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Spanning city’s rivers and history
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SOME 2,500 years ago, ancient Chengdu suffered severely from frequent floods due to the city’s network of rivers. Then in 256 BC, legendary engineer and administrator Li Bing built the world’s famous Dujiangyan Dam, starting a new era for the city.
According to historic documents, Chengdu’s history of bridge building was also started by Li, who constructed seven across the Jin River. Although the original bridges have disappeared into history, their significance and legacy spans the ages.
After these first structures were built, numerous bridges made from materials ranging from stone and iron to wood and bamboo were erected throughout Chengdu. Around the time of the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and early Republic of China (1911-1949), the city boasted 192 bridges, each a witness to the flow of lives, stories and history.
Locals liked to name a road after the bridge it connected with, which is why the city has 40 to 50 roads with the same name as bridges.
Over time, simple stone, wooden and iron bridges could not meet the needs of modern society and were superseded by modern flyovers and other large concrete structures spanning Chengdu’s waters.
But no matter how much the city changes, the old bridges still witness the city’s rhythms and flows, just as they have always done.
Shanghai Daily has picked four bridges featuring classical designs that typify the glory days of Chengdu bridge building.
Anshun Covered Bridge
This bridge made a deep impression on Venetian merchant Marco Polo when he traveled around China during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). In the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the bridge was ruined by floods, but it was later restored and given its present-day name Anshun — which literally means “safe and smooth” in Chinese.
Perhaps blessed by this auspicious name, the bridge remained safe for nearly 300 years until it was again damaged by a deluge in the late 1990s. Early this century, local government rebuilt it, recreating its original appearance.
Measuring 81 meters long and 6 meters wide, the bridge is almost entirely enclosed by structures characterized by bluestone carved handrails, painted beams and upturned eaves.
Dujiangyan South Bridge
The Dujiangyan Dam is considered a marvel of ancient irrigation technology. The dam in Sichuan Province was built in 256 BC during the Warring States Period (476-221 BC).
It is still in use today, helping prevent floods and ensuring crops over a 5,300-square-kilometer area receive adequate water.
The dam was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 2000 and it works in conjunction with Yuzui Levee, Feisha Weir and Baoping Channel. Dujiangyan is also a famous tourist attraction with picturesque scenery and places of interest like Anlan Bridge, Lingyan Temple and Cuiyue Lake.
Dujiangyan South Bridge spans the Min River near the irrigation infrastructure. It is also a covered bridge, adorned with fresco, folk drawings and calligraphy.
The bridge has had its ups and downs since its completion in 1878, having contended with flood, war and sabotage. But it still exists today, thanks to restoration efforts.
The devastating Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 almost destroyed the bridge. However, local government spent months strengthening, restoring and ultimately saving this historic structure.
Wanfu Bridge
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The name of this bridge is attached with blessing — wanfu means thousands of good fortune in Chinese. The original ancient Wanfu Bridge was destroyed by floods in 1947 and was replaced by the current concrete structure.
The old Wanfu Bridge may have gone, but many stories attached to it still survive. According to tradition, it was believed that anyone who walked across the bridge during the Spring Festival would enjoy good luck.
Locals would flock to the bridge with devout wishes during the first couple of days of Chinese New Year. And although the old bridge is gone, the custom still continues.
Today, on the original site of Wanfu Bridge sits the Renmin Road North Bridge. When some Chengdu natives get married, they stop by the bridge in the hope that some of the auspicious bridge’s good luck rubs off on them.
Good food as well as good luck is associated with the bridge. Local time-honored brand Chen Mapo tofu opened its first food stall on Wanfu Bridge many years ago and the company’s headquarters are still located beside the present-day bridge.
Jiuyan Bridge
Jiuyan means “nine eyes” in Chinese, vividly reflecting the bridge’s nine arch “eyes.” In the 1950s, the bridge was a rendezvous for poor people who earned a living in the timber trade, traveling from Chengdu to Chongqing on the waterways.
A booming trade saw businesses spring up around the bridge. Old photographs show that shops ranging from groceries and food stalls to barbershops were dotted along nearby streets.
The bridge was paved with thousands of slabs, including one with an imprint of a human foot. Locals said it was left by Tieguai Li, an immortal who descends to Earth in the form of a beggar and uses his power to fight for the oppressed and needy.
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