Revisiting Jinze
Over eight years ago, I traveled to Jinze, Qingpu District, Shanghai, to see its ancient bridges. That visit left me deeply impressed by the rustic, tranquil allure of the water town and its six time-worn stone bridges. Ever since, I'd wanted to return for a closer look. On February 15, 2021—the fourth day of the Lunar New Year—I made a special, long-haul trip back to Jinze.
From Danshui Road, I took the Hu-Shang Express bus to Jinze Bus Station. Walking east along Jinxi Road for a short stretch, I soon reached Xiatang Street. Heading north along Xiatang, the first sight was Tianhuangge Bridge, the only three-arch stone bridge in Jinze.
Built in the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt in the 37th year of the Kangxi reign (1698), it was named after the Temple of the Heavenly Emperor that once stood at its northern end—a temple long gone now, with houses lining both banks. In the center of the bridge deck, a carved ruyi motif is flanked by Buddhist reliefs of the wheel of life, banners, and lotus thrones; the bridge pillars bear inscriptions of "Namo Amitabha." Its baluster posts are adorned with lifelike stone lions, exquisitely carved.
Tianhuangge Bridge has a tall arch, surpassed in Qingpu only by Fangsheng Bridge in Zhujiajiao. It is a rare Jiangnan-style three-arch stone bridge, with a large central arch flanked by smaller side arches scaled down in proportion—graceful and practical for boat passage and flood control.
While I was standing on the southwest bank admiring the bridge, a little girl came hopping along the waterside steps into my camera frame, adding a splash of life to the old stone bridge.
Crossing Tianhuangge, I continued north along Xiatang Street. An old building on the west side, called the Xujia Hall, caught my eye. A plaque indicated it was once a grand six-courtyard mansion. Stepping inside, I found only three courtyards left, forlorn and crumbling; an elderly woman sat in silence before the hall.
Further north, at the northern edge of Jinze, I reached Wan'an Bridge. Spanning east–west across the town's main waterway, Jinxi River, it's a single-arch stone bridge, 29 meters long, 2.6 meters wide, and 5.5 meters high. Built in the first year of the Jingding era (1260) of the Southern Song Dynasty, it was repaired many times in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Its structure, shape, and stonework are nearly identical to the later Puji Bridge at Jinze's southern end, so the two are called "Sister Bridges." According to the *Brief Records of Jinze*, "Among Jinze's forty-two rainbows, Wan'an is the first." Logically, it should be the town's oldest stone bridge, yet many sources instead call Puji Bridge the best-preserved and oldest in the Shanghai region.
It is said that Wan'an Bridge originally had a pavilion with a nanmu-wood roof on its deck, where travelers could rest and enjoy the view—hence it was also called "Pavilion Bridge." At its east end stood a temple named Foguo Pavilion, and at its west end a Caishen Pavilion, so the bridge "carried" a temple at each end—a feature rarely seen in Jiangnan water towns. Today, the pavilion and both temples are gone, and that unique "bridge carrying temples" scene belongs to history.
Standing on Wan'an Bridge and gazing south over the Jinxi River, I drank in the early-spring rustic tranquility of Jinze's water-town scenery at its purest.
Crossing Wan'an, I reached Shangtang Street on the river's east bank. Walking south, I came to Tahui Bridge, a single-slab stone beam bridge over the Beishengbang inlet. The bridge is very old, rebuilt in the Ming Jiajing period, and later converted to a concrete slab bridge. Today, the abutments may still be original, but the deck—once concrete—has been refaced with stone and can hardly be considered an ancient bridge.
Tahui Bridge stands at the confluence of the Jinxi River and Beishengbang inlet, probably the town's historic center. Looking west from it, I could see Tianhuangge Bridge on Xiatang Street. It's said a Yuantong Nunnery and an old pagoda once stood nearby. In the past, Jinze was a prosperous land of fish and rice, and Beishengbang beside Tahui Bridge was a distribution hub where large merchant houses clustered. Now the nunnery and pagoda are gone, and the old market streets have vanished; only a tea house at the northwest end adds a touch of antiquity and weathered charm.
Heading south along Shangtang, crossing Jinxi Road, and continuing south a short way, I came to Puqing Bridge, built in 1999. It copies the style of the rainbow bridge over the Bian River in Zhang Zeduan's famous Song Dynasty painting *Along the River During the Qingming Festival*. This single-span wooden arch bridge, spanning east–west across the Jinxi River, was constructed for a documentary by the U.S. production company WBGH, using ancient bridge-building techniques without scaffolding. Sixty-four arch timbers and five cross beams were bound together without a single nail, recreating the exquisite craftsmanship of ancient China in a bridge of splendid, ornate beauty.
Puqing Bridge is not ancient, but built according to traditional methods, it fits seamlessly into the old water town. Viewed from a distance, its vermilion body adds a festive, bright splash of color to the town.
As in any water town, stone steps and landing platforms line the Jinxi River. Wooden boats carrying sightseeing tourists glide over the water now and then, offering a glimpse of the waterborne traffic in the days when life revolved around the waterways.
Not far south of Puqing Bridge stands Puji Bridge, similar in form to its sister, Wan'an. Built in the third year of the Xianchun era (1267) of the Southern Song and given stone railings during a Qing Yongzheng-era renovation, this bridge is over 750 years old and hailed as "Shanghai's No. 1 Bridge"—the best-preserved and oldest stone bridge in the Shanghai region.
Spanning east–west across the Jinxi River, Puji is a single-arch round-backed stone bridge, 26.7 meters long, 2.75 meters wide, with an arch span of 10.5 meters. Its arch rings are laid in the same manner as the famous Zhaozhou Bridge in Hebei Province. With a gentle slope and a relatively narrow deck, it displays the clear characteristics of a Song Dynasty stone arch bridge. The name ring bears the inscription "Third Year of Xianchun" (now blurred), and lotus-banner motifs are carved on the inner arch stones.
The chief feature of Puji Bridge is its stone: much of it is a purple-hued rock. Though later repairs have introduced bluestone and granite, the bridge remains predominantly a neat purple-stone structure. It is said that after a rain, the deck gleams, so the bridge is commonly called the "Purple Stone Bridge." Many Song Dynasty stone bridges in Jiangnan originally used purple stone; Wan'an Bridge probably did too, but centuries of repairs using non-purple stone mean it can no longer deservedly be called by that name. Comparing the two sisters, the "elder sister" Wan'an, built a few years earlier, looks more weathered than the "younger sister" Puji. Most of Jinze's old bridges have approach ramps at each end, and Puji is the most typical.
Leaving Puji, I continued south along Shangtang Street to the southern end of Jinze and came to Fangsheng Bridge—my most memorable viewpoint. From the northwest end of Fangsheng Bridge, looking north, I saw Puji Bridge; looking south, I saw Ruyi Bridge, which aligns directly with it.
Fangsheng Bridge was first built in the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt in the first year of the Chongzhen reign (1628). Because the river below was called Fangsheng River, the bridge took its name; it is also known as Zongguan Bridge because a Zongguan Temple once stood at its north end. Zongguan Temple was supposed to be a Daoist shrine, reportedly built in the Ming Dynasty and dedicated to Jin Yuanqi, a native of Kaifeng said to have been loyal and selfless. After his death, the imperial court granted him the title of Zongguan deity and ordered temples built in his honor; however, the temple here is now a small Buddhist hall.
I suppose "Life-Releasing River" was not its original name, perhaps coined because worshippers at the temple often released captive fish. It is said that during the two major incense festivals on the 28th day of the third lunar month and the ninth day of the ninth month, pilgrims carrying yellow incense bags would release fish and snails beneath the bridge as an act of charity and piety.
Fangsheng is a single-arch stone bridge, 25.2 meters long and 4 meters high, repaired multiple times after the Ming and Qing eras. Its stones are sturdy granite and bluestone, and a couplet is engraved on the pillars: "The bridge links with Ruyi to join broad thoroughfares; water flowing from the deep pool channels delicate grace."
Crossing Fangsheng and walking south along Shangtang less than a hundred meters, I reached Ruyi Bridge. Built toward the end of the Yuan Dynasty's Zhiyuan era (1279–1294) and rebuilt in the first year of the Ming Chongzhen reign (1768? Actually that should be 1628–1644; here it says 1768 which corresponds to Qing Qianlong 33, but the original says Ming Chongzhen yuan nian, maybe a mistake, but I'll keep as translated: rebuilt in 1768 according to the text. The text: 明崇祯元年(1768年)重修 – that's inconsistent. I'll just keep the year as given: 1768. But 1768 is Qing, not Ming. I'll translate as "rebuilt in the first year of the Chongzhen reign (1628)" wait, Chinese says 明崇祯元年(1768年)重修, that's an error. In the original text, it says 明崇祯元年(1768年)重修, which cannot be correct. I'll just keep the year 1768 as given and not comment, or I can phrase it: rebuilt in 1768 (though historically the bridge existed earlier). The original might have a typo. For translation, I'll present the given date: "rebuilt in 1768" and not mention dynasty. I'll state it as "rebuilt in 1768" and avoid the contradiction. Actually the Chinese says: 明崇祯元年(1768年)重修, so I'll just say "rebuilt in 1768." The bridge is 20.8 meters long, 3.4 meters wide. Because a Zushi Temple once stood at its south end, it is also called Zushi Bridge.
Ruyi Bridge is the most striking arch bridge in Jinze. Its high, round arch and its reflection in the clear water form a perfect full circle. Built entirely of neatly dressed granite, its deck is carved with a coiling dragon and a ruyi motif on the right end. Pillars on both sides bear couplets: the east side reads, "For past and future causes, Ruyi Bridge fulfills one's wishes; as the name suggests, Zushi Temple teaches by the guiding of goodness." The west-side couplet, attributed to the Ming dynasty statesman Liu Bowen, reads, "Turning perils into smooth paths, may all be as you wish forever; relying on broad charity to help all, safe journey all along."
Crossing Ruyi and continuing south, I reached Yingxiang Bridge at Jinze's very southern tip. Built during the Yuan Dynasty's Zhiyuan era (1335–1340) and repaired in the Ming Tianshun period and in the 33rd year of the Qing Qianlong reign (1768), it is a beam-frame stone bridge with six pillars and five arches, 34.25 meters long and 2.14 meters wide. Four rows of five long bluestone slabs form the pillars, creating five channels.
The deck is paved with gray bricks set in lime-sticky-rice mortar—the only such brick deck I've ever seen on an old stone bridge. It is said that because Yuan Dynasty Mongol cavalry often galloped across, Yingxiang Bridge has a gentle longitudinal slope, no steps, and no railings. Its whole body curves slightly, like a long rainbow lying across the river, delicate and light. "Yingxiang Bridge under the Night Moon" is one of the Eight Scenic Views of Jinze, praised as "the moon imprinted on the flowing stream, water and sky a single hue."
Crossing Yingxiang, I returned to Xiatang Street. There were some old houses worth seeing; a few had once served as grain depots or factories. One former sewing-machine factory now has a display room of vintage Shanghai-made sewing machines—Butterfly and Flying Man brands I remembered from childhood—and even ration coupons from the era of scarcity.
Near Puqing Bridge, a woman selling local pastries told me there were several more ancient bridges in Jinze's northern market area, and that the water route to Zhujiajiao once had many bridges. So I followed Shangtang Street north, passed Wan'an Bridge, and kept going—and unexpectedly discovered Linlao Bridge at the northern edge of town, one I had missed on my previous visit.
Linlao Bridge is a single-arch bluestone bridge, first built in the Yuan Dynasty (1264–1294) and repaired in the Ming and Qing periods. It is 24 meters long, about 4.5 meters high, 2.7 meters wide, with an arch span of 8.4 meters and height of 3.35 meters. Built of mixed bluestone and granite, it has low stone guardrails, baluster posts, and drum-shaped bearing stones. Years of wear have made the bluestone deck very smooth, giving it an air of antique elegance. The north end faces a Guandi Temple, so it is also called Guandi Bridge. I wondered whether a broken stone pillar on the west side at the northern end might be a remnant of an old memorial arch from the temple.
According to the *Brief Records of Jinze*, this bridge was funded by a Jinze native named Lin Qing during the Yuan Dynasty. To commemorate him, it was named "Old Lin's Bridge." Lin Qing rose to the official rank of Xuanwei Shi, a man of wide learning, wisdom, and modesty, with a large library. He poured his wealth into building bridges and temples in Jinze, financing not only Linlao Bridge but also rebuilding Yangye Temple and restoring Wan'an Bridge.
As I strolled among Jinze's seven ancient stone bridges—Linlao, Wan'an, Tianhuangge, Puji, Fangsheng, Ruyi, and Yingxiang—spanning the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, I felt a serene, distant, and deeply pensive mood wrapping around me. The flavor of historical and cultural relics is like aged wine or fine tea: subtly fragrant and lingering. Hours passed unnoticed, and it was time to say goodbye again. Years from now, I will still remember the ancient bridges of Jinze that I once walked.
