Qing Dynasty Stone Bridge Still Worked at Nanbu, Sichuan China
There was a stone bridge at the junction of Zhaobaiwan Village and Liujiaxiang Village of Xiaoyuan Suncounty, Nanbu County, named Baxian Bridge, which was once the necessary bridge in the official road from Chengdu to Langzhong.
Baxian Bridge is established over 10-meter wide Fanshui River (also known as Wangjia River). The ancient road connected with the bridge was called Zhongda Road, 5 to 7 meters in width. It was a must through road in ancient times to deliver official documents and mails. It could reach Langzhong in the east and Chengdu in the west. About 1,700 years ago, when Zhang Fei, a well-known general in Three Kingdoms period, led his troops to guard Langzhong from Chengdu, he took this way. At the mountainside of Zhaojun Mountain, at Liuyi Subcounty, Nanbu County, there was a spring dug by Zhang Fei’s horse for it was too thirsty. Local people called this spring as "Horse-Dug Spring".
However, the bridge Zhang Fei passing through on horse was destroyed in the war. In 1803, the government constructed another single arch stone bridge in the official road. Because there was a Guanyin Temple at the east hills, it was called Guanyin Bridge. The bridge was 10 meters in length, 5 meters in width, and 8 meters in height. The bridge is 1.5 meters over the ground, and there are 10 steps linked with the road at each side. There was a stone curved dragon head at the middle of the arch at the upstream side, with 4 characters, namely "Fei Long Zai Tian" (meaning dragon flying in the heaven) at the head of the dragon head. The dragon head soars to heaven with grand and awesome style. There is a dragon tail curved in the arch of downstream side, with 4 characters, namely "Bei Dao Ling Yun" (meaning this road was magnificent). These characters are written in Liu style with great vigorous force.
Although the stone bridge is solid, it could not stand the erosion by the storms over the years. It is inevitable to be dilapidated. In the last century there have been 3 times of repair and maintenance. In recent years, some villagers filled the steps into slopes with soil for the convenience of building houses. Some trucks, excavators, bulldozers and so on also passed through the bridge. Mr. Chen Gang, director of Relics Management Bureau of Nanbu County, said, "This is not only a bridge, but also an ancient construction with high protection value." Some insight people worried about the bridge being destroyed by overload. They appealed for further protection for the bridge. "The most urgent thing is to prohibit vehicle traffic and recover a pedestrian bridge." Some people said.