Huoshuiting Bridge – An Ancient Bridge of the Song Dynasty

During a cultural relic survey, Nancheng County Museum recently discovered an ancient Song-dynasty bridge named Huoshuiting Bridge.

The bridge is situated 200 metres northeast of Yuantou Village, Shangtang Town, spanning the Huoshui River. It is 27.7 metres long, 4.6 metres wide and 4.9 metres high, featuring three arches supported by two piers. The entire body is built with bluestone, and the deck is paved horizontally with red stone slabs. A long wooden pavilion stands on the bridge, adorned with elaborately painted beams and carved brackets. The balustrade panels are engraved with vivid interlocking vines, curling grass and cloud patterns. The ancient structure remains well-preserved to this day.

Yuantou Village boasts a long history. Zhu Xi, the celebrated Neo-Confucian scholar and educator of the Song Dynasty, once delivered lectures here. Inspired by the beautiful bridge, he wrote four Chinese characters: "Huoshuiting Bridge". Villagers carved the inscription onto a wooden plaque and hung it at the bridgehead, yet the plaque was destroyed later.

After enjoying the charming scenery of Yuantou Village, Zhu Xi composed his famous poem Reflection on Reading: A small square pond mirrors the sky; Cloud shadows drift across its surface. Why is the water so crystal clear? Because fresh current flows from the source.

The phrases "the source" and "fresh current" are a true portrayal of Yuantou Village.

Huoshuiting Bridge is a rare Song-dynasty bridge in our city and even the whole province, serving as a precious historical and cultural heritage. Its discovery provides valuable physical evidence for the study of Song Dynasty history, ancient bridge construction techniques, and especially research on Zhu Xi.