Not to mention the world-famous Zhao Zhouqiao, Baqiao, Qikong Bridge and other ancient bridges in China, only Liu Fang Bridge, a historical and cultural city at the pier head of Shuiwei in southern Sichuan, is such an antique bridge with great research value. It crosses the Dunzi River in Shuiwei Town and connects Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou ancient salt tea and salt horse road. It is a stone arch bridge with east-west architecture. Although this bridge is located in a mountain village and little known, it plays an important role.
My educated youth went to the countryside at Dunzi, and heard the local old man say that there was no bridge on the ancient Dunzi River. People must cross the river from a row of stone piers placed on shallow stone beaches. When the water rises, it can't pass, and the current is too fast to ferry. Not to mention the inconvenience of going to the market and visiting at home, it is even more difficult to take the ancient road to Yunnan and Guizhou. In order to make the ancient road smooth, people built this ancient stone bridge in the gentle section of the river with the long head of the pier, which solved the difficulty of cross-river transition between the two sides. The villagers were very happy and thought that they had done a great good deed, which should be immortal. Therefore, this stone bridge was named Liu Fang Bridge, which means that future generations will remember the achievements of building the bridge.
Liu Fang Bridge also has a name, Changshou Bridge. It is said that the geomantic omen here is good, and it can outlive this bridge, so it has the name of Longevity Bridge. Strange to say, there are indeed many people living in Baihe Village at the head of Dunzi Farm and Qinggang Village on the other side of Liu Fang Bridge for a long time. I don't know if it's really good feng shui or other reasons, but in my opinion, Dunzi River is clear, with the fragrance of mountain flowers and herbs in the deep mountain canyon. Starting from Huangjing Old Forest in Gulin County, we passed through the ancient osmanthus field in Gu Lin, crossed the valley at Qiaogoutou, and flowed through the flower beds, singing and laughing all the way. This is the clear water in the mountains, won't it benefit the people in the mountains? This is my personal answer. Whether you agree or not, I think so: how can you live long after drinking this clear mountain spring and living in this fresh air?
Liu Fang Bridge is a flat bridge with eight stone piers and nine bridge opening, which was measured by educated youth. The length of the bridge is 33.50m, and the width of the bridge is1.60m.. When the water level is low, the distance between the bridge deck and the water surface is about 2 meters. Although it will save water when the water is high, it will not flood the bridge deck, and people can cross the river to the other side smoothly from above. I remember that as an educated youth, I would cross the bridge to attend classes in the school there every day. I clearly remember that the deck of Liu Fang Bridge was paved side by side on two piers with two green sand strips 4 meters long, 0.8 meters wide and 0.4 meters thick. Every two piers are a group, and the joint is paved, which is solid and spacious and magnificent from a distance. The bridge has a wide platform surrounded by stones. Although there is no bridge fence, pedestrians and animals can safely walk from the bridge to the other side. Two stone dragons are carved on two stone piers in the middle of the bridge. The eyes of the dragon head are wide open and upward, the dragon mouth holds the treasure ball, the scales of the dragon horn are clear and distinct, the dragon ridge holds the bridge, and the dragon tail is downward. Shilong is about 3.7 meters long and 0.6 meters wide. It is vigorous and beautiful, especially in Long Lin, which is exquisitely carved and neatly arranged. Carved in deep relief, it is very delicate and concave-convex. It has placed people's good wishes for auspicious dragons to subdue floods and keep one side safe, and it has also played a role in stabilizing the bridge and making it beautiful.
When the flood strikes, the stray waves will be dispersed, and the bridge body will be stabilized and its stress will be balanced. This kind of architecture shows that in the Qing Dynasty, the bridge construction in China has reached a considerable level, with superb bridge-building skills. Considering not only the firmness of the bridge, but also the shape of the bridge, the bridge body is carefully built under the pressure of water, so it is safe and sound under the impact of hundreds of years of ups and downs, scorching sun and severe winter ice and snow floods. It can't be said that the Liu Fang Bridge is built firmly and inherits the essence of Luban's world-famous Zhao Zhouqiao, which is unique. It is the crystallization of Chinese wisdom. It is as strong and beautiful as Yonghe Bridge and Penglai Bridge, two famous ancient bridges in Yongning City. Although it has withstood the test of hundreds of years of wind and rain, it still has its charm and serves the public.
On both sides of Liu Fang Bridge, towering green hills are closely connected, and the ancient mountain roads are not submerged by pedestrians, caravans and backpackers. It is mainly divided into two ancient roads, north and south, leading to northern Guizhou. South Road goes out of Sichuan via Guandou Mountain and Tianjiapo, and North Road enters Guizhou via Dakanpo in Dashi Township. These two existing sections were listed as national cultural relics protection units in 20 13. Out of curiosity, several educated youths invited them to take a short walk. Starting from Liu Fang Bridge, we went to those ancient mountain roads paved with bluestones. We saw one bluestone after another on the ancient road, with no end in sight, which reminded us of the hardships of paving the road and taking the ancient road. The local old man told us that Dunzichang in Qing Dynasty was a post station on Guchuan-Guizhou Road. At that time, the traffic was inconvenient, and all materials and daily necessities were carried by people. Salt, cloth, lead, tea, mountain products and tung oil were all transported from Yongning to Yunguichuan. At the junction of Yongning three provinces, the wharf is prosperous, and the transshipment goods come from Zhengdong, Mani, Chishui River and Xueshan Pass in the south of Yongning. Yongning North passes through Jiangmen, Maling, Tianchi, Shuiwei, Dunzi, Dashi and Fenghuang, leaving Sichuan and entering Yunnan and Guizhou.
Local specialties, bamboo, tung oil, lead, etc. All of them were transported to Luzhou, Chongqing and other places through these ancient roads. These caravans and caravans, which started from Yongning, took the ancient tea-horse road from north to south and arrived in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan, leaving deep footprints on the ancient road. Liufangqiao Ancient Road is close to Shuiwei, Tianchi, Dashi, Xianglin, Chishui and Baoyuan. It is one of the important bridges between Yanma in southern Sichuan and northern Guizhou and the ancient tea-horse road. Liu Fang Bridge carries people's sweat and hope, information exchange and material collection. Although she is located in the deep mountains, the merchants are busy, the bells are ringing and the hooves are low, which breaks the loneliness of the wilderness in the mountains and carries the economic and cultural exchanges between Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces. The thick bluestone lath stone on the bridge deck and the bridge stone pier standing in the river all the year round are engraved with every inch of historical crease, recording a colorful stroke of that year, accompanying the ancient mountain road and living a hard life.
There is an ancient temple-Shangle Temple next to Liu Fang Bridge. Morning bells and evening drums greet and send many kind men and women across the Liu Fang Bridge with sincere hope and come to Shangle Temple to pray for God and worship Buddha. Some people pray for blessings, some people pray for peace and health, some people pray for children, some people pray for wealth ... There are many pilgrims in the hall, cigarettes curl up and candlelight shines. Some of these pilgrims are local mountaineers, some businessmen from afar, some pawns carrying their husbands, locals, vendors, businessmen, men, women and children, all with sweet hearts, especially when rushing to the temple fair. These are inseparable from the help of the Liu Fang Bridge, which has contributed greatly. Because of her, people coming and going can easily cross the river to Shangle Temple.
When the weather is clear, I like to stand on the ancient bridge in Liu Fang, watching the river break through the valley, and watching Qinggangyan and Baiheyan stand quietly on both sides waiting. Gutian is long, canyons are long, ancient trees and bamboos are interdependent, flowing water is gurgling, water waves are clear, and tranquility becomes a picture of a bumper year, a picture of harmony between man and nature. Looking back and touching the scene, how can we not feel relaxed and happy with all my heart?
Liu Fang Bridge is rooted in the mountains and stands on the land of Yongning. After hundreds of years of wind and rain, it has not wavered, and has undertaken the process of historical development in mountainous areas, becoming a traffic button for people to communicate happily, benefiting the people and future generations. 1994 was listed as a county-level cultural relics protection unit. It is integrated with Guanyinge Bridge on Xiudunzi River at 1973 (this bridge is 5km north of Liu Fang Bridge) and Jidong Bridge on Xiudunzi River at 1976 (this bridge is 3km south of Liu Fang Bridge and beside Long Jun Temple Highway). Three bridges are beautiful, three bridges are fragrant!
On the Liu Fang Bridge in the middle, although the number of people in the past is greatly reduced compared with that in the Qing Dynasty, its nature is still the same. She is still serving the villagers and has become an ancient and beautiful landscape, which reminds people of those long stories in the past. Shangle Temple was rebuilt in 1952, and Dunzi Primary School was established to help groups of Shanliwa take off from here and soar in the blue sky. Accompanied by the sound of books, generations walked on the Liu Fang Bridge. Once again, she carries beautiful memories, smiles and walks into a new era, deeply stares at the great changes in Xuyong Mountain, and walks into a new painting. (Sun Xue)