Shanqiao Stone Bridge, Xian County

Contact: 0317-4622222 Location: Shanqiao Village, Leshou Town, Xian County, Cangzhou City, Hebei Province

Best Time to Visit: Cangzhou lies on the Bohai Bay in southeastern Hebei. It has a typical warm temperate semi-humid continental monsoon climate with cold winters, hot summers and four distinct seasons. The average annual temperature is around 12℃, and autumn is the ideal time for a visit.

Complaint Hotline: 0317-2080122

Transportation Guide (Self-driving): Exit the Shijiazhuang-Huanghua Expressway at Chenzhuang, then head north along National Highway 104 to reach Shanqiao. Visitors departing from Beijing may also take National Highway 106 directly to the bridge.

Shanqiao stands at the intersection of the ancient Beijing-Dezhou Imperial Road and the Hutuo River, serving as a vital north-south transportation route since ancient times. After Beijing became the imperial capital of the Ming Dynasty, the lack of a stable bridge caused great inconvenience to the heavy traffic.

A wooden bridge was first built in the 6th year of the Zhengtong reign of the Ming Dynasty. Yet the raging currents of the Hutuo River repeatedly destroyed it. Constant reconstruction consumed massive manpower and resources. Wang Fengyuan, Magistrate of Hejian Prefecture, and other officials proposed building a stone bridge. Li Cui, Magistrate of Xian County, donated funds to lead the construction. Local residents including Liu Yanyong, Shi Shouzhi and Zhang Jiuxu also raised money and offered support.

Countless people contributed money and labor. Even the stone materials were voluntarily transported by boat trackers all the way from the Taihang Mountains over a thousand li away. After eight years of hard work, the bridge was completed in the 13th year of the Chongzhen reign, becoming a key transportation hub south of Beijing.

Deep cart ruts, 0.2 meters in depth, still remain on the bridge deck today, bearing witness to its prosperity in old times.