Guanyin Bridge

The construction consists of 107 granite blocks spanning Sanxia Stream across 80 feet (24.45 meters) with a rise of 35 feet (10.7 meters) and width of 16 feet (4.94 meters), while the main arch reaches 34 feet (10.33 meters) and displays typical Song-era stone masonry techniques.

Completed in 1014 during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty, this construction ranks among China's oldest surviving stone arch crossings and originally bore the name Qianxian before being renamed in the Qing dynasty after the deity of the adjacent temple.

Following the establishment of Cihang Temple during the Qing dynasty, the structure received its present name from Guanyin, the Buddhist goddess of compassion worshipped at the nearby temple, reflecting how the crossing became associated with spiritual pilgrimage and religious devotion in the mountain landscape.

Access is available through hiking trails in the Mount Lu area of Jiangxi, with the crossing itself forming part of the historical route to Cihang Temple and best viewed during dry weather when the stream below runs low and the stone structure remains clearly visible.

An original inscription carved into the bridge deck documents the construction date of 1014 and provides direct physical evidence of the structure's millennium-long existence, as the date remained preserved in stone throughout the centuries.

Location: Jiangxi

Made from material: stone

GPS coordinates: 29.51972,116.00556

Latest update: December 1, 2025 09:55