Pujie Bridge

Pujie Bridge, formerly known as 'Ying'en Bridge' and also called 'Guozhou Bridge,' was first built in the third year of the Jin Taihe period (1203 AD) by a wealthy man named You Wan. This open-shoulder, round-arched stone bridge is constructed with chiseled and carved stones. The main bridge is 30 meters long, 8 meters wide, and 7 meters high. Each end has an approach bridge, with the north approach bridge being 34.5 meters long and the south approach bridge being 28.5 meters long. Both sides of the bridge body are equipped with solid stone railings, with 20 balusters and 19 railing panels. The tops of the square balusters are adorned with stone carvings of fruits such as peaches, pomegranates, and Buddha's hand. The railing panels are made of whole stones with rolled edges and floral carvings. The stone bridge body consists of a single long arch and four small arch holes. The main arch spans 19 meters and is 6.5 meters high; the second largest arch spans 3.1 meters and is 3.2 meters high; the small arch spans 1.7 meters and is 1.8 meters high. All the arches are made of horizontally rotated stones, with beautifully shaped and exquisitely crafted stone reliefs on the arch frames and arch lintels. Besides the water-fetching mythical beast heads carved on both sides of the main arch, there are 16 relief panels depicting story characters. The small arch sides are carved with patterns such as dragons emerging from the water and nine-needle designs. All the carvings are elegant and delicate, with smooth lines, vivid and lifelike, and deeply meaningful. The bridge deck is paved with stone slabs, divided into three pathways, separated by two upright stone strips embedded in the same direction as the bridge body. Pujie Bridge is one of the oldest stone bridges in China. On August 18, 1986, it was listed as a key cultural relic protection unit in Hebei Province by the Hebei Provincial People's Government, recorded in the 'History of Ancient Chinese Bridges,' and praised as the 'Little Zhaozhou Bridge.' On October 16, 2019, the State Council of the People's Republic of China announced it as a national key cultural relic protection unit. Ticket Information: Free Opening Hours: All day Transportation Information: Drive 18 kilometers north along Jingyuan North Road and Jingkun Line.