lion bodies and lotus flowers, with exquisite workmanship.
Fuxing Bridge, Changzhao Village, the name of the bridge and the name of the village are connected together, Fuxing Changzhao, very interesting!
9. Wuji Bridge
In Xizhang Natural Village, Hudong Village, Huchen Township, Ninghai County, on the Zhongbao River, there is an ancient stone bridge called Wuji Bridge with many holes. 48, so it is also called the 48-hole bridge.
Wuji Bridge was first built in 1848 AD, which was the Wushen year of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty, and was completed in 1849 AD, which was the Jiyou year of Daoguang. Therefore, the characters Wushen and Jiyou were chosen as the bridge names. It is called Wuji Bridge.
Wuji Bridge originally had 48 holes. When building a highway at the bridge head, one bridge hole was filled in. Now there are 47 holes with a total length of 137.5 meters. It is known as the first long stone bridge in eastern Zhejiang, and some experts also call it the longest stone bridge in China. The longest pillar-type stone bridge.
The middle hole is the largest, with a span of 4.3 meters. Before the construction of the Huchen Port Dam in the 1970s, navigation was possible under the bridge. Wuji Bridge was once a rare long bridge across the sea.
10. Wannian Bridge
Yankeng Village, Huangtan Town, Ninghai County, Ningbo City, is located in the triangle area at the junction of Ninghai County, Xinchang and Tiantai, among the lofty mountains. Just a short distance away from the world, the original natural scenery and pleasant landscapes are known as the Shangri-La of Ningbo.
The Wannian Bridge at the entrance of Likeng Village was built in the 25th year of Qianlong’s reign in the Qing Dynasty, that is, AD 1760. The bridge body is entirely made of irregular rocks from the creek without any bonding materials. It's all original and simple.
Before the road to the village was built in 1972, Wannian Bridge was the only gateway for villagers in Yankeng to go out.
The Wannian Bridge has a single-hole arc, shaped like a half-moon, spanning the Dasong River from north to south, and is as powerful as a rainbow.
Irregular stones are arranged on both sides of the bridge deck, which can be used as bridge rails and for resting and chatting.
Wannian Bridge has a total length of 34 meters, a clear bridge deck width of 4.8 meters, a sag height of 10 meters, and a clear span of 18 meters. Among the single-hole ancient bridges in Zhejiang Province, it is second only to the Taishun Pengxi Bridge. , Xinchang Ji'an Bridge and Tiantai Yongfu Bridge ranked fourth.
Among the ancient stone bridges in Ningbo, the single-hole pebble span of the Wannian Bridge ranks first.
The pace of human progress is arduous and vicissitudes of life.
The ancient bridge has brought many pedestrians to the other side.
As time goes by, the ancient bridges are gradually replaced by reinforced concrete bridges.
Architecture is the almanac of the world. When songs and legends have become silent, she still speaks.
So many things from ancient to modern times can be found in the ancient bridge.
When selecting the top ten famous bridges in Yongshang in 1998, the order according to the number of votes was: Lingqiao, Gaoqiao, Guangji Bridge, Huiming Bridge, Tongji Bridge, Bailiang Bridge, Fuxing Bridge , Wuji Bridge, Bihuan Bridge and Wannian Bridge.
If the top ten famous bridges in Yongshang are re-evaluated now, which other bridges should be on the list?