Hebei Hongji Bridge is located in Dongqiao Village, 2.5 kilometers east of Guangfu Ancient City, Yongnian County, Handan City, Hebei Province, and 20 kilometers away from Handan City. The Fuyang River section where it is located flows in the north-south direction, and crosses Fuyang from east to west. It is on the Yang River, so it is a bridge spanning the east and west. Dongqiao Village got its name because it is located to the east of the bridge. Because it is located in the east of the ancient city of Guangfu, the locals also call it "East Bridge" or "Old East Bridge".
It was rebuilt during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty and is commonly known as the East Bridge. The structure of this bridge is similar to that of Zhaozhou Bridge. It is a single-hole double-shoulder stone arch bridge, all made of stones, which is strong, sturdy and beautiful. The main arch is like a flying rainbow, with two small holes on each end, making it a magnificent shape. The bridge is 48.9 meters long, 6.82 meters wide, has a main span of 31.88 meters and a height of 6.02 meters.
Both Hongji Bridge and Zhaozhou Bridge are single-hole open-shoulder stone arch bridges, with basically the same structure and shape. There are 18 square pillars and 17 railings on both sides of the bridge deck, which are engraved with patterns of lions, monkeys, deers, unicorns, pomegranates, peaches, and Wu Song fighting tigers. They are meticulously carved, lifelike, and of high artistic value. The three characters "Hongji Bridge" are engraved in the middle of the railing.
Yongji Bridge and Hongji Bridge not only have similar names, but also have almost the same age, appearance, style, structure and function. The only difference is that Hongji Bridge is slightly smaller, with a length of 48.9 meters, and Zhao The Zhou Bridge is 50.82 meters; secondly, there are four small coupons on the two shoulders of the Zhaozhou Bridge, also known as belly arches, while there are only two small coupons on the two shoulders of the Hongji Bridge.
Construction History
Hongji Bridge is slightly smaller than Zhaozhou Dashiqiao in terms of construction scale, and ranks second among the existing ancient stone arch bridges in the country. Hongji Bridge is located in Dongqiao Village, 2.5 kilometers east of Guangfu Ancient City, Yongnian County, Handan, Hebei Province, and 20 kilometers away from Handan. The Fuyang River section where it is located flows in a north-south direction, so it is an east-west crossing bridge. Dongqiao Village is located to the east of the bridge. And got its name. Because it is located in the east of the ancient city of Guangfu, the locals also call it "East Bridge" or "Old East Bridge". It was originally a wooden bridge. In the 18th year of Hongzhi in the Ming Dynasty (1505), it was converted into a stone bridge and rebuilt in the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty. The bridge is entirely made of stones and has a similar structure to the Zhaozhou Bridge. There are two small coupons attached to both sides of the big coupon, which is beautiful, generous and majestic. It is unknown when the Hongji Bridge was built, but it was rebuilt in the 10th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1582 AD).
On the outside of the middle part of the north and south railings, there are three vigorous and powerful characters "Hongji Bridge". On the side of the characters, there is a stone inscription on the bridge: (subtitles) "Tongzhi, the general judge of the official and the retainer, Zhou Pingtongzhi" Jia Yingbi, the prefect of Guangping Prefecture, was founded by Dong Xuan; it was the auspicious day of Renwu in the tenth year of Wanli. "It is unknown when the Hongji Bridge was built, but it is correct that it was rebuilt in the tenth year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty. Why is it called "Hongji Bridge"? What does "Hongji" mean? The Hongji Bridge across the Fuyang River is a traffic artery located in the three provinces of Hebei, Shandong and Henan. "Guangping Prefecture Chronicles" of the Qing Dynasty records: (subtitles) "It also depends on the Fu River, which reaches Cihan and Jinwei. Wherever the boat goes, trade is carried out from all over the world, so it is not convenient for the people of one county or one town." Traveling. Commerce is extremely convenient. It is called: (subtitle) "Its achievements are very great and its benefits are very helpful." And because when the bridge was being built, people from all directions donated money to help people, supported charity, and fought together, so it was named: " Hongji". Many years ago, the Hongji Bridge was surrounded by smoke and waves. For a while, merchants from Shanxi and Huizhou gathered on the land, and cars and carriages gathered there. On the waterway, there were Jinyan, Yutao, Fengmei, and Handan iron. Boats shuttled there, and there was a scene of going up the river during the Qingming Festival. Hongji Bridge is like "the moon emerging from the water and the rainbow from the drinking stream", which constitutes the prosperous and glorious years of Fuyang River and Guangping Mansion. Here, you will lament the vicissitudes of history and have a different feeling about life and society. There are three vertical and horizontal grooves on both sides of the bridge, which are several inches deep. What are these grooves for? It turns out that the Fuyang River was a "golden waterway". Its navigation history began in the Sui and Tang Dynasties and lasted until the 1960s. The grooves on both sides of the bridge are left by the trackers' ropes. The traces of the fiber have deeply recorded the bitter blood and tears of thousands of fiber pullers over hundreds of years. This is the most authentic witness to the shipping history of the Fuyang River.
Basic structure
The total length of the bridge deck is 44.6 meters, the width is 6.5 meters, and the maximum span is 24.8 meters.
The two small coupons on both sides have a span of about 2.76 meters and a height of 4 meters. The two small coupons at the end have a span of 1.75 meters and a height of 1.02 meters. The whole bridge is composed of 18 single coupons. There are 0.37-0.43 meters wide between coupons. The iron girdle is connected to the waist, and there are 18 square pillars and 17 railings on each side of the bridge deck, engraved with images of lions, peaches, monkeys, pomegranates, deers, unicorns, and Wu Song fighting tigers. There are dragon heads engraved in the middle of the two sides of the large and small coupons, two dragons playing with pearls, flying phoenixes, flying dragons and tangled flowers engraved on the small coupons at the ends of the large coupons. They are exquisitely carved and have high artistic value. The cross-section is square, and the tops of the columns are all stone lions (destroyed during the "Cultural Revolution"). It is now a key cultural relic protection unit at the county level.
Architectural Style
In ancient times, Handan was one of the five ancient cities in my country. At that time, there were no Shanghai and Tianjin, and Handan could be ranked alongside Chang'an, Luoyang, Yangzhou and Huai'an. Because Handan is ancient, it retains a large number of historical relics. It can be traced back to the Cishan Culture 8,000 years ago, which is earlier than the Yangshao Culture. It goes down to the headquarters of the 129th Division during the Anti-Japanese War and the ruins of the capital of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Border Region. It can be said that there is a dazzling array of historical relics from various periods. It is not only the capital of Zhao State, the northern overlord of the Seven Heroes of the Warring States Period, but also the birthplace of a series of ancient idiom stories. It is also the location of Yecheng, the capital of Cao Cao's Wei State, and an important wharf along the Yongji Canal of the Sui-Tang Grand Canal built by Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty. , it was also the companion capital of the Song Dynasty, called Damingfu. At that time, Damingfu had a population of more than one million, more than Kaifeng. It was mentioned many times in "Water Margin" and was later submerged. The Song Dynasty City was completely preserved at 4 meters. Once unearthed from the sand of the Yellow River below, it will be as shocking as the ancient city of Pompeii in Italy. There are Xiangtangshan Grottoes in the foothills of the Taihang Mountains in the west of Handan, which can be listed as the five major Buddhist cave art in my country along with Mogao, Longmen, Yungang and Maijishan. Guangfu City in Yongnian County, Handan, miraculously preserves a well-preserved Ming Dynasty small city wall with a circumference of 9 miles... In short, 18 "national security" and a large number of "provincial security" units have formed Handan's magnificent historical and cultural landscape.
There is a sister bridge like Zhaozhou Bridge in Yongnian County, Handan City. It's called Hongji Bridge. This bridge has stood on the Fuyang River in obscurity for about 1,400 years. A few years ago, before it was rated as a national key cultural relic protection unit, it was still in traffic. It was in excellent condition, quite intact, and full of dignity, which was amazing and amazing.
The Yongji Bridge on the Xiaohe River in Zhao County, commonly known as the Zhaozhou Bridge, was described by Mr. Mao Yisheng in the People's Daily in 1962. He introduced it in an essay called "Chinese Stone Arch Bridge". This article has been included in junior high school Chinese textbooks, so Zhaozhou Bridge is very famous and everyone knows about it. The Hongji Bridge in Handan is not so lucky, and few people know about it. In fact, Yongji Bridge and Hongji Bridge are not only similar in name, but also almost identical in age, appearance, style, structure, and function. They can be called "sister flowers". The only difference is that Hongji Bridge is slightly smaller, with a length of 48.9 meters. The Zhaozhou Bridge is 50.82 meters; secondly, there are four small coupons on both shoulders of the Zhaozhou Bridge, also known as abdominal arches, while there are only two small coupons on the two shoulders of the Hongji Bridge.
Looking from a distance, Hongji Bridge looks like Zhaozhou Bridge. It looks really good-looking and gives people a free and elegant feeling. It is indeed the crystallization of human wisdom and the result of fantastic ideas. , like a rainbow flying from the sky. Small bridges have the advantage of being small. Large bridges often show superb and advanced engineering technology due to their large spans. On the contrary, they are not as integrated and artistic as medium-sized bridges such as Zhaozhou Bridge and Hongji Bridge. Hongji Bridge is not too big, but has an excellent overall feel. It is like a work of art that can be carefully appreciated with the eyes, and it is particularly comfortable to look at. It is so stable and playful at the same time. The feeling at first glance is that it is particularly well-proportioned and ethereal. It is peaceful yet agile, solid yet soft, and exudes a charm of oriental beauty.
It is indeed a great work of art and a masterpiece in the world of human engineering. The Zhaozhou Bridge has been repaired many times, but the Hongji Bridge stands out as more original. Except for one major repair during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, mainly to replace the lookout posts and guardrails, the rest are all original and original, showing Total authenticity.
As soon as you look at the bridge deck, you can tell that it is completely in its original state. It is generally undulating and uneven. The stones have lost their edges and corners. Moreover, due to being worn down by vehicles and trampled by the flow of people all year round, the surface of each stone has become dull. Very smooth. Fortunately the chosen stone is exceptionally strong. The stone material is mainly a kind of blue sandstone, with occasional flower jade and seabed sedimentary rocks. There are actually some paleontological fossils exposed on the surface, with clearly visible trilobites and clams!
Absolutely unique in the world. The large stones were all connected with waist irons. There was no cement back then. The waist irons, also known as iron butterflies, are all intact and still play a connecting role. They are everywhere, showing a sense of authenticity and longevity.
The Hongji Bridge is even more exquisite in details than the Zhaozhou Bridge. For example, there are built-in mortise and tenon structures between the stones, and there are semicircular stone structures on each bridge arch. The quality hook lines are like protruding eyebrows, adding to the three-dimensionality and layering of the sides of the bridge. There are quite complex relief carvings on both sides of the bridge. In addition to the large animal head in the center, there are also engraved four-clawed dragons, galloping horses, connected patterns, etc. In addition to reinforcing the structure, the hook lines may also serve as a shield for the exquisite reliefs on the sides. There is also a small "tidal sound hole" on the bridge. When there is a flood, an alarm will sound as the water and air flow accelerate. All these make Hongji Bridge look more beautiful.
The four abdominal arches on both sides of the bridge shoulders not only reduce the materials used in building the bridge and the total weight of the bridge, but also assist in flood discharge and reduce the lateral pressure of the water. It is very scientific and very practical at the same time. It’s beautiful, with beautiful patterns and clever geometric figures, and it opens up a passage for trackers to cross the bridge. This design was hundreds of years ahead of the world.
The change of the bridge arch from a semicircle to an arc less than a semicircle is also a breakthrough in engineering creativity. The bridge height is reduced to 6.02 meters instead of as high as the radius, which reduces the risk of the bridge deck being too high. The eighteen slender arch stones in the longitudinal direction not only increase the stability of the bridge arch and facilitate construction, but also a revolutionary design concept breakthrough, which is remarkable in the history of bridge construction. progress.
Now, under the four abdominal arches, there are obvious wear marks left by fiber ropes on the stone surface of the bridge arches. There are more than one, indicating that many large ships have passed under this ancient bridge. Trackers We can pass through the abdominal arch and stretch the fiber back and forth on the shore.
At that time, there were north-south ships passing by in the river, which could reach Tianjin directly. There are vehicles and pedestrians passing by on the bridge from east to west, and it is the choke point leading to Shandong and Henan. The existence of Hongji Bridge proves the prosperity and importance of Handan in ancient times.
Perhaps, one day in the future, exquisite fragments of guardrail boards from the Sui Dynasty can be salvaged from the river under the bridge. There must be wonderful carvings and art decorations on them, which will surprise people. Just like Mr. Luo Zhewen discovered the Sui Dynasty carved dragon guardrail under the Zhaozhou Bridge in 1953, I hope it will happen.
The entire bridge of Hongji Bridge is made of stones. It is one of the few ancient bridges with research value in China. It is very similar to Zhaozhou Bridge in structure, shape and construction age, and is known as It is called the companion chapter of Zhaozhou Bridge. Hongji Bridge is a single-hole, double-shoulder open-shoulder stone arch bridge. The large arch is like a flying rainbow, with two small arches on each end. The shape is magnificent. The bridge is 48.9 meters long from east to west and 6.82 meters wide. The span of the main span is 31.88 meters and the height loss is 6.02 meters. The span of the small spans at both ends is 3.5 meters and the arc height is 1.6 meters. The other is 1.9 meters and the arc height is 1.6 meters. 1.05 meters. Why are there two small coupons on each side of the big coupon in Hongji Bridge? This kind of bridge design not only ensures the smooth flow of shipping, but also achieves the purpose of diverting the river water when it rises. At the same time, it reduces the weight of the bridge and saves stone materials. It is also for aesthetic reasons. In order to meet the needs of large ships and the terrain on both sides of Hongji Bridge is relatively low, the lost span of Hongji Bridge is larger than that of Zhaozhou Bridge, the first stone bridge in China. The lost span ratio of Zhaozhou Bridge is 1:5.1 , the lost span ratio of Hongji Bridge is 1:5.3. The whole bridge is built with 18 arch ribs arranged vertically, and the arch ribs are connected by iron waists ranging from 0.37 to 0.43 meters. (Close-up) There are 18 square pillars on each side of the bridge. The pillar heads are carved with lions, monkeys, peach, pomegranate, etc. The local area has "two peaches, two pomegranates, seven lions and eight monkeys, and a yak in the middle." ” argument.
There are 17 railings on each side of the bridge deck. The patterns engraved on the railings are mostly auspicious paintings such as successive feudal lords and more than one year in a row. There are also patterns such as deer, unicorn, Eight Immortals crossing the sea, and Wu Song fighting tigers. The carvings on the pillars and railings are lifelike, exquisite and lovely; there is a dragon head carved between the big ticket and the small ticket, which is a relief of a dragon looking at the water; two dragons playing with beads, a flying phoenix, a flying dragon and a flying horse are engraved on both sides of the big ticket. The tangled flowers engraved on the small coupons at both ends are even more meticulously crafted and lifelike, and have high artistic value.
Current situation
“I have been nostalgic for the east of the ancient city many times, and I have always seen this bridge flying into the water. It is like a magical craftsman wielding a ghost axe, and the clouds come with strange rocks and turn into rainbows. One after another, Hebei and Shandong opened Hongji, Transferring to the key point of Tianjin and Handan. It is planned to set off the boat and chant, and the poems and thoughts are scattered in the blue lotus wind." This freehand description is exactly the Hong Kong River located 2.5 kilometers east of Guangfu Town, Yongnian County, Handan City. Ji Bridge.
The entire bridge of Hongji Bridge is made of stones. It is very similar to Zhaozhou Bridge in structure, shape and construction period. It is called the sister bridge of Zhaozhou Bridge. The bridge is 48.9 meters long from east to west, 6.82 meters wide and 6.02 meters high. The large arch is like a rainbow flying frame, with two small coupons on each side, which is magnificent. The head of the column is carved with lions, monkeys, peach, pomegranate, etc. The patterns carved on the railings on both sides are mostly deer, unicorn, eight immortals crossing the sea and other patterns. There is a relief sculpture of a dragon looking into the water between the large coupon and the small coupon, and the two dragons playing with beads, a flying phoenix, a flying dragon, a flying horse and twining flowers engraved on both sides are even more lifelike. The words "Hongji Bridge" are engraved on the outside of the middle railing of the bridge, and the inscription is "Tianguan Gong's retainer, Tongpan Zhou Ping. Founded by Dong Xuan, the prefect of Guangping Prefecture, Jia Yingbi, and it was established on the tenth day of Wanli's tenth year, Ren Ren, tenth month." There is a stele at the head of the bridge: "There is a stone bridge five miles east of Yongyi City, named 'Hongji'. It was built in the Sui Dynasty and rebuilt during the Wanli Period of the Ming Dynasty." There are three horizontal and four vertical coupons on both sides of the bridge, which are as deep as The tiny grooves are said to be traces left by trackers pulling ropes. Fossils, including trilobites, ancient fish, etc., have attracted people's attention.
Hongji Bridge was once an important transportation artery in the three provinces of Hebei, Shandong and Henan. "The merits are great and the benefits are great." Because when the bridge was being built, people from all directions donated money to help people and supported good deeds, so it was called "Hongji". Quite a few years ago, the bridge was overflowing, and merchants from Shanxi and Huizhou gathered on the road. In the waterway, there are Tianjin salt, Henan pottery, Fengmei and Handan iron. Boats shuttle back and forth, and there is a scene of going up the river during the Qingming Festival. It is like "the moon emerging from the water, the rainbow drinking from the stream", which constitutes the prosperous and glorious years of Fuyang River and Guangping Mansion.
The weather-beaten ancient bridge is a shining page in the history and culture of the Chinese nation.
The Anji Bridge in Zhao County is world-famous and has been written into textbooks; although the Luoyang Bridge in Quanzhou is not tall, it is a pioneering work for humans to use marine life reproduction to fix the bridge body; Suzhou is a well-deserved bridge In the city, the Baodai Bridge next to the Grand Canal is the most outstanding bridge; the Lugou Bridge in the south of Wanping City in Beijing not only has many stone lions, but is also related to the national humiliation of the last century; the ancient water town is like the Three Bridges here and the Zhouzhuang Bridge. The twin bridges are as beautiful and refined as hibiscus emerging from the water. As for the ancient city of Handan, as early as the Yin and Shang Dynasties, there were "giant bridges", the "Toddler's Bridge" built by Shouling Yuzi of Yan State, and the three-foot bridge built by Zhang Guoyan, the minister of the Ming Dynasty. More recently, there is the Qingzhang River Bridge. Nowadays, Hongji Bridge is attracting the attention of tourists again. When people visit this thousand-year-old bridge, they all feel the vicissitudes of history and the diligence and wisdom of the working people.
Cultural Relics Protection
Hongji Bridge is slightly smaller than the Zhaozhou Dashiqiao in terms of construction scale, and ranks second among the existing ancient stone arch bridges in Hebei Province and the country. On May 25, 2006, it was announced by the State Council as the sixth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.
Today, in order to better protect the stone bridge, the local government built a production bridge and a traffic bridge on both sides of it, which not only facilitated production and transportation, but also effectively protected the Hongji Bridge.
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