Anecdotes of the bridge

All the world's stone arch bridge up and down the bridge have stone steps, the role of the steps in addition to the convenience of notice, mainly to make the bridge arch stone force accounted for the uniformity and play a balanced role. And the bridge is one of the world's few only half of the steps of the stone arch bridge. Jielong Bridge was built in the first year of Emperor Taiping Xingguo's reign in Song Dynasty (976 A.D.), and is one of the oldest stone arch bridges in Guangxi. It is said to have been donated by a monk named Huai Bing. Monk Huai Bing (born around 936 AD) was a native of Zhengding County, Hebei Province. Historical records show that he became a monk at a young age because of his poor family. He was very resourceful and had great attainments in the construction and remodeling of bridges. The restoration of Zhaozhou Bridge and the salvaging of the iron ox from the Yellow River were his famous deeds. Zhaozhou Bridge, located in Zhao County, Hebei Province, is a single-hole stone arch bridge built by Li Chun, a famous craftsman in the Tang Dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, due to the lack of maintenance, the bridge body was crooked, and most of the tenons between the arches were rusted and loose, and by 956 AD, it had become a dangerous bridge. Zhaozhou county magistrate had to order the bridge closed. Zhaozhou is located in the major transportation routes to and from the capital, the impact of sealing the bridge at that time was too great. After knowing this matter, Huaibing came to the stone bridge side of the field inspection, found out the root cause of the stone bridge a skewed movement. After precision calculations, proposed a wider bridge foundation, on both sides of the big arch to add two small arches of the fixed bridge program. After his careful design and skillful construction, Zhaozhou Bridge from a single-hole stone bridge into a five-hole stone bridge. It was not only strengthened but also more beautiful. Shanxi Puzhou Yellow River crossing on the Yellow River there is a pontoon bridge across the Yellow River. The pontoon bridge of eight bowl-thick iron chain were tied to the shore of the eight big iron cattle. Northern Song Qiande six years (AD 968), the Yellow River flood, pontoon bridge was broken by the water, the iron oxen were broken bridge into the Yellow River, the county magistrate offered a heavy reward to seek to find the iron oxen to salvage up the capable person. So some people recommended the restoration of Zhaozhou Bridge monk HuaiBing. Huai Shang came to the scene to see, that is a plan. He ordered two large wooden boats filled with sand to stop at the Iron Ox water. Between the two boats across a large log, the log with a thick hemp rope and underwater iron oxen tied, and then remove the sand on the two boats. He utilized the buoyancy of the boat to successfully retrieve the iron ox. Monk Huai Beng built countless bridges in his life, but the one he was most proud of was the construction of the Jie Long Bridge over the Xing'an Spirit Drainage Canal. Xing'an County in the Song dynasty during the dry years originally known as Dechang County, in order to avoid the imperial taboo, renamed Xing'an County, that is, "prosperity and tranquility" meaning. Northern Song Dynasty Taiping Xingguo first year (976 AD) Wyatt C monk traveling to Guangxi, came to the Lingqu, Lingqu unique scenery on both sides of the canal impressed him: canal water through the city, the water street alongside the water and out of the tented boat by the water, there is a "pulp foot wave easy, the tented boat to buy wine will be" feeling. Especially standing in the north gate towards the south, the west side of the canal, the Lotus Pond, Triple Spring, and Wenchang Pavilion and the watchtower. Drainage east of the bustling downtown merchants gathered, the Sanliuquan, Jiujingfang, green bricks and gray tiles, ancient colors. However, from the west side of the canal to the east of the canal, in addition to the ferry, you have to detour around the Wanli Bridge, very inconvenient. Huai Bian decided to donate a stone arch bridge in the downtown area of the North Gate, in addition to the convenience of the people, mainly to express his nostalgia for the Qin chiseled ditch. It is said that Huai Bian's method of repairing the bridge was very special. He did not use the traditional method of repairing bridges, the canal water block, but the center of gravity of the bridge on the west side of the canal, digging a large pit, from the pit out of three thick arch-shaped iron bars, hitching to the east of the canal. The iron bars were then fixed by pouring iron juice into the pit. The archstones of the stone bridge were first cut into deep grooves and stacked one after another from the west to the east of the ditch. Eight hundred and eighty-sixty-four archstones were neatly set on the iron bars in three directions. In the morning haze look at the bridge, the whole bridge is like a dragon body hidden behind the Santai Ridge, open mouth will be under the chin lightly resting on the east bank of the canal head, leisurely let people touch. Of course, Huai Bian repair bridge why in the bridge to the east of the bridge to repair nine stone steps on the bridge, and the west of the bridge does not leave the stone steps, became a bridge to the ancient mystery, causing countless speculation of future generations. The most common theory is that the monk is afraid of prying into the secret of his bridge and specially ordered to fill in the bridge with soil, and the back of the Santai Ling into one. So, how did the name of the bridge come about? There are two folklore, one says that the name of the monk Huai Bian, the other says that the Qianlong Emperor Royal Gift. When the bridge was repaired, monk Huai Bian stood at the bridge looking east, and see the distant peak towering, right next to the bridge peak nine Dragon Gorge can be seen within the mouth of the Dragon winding towards the Lotus Pond, seems to have a "nine dragons play the BaoLianZhu" of the meaning of the Dragon. Wyatt C. Monk saw the situation, off the mouth and said: "This place is a vision, and I use different methods to build a bridge, called 'Dragon Bridge' it."

Another story is that after the monk Huai Bian built the bridge, the county magistrate asked him to name the bridge, because the bridge was built with the back of the Santai Ridge behind him, Huai Bian named him "Borrowed Dragon Bridge". More than seven hundred years later in 1735 AD, the Qing Dynasty Qianlong Emperor ascended to the throne, historical records show that he had six visits to Jiangnan. Emperor Qianlong has long been interested in the ancient spiritual canal, since the Jiangnan, there is no reason not to tour the spiritual canal. The first year of Qianlong (1736 AD) his first tour of Jiangnan, on a private visit to Xing'an. He saw this bridge built according to the mountains, only half of the stone steps, is the place he has been from the end of the stone arch bridge, then asked the magistrate at the time the name of the bridge. County magistrate trembling voice replied "for ridge". Qianlong Emperor mistakenly heard as "dragon", I thought I just arrived in Xing'an will have a bridge to pick me up this Dragon, the Dragon Emperor, the Dragon face was very happy! While happy, they ordered the county magistrate reward. Said this bridge can not be no pavilion without plaque. In addition to allocating silver to build pavilions, but also handwritten by the Imperial "Dragon Bridge". Bridge to the ancient nullah to add unlimited glory, the people will also be the bridge to the bridge as a "blessed bridge" "nullah". In case of seeking wealth, seeking blessings, seeking wealth, and even seeking a child seeking longevity, are to the bridge respectfully burn the afternoon prayer bridge. And every May Dragon Boat Festival rowing, this has become the people to meet the dragon's head of the "holy land". For hundreds of years it has never stopped. Located in lefeng county xiangfeng town barrage on the bridge, only more than 80 meters long, more than 5 meters wide, because of its history of legend famous in e xiang yu border area, is lefeng county patriotism education base. The construction of the bridge has a legend: the two mountains on both sides of the river, the south called "Jade Dragon", the north called "Xiangfeng", is the embodiment of the dragon and the phoenix, just be stopped by the river "stop! "break the dragon vein, so the Tujia Miao people have been robbed repeatedly. It is said that as long as the construction of a stone bridge across the barrage, connected to the "dragon vein", will usher in the "dragon and phoenix" good days. In order to seek happiness, Jiaqing thirteen years (1809), Tujia Miao people have donated money and food, invited skilled craftsmen, repair the size of the two stone arches, and in the stone bridge carved a stone dragon, chiseled on the three big words --- Dragon Bridge.