More than eight years ago, I went to Jinze, Qingpu, Shanghai to see the ancient bridges. I was deeply impressed by the simple and tranquil charm of the ancient water town and the six ancient bridges that have experienced years of ups and downs, and I intend to visit those ancient bridges again. On February 15, 2021, the fourth day of the new year, I made a special trip to Kanazawa for a long time.

Take the Shanghai-Shanghai Expressway special line on Danshui Road to Kanze Bus Station. Go east along Jinxi Road and you will reach Xiatang Street. Walking northbound along Xiatang Street, you first see the Tianwangge Bridge, the only three-hole stone arch bridge in Kanazawa.

This bridge was built in the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt in 1698 in the 37th year of Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. Because there is the Emperor Temple on the north side of the bridge, the name of the temple is the name of the bridge. Now the temple no longer exists, and both sides of the bridge are filled with residential buildings.

In the center of the bridge deck of the Emperor Pavilion, there is a ruyi pattern of stone carvings, and there are embossed Buddhist patterns such as "Samsara","Treasure Banner" and "Lotus Seat". The pillars of the bridge are engraved with the words "Nanno Amitabha".

Exquisite stone lions are carved on the observation pillars of the Emperor Pavilion Bridge, which are lifelike.

The Tianhuang Pavilion Bridge is tall and tall, only second to the exhilaration bridge at Zhujiajiao in Qingpu. It is a rare three-hole connected stone bridge in the south of the Yangtze River. There is a large hole in the middle. The small holes on both sides are reduced according to the proportion of the bridge. It is both beautiful and convenient for boat transportation and flood drainage.

While I was stopping to watch the bridge on the southwest side of the bridge, a little girl jumped happily to the water bridge beside the bridge and entered my lens, adding a touch of color to the ancient stone bridge.

Crossing the Tianhuang Pavilion Bridge and continuing northbound along Xiatang Street, the old house named Xujiating on the west side of the street attracted your attention. Judging from the nameplate of the scenic spot, Xu's Hall was originally a large house with six entrances.

Walking into the old house, I found that the Xu family hall was a deserted courtyard with only three rooms left. An old woman was sitting alone in front of the hall silently.

Continue northbound along Xiatang Street and see Wan'an Bridge located at the northern tip of Jinze Town.

The Wan'an Bridge, which spans the Jinxi River of the Kanze City River from east to west, is a single-hole stone arch bridge with a length of 29 meters, a width of 2.6 meters and a height of 5.5 meters. It was built in the Jingding year of the Southern Song Dynasty (1260) and renovated many times in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The structure, shape and stone use of this bridge are basically the same as the Puji Bridge in the south of Jinze Town, which was built several years later. The two bridges span the same river and face each other from north to south, so they are called sister bridges. "Kanazawa Xiaozhi" said: "Kanazawa has forty-two rainbows, Wan'an is the leader." It is reasonable that Wan'an Bridge should be the oldest stone bridge in Kanazawa, but somehow many sources call the Puji Bridge the best preserved and oldest stone bridge in Shanghai.

It is said that Wan'an Bridge was originally built with nanmu pavilions on the bridge deck, where passers-by could rest and watch the scenery, so it is also called Pavilion Bridge. There is a temple called Buddha Kingdom Pavilion on the east side of the bridge, and there is a God of Wealth Pavilion on the west side of the bridge. Two temples are raised on one bridge, which was called Qiaotou Temple in ancient times. This is rare in ancient towns in Jiangnan. Today, the pavilions on the Wan'an Bridge and the temples on both sides of the bridge no longer exist, and the landscape of the bridge temple has become history.

Stop on the Wan'an Bridge and look south on both sides of the Jinxi River. This is the charm of the ancient town of Jinze in the early spring.

After crossing Wan'an Bridge, we arrived at Shangtang Street on the east bank of Hexi. Walking south along the street, we saw Tahui Bridge across Beisheng Bang.

The Tahui Bridge is a single-hole stone beam bridge that has been built for a long time. It was rebuilt during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty and was later converted into a cement slab bridge. The current Tahui Bridge may have an antique base, and the bridge deck has been replaced with a cement bridge deck, so it cannot be considered an ancient bridge.

The intersection of the Jinxi River and Beishengbang River should be the center of the ancient town of Kanze. Standing on the bridge and looking west is the Tianwangge Bridge on Xiatang Street. It is said that there used to be Yuantong Temple and an ancient tower beside Tahui Bridge. In the past, Jinze was a famous land of fish and rice in Jiangnan. Beishengbang on Tahui Bridge was a distribution center for fish and rice. Some large-scale commercial companies were near Tahui Bridge. Nowadays, the nunnery and pagodas no longer exist, and the city streets are no longer there. Only the teahouse in the northwest side of the bridge adds some ancient flavor and vicissitudes to the Tahui Bridge.

Traveling south along Shangtang Street, crossing Jinxi Road, and continuing south along Shangtang Street, you will see the Puqing Bridge built in 1999 in the style of the Bianshui Hongqiao in the "Qingming Festival" by Song painter Zhang Zeduan.

This east-west single-hole wooden arch bridge across the Jinxi River was built by WBGH Plate Making Company of the United States for the production of the "China Hongqiao" program. It was built in full accordance with the ancient bridge-building process without brackets. 64 arch rings and 5 beam woods are formed into an arch ring, all tied together in a binding manner. The entire bridge does not use a single nail, reproducing the superb bridge-building process of ancient China and having gorgeous and rich beauty.

Puqing Bridge is not an ancient bridge, but Puqing Bridge built according to ancient methods has no sense of violation in Jinze Ancient Town. From a distance, the vermilion bridge adds a festive and bright color to the ancient town of the water town.

There is always a river port water bridge in ancient towns in water towns. River port stone steps and water bridges can be seen everywhere on both sides of the Jinxi River. Wooden boats carrying tourists to tour and view the river are passed on from time to time, allowing people to appreciate a little bit of the water town market in the past when water transportation was the main focus. The scene of boats traveling in the market town.

Not far south of Puqing Bridge is Puji Bridge, which is similar in shape to Wan'an Bridge.

This sister bridge of Wan'an Bridge was built in the third year of Xianchun in the Southern Song Dynasty (1267). Stone railings were added when it was rebuilt in the early years of Yongzheng in the Qing Dynasty. It has been around for more than 750 years and is known as the "First Bridge in Shanghai" and the most well-preserved and oldest stone bridge in Shanghai.

The Puji Bridge, which spans the Jinxi River in the east-west direction, is a single-arch arc-shaped stone arch bridge with a length of 26.7 meters and a width of 2.75 meters. The arch ring construction is the same as the famous Zhaozhou Bridge in Hebei Province. The Puji Bridge has a gentle slope and a narrow deck, which has obvious characteristics of a stone arch bridge in the Song Dynasty. The bridge collar is engraved with the inscription "Three Years of Xianchun", the writing is blurred, and the shape of a lotus flag is engraved on the coupon stone inside the arch.

The biggest feature of Puji Bridge is its stone, most of which are purple stone. Although the bridge stones were replaced in later generations, and the bridge body was mixed with bluestone, granite and other stones, it was still a neat purple stone bridge on the whole.

It is said that when the rain is clear, the bridge deck is crystal and shiny, like a gem bridge inlaid with purple stone, so Puji Bridge is commonly known as the "Purple Stone Bridge".

In the Song Dynasty, the majority of the Jiangnan stone bridges were made of purple stones, and the Wan'an Bridge in Jinze should have once been a purple stone bridge. However, due to its long history, the number of non-purple stone bridge stones repaired and maintained by later generations has far exceeded the original purple stones, which can no longer be called "Purple Stone Bridge". Compared with the two sister bridges, the "Sister Bridge" Wan'an Bridge, which was built a few years earlier, is much more experienced than the "Sister Bridge" Puji Bridge.

Most of the ancient bridges in Kanazawa have access bridges on both sides, and the Puji Bridge is the most typical.

Leaving Puji Bridge, continue southward along Shangtang Street, and come to the Fangsheng Bridge at the southern end of Jinze Ancient Town. This is the viewing spot that impressed me the most.

Standing on the northwest side of the Fangsheng Bridge, you can see the Puji Bridge looking north, and looking south, you can see the Ruyi Bridge connected to the Fangsheng Bridge.

Fangsheng Bridge was built in the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt in the first year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty (AD 1628). Because the bridge is the mouth of the Fangsheng River, it is called the "Fangsheng Bridge", and because there is a main manager temple on the north side of the bridge, it is also called the "main manager Bridge". As the name suggests, the Zongguan Temple should be a Taoist temple. It is said that it was built in the Ming Dynasty. Legend has it that the god worshipped Jinyuanqi was a native of Kaifeng. He was loyal and selfless and fearless all his life. After his death, he was granted the title of the Zongguan God and set up a temple for sacrifice. However, now the Zongguan Temple is a small Buddhist temple.

I think "Release the River" is not its real name. Maybe it's because it's often released when there are temples along the river, so it's named. It is said that during the two major incense announcements on the 28th of the third month and the 9th day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar, many pilgrims carry yellow fragrant bags on their shoulders and release fish and snails under the Fangsheng Bridge to show their charity and piety towards Bodhisattva.

The Fangsheng Bridge is a single-hole stone arch bridge with a length of 25.2 meters and a height of 4 meters. It was rebuilt many times after the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The bridge stones are made of granite and bluestone, which are of a strong texture. The bridge pillars are engraved with couplets "The bridge connects the road as ruyi, and the water flows out of the bay and the pool to the delicate."

After walking through the Fangsheng Bridge, you will find the Ruyi Bridge less than 100 meters south along Shangtang Street.

The Ruyi Bridge located in Dongsheng Port was built between the Yuan and Yuan Dynasties (1279 - 1294) and renovated in the first year of Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty (1768). The bridge is 20.8 meters long and 3.4 meters wide. Because the south side of the bridge originally had a Ancestral Temple, Ruyi Bridge is also called Ancestral Bridge.

Ruyi Bridge is the most eye-catching stone arch bridge in Kanazawa. The high circular bridge arch connects with the reflection in the clear water, forming a perfect circle.

Ruyi bridges are all made of granite, neatly chiseled, the bridge deck is carved with a dragon dragon, and there is a Ruyi pattern on the right end. The bridge pillars on both sides are engraved with bridges, and on the east side are "The former fruits and later the Ruyi Bridge". As the name suggests, the founder and temple master are good teachers." It is said that the bridge on the west side was written by Liu Bowen of the Ming Dynasty,"Turn danger into a smooth road for a long time, and Lai Bo will use it to help the people have a safe journey."

After crossing Ruyi Bridge and continuing southbound along Shangtang Street, you will reach Yingxiang Bridge at the southern end of Jinze Ancient Town.

Yingxiang Bridge was built during the Yuan Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty (1335 - 1340), twice during the Tianshun period of the Ming Dynasty (1457 - 1464) and the 33rd year of Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1768). The bridge is a six-column and five-hole beam-frame stone bridge, with a total length of 34.25 meters and a width of 2.14 meters. Five pieces of bluestone are juxtaposed to form a stone wall bridge column with four standing in the water, forming five bridge holes.

The bridge deck of Yingxiang Bridge is paved with blue bricks made of lime and glutinous rice mixed with slurry to form a brick bridge deck, which is the only one I have ever seen in the ancient stone bridge. It is said that because Mongolian cavalry in the Yuan Dynasty often had to gallop across the bridge, the longitudinal slope of Yingxiang Bridge was gentle, and the bridge deck was paved with bricks without bridge steps or railings.

The entire body of Yingxiang Bridge is slightly arc-shaped, spanning the water like a long rainbow lying on the river. The bridge is thin and exquisite. "Yingxiang Night Moon" is listed as one of the eight scenic spots in Jinze, and is known as "the moon seals the river flows, and the water and sky are one color".

Cross Yingxiang Bridge and return to Xiatang Street. There are some old houses to see on the street, some of which were once used as grain depots and factories.

A showroom in a house that used to be a sewing machine factory displays sewing machines made in Shanghai at that time. There are Butterfly Brand and Flying Brand sewing machines that I was familiar with when I was a child, as well as sewing machine purchase vouchers from the era of material scarcity.

When I crossed Puqing Bridge again, a woman selling local cakes by the bridge told me that there were several ancient bridges in the northern city of Jinze Ancient Town, and there were many ancient bridges along the waterway leading to Zhujiajiao. I went northbound along Shangtang Street, crossed Wan'an Bridge and continued northbound. I accidentally found Linlao Bridge at the northern end of Jinze Town, which I had not seen the last time I was in Jinze.

Linlao Bridge is a single-hole bluestone stone arch bridge. It was built in the Yuan Dynasty (1264 - 1294) and repaired in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Linlao Bridge is 24 meters long, 4.5 meters high, 2.7 meters wide, 8.4 meters span and 3.35 meters high. It is a mixture of bluestone and granite, and there are stone low guardrails, lookout columns and drum stones on both sides.

Due to age, the bluestone on the bridge deck is very smooth and looks simple and elegant.

Linlaoqiao Bridge faces Guandi Temple in the north, so it is also known as Guandi Bridge. I wonder if this remnant stone pillar on the west side of the north head of the bridge is a relic of the original archway in front of Guandi Temple?

According to the "Kanazawa Xiaozhi", this bridge was built with the capital of Lin Qing, a native of Jinze in the Yuan Dynasty. In order to commemorate it, the bridge was called "Lin Lao Bridge". Lin Qingguan became the envoy of Xuanwei. He was knowledgeable, intelligent, humble, and had a lot of books. He devoted himself to building bridges and temples in Jinze. In addition to investing in the construction of Linlao Bridge, he also rebuilt Yangye Temple and rebuilt Wan'an Bridge.

Strolling through the seven ancient stone bridges of the Song, Yuan, and Ming and Qing Dynasties in the ancient town of Kanze: Linlao, Wan'an, Emperor Pavilion, Puji, Fangsheng, Ruyi, and Yingxiang. The tranquil, distant and gloomy feelings linger in your heart. The charm of historical and cultural monuments is like old fine wine or green tea, which is light and long-lasting. Hours passed without realizing it, and it was time to say goodbye again. Many years later, I would still think of the ancient bridge in Kanazawa that I once walked on.