In February** Dynamic Incentive Plan "Shuo Wen Jie Zi", Duan Yuci's explanation of the "bridge" is "crossing the water with wood", which is the original meaning of the bridge: the passage erected on the water surface is the crystallization of the wisdom of the ancients, which solves the problem of human beings crossing the water, and makes the originally insurmountable gap become an unimpeded smooth road.
China has always been a big country of bridges, both in ancient bridge construction technology and in the number of bridges, all in the world.
The bridge is not only a symbol of human civilization, but also a link between the two sides of the strait, carrying the memory of history and showing the prosperity of modern times.
The bridge is not only a passage for traffic, but also a bridge for the soul. In China, bridges are closely related to our lives, whether on water or land, bridges play an important role.
However, there are two sides to the bridge, it can connect you and me, and it can also bring tragedy. Therefore, the criterion for measuring a bridge is not its peculiar appearance, but whether it can withstand the test of life and whether it can be resilient.
China's ancient craftsmen, with their outstanding skills and wisdom, built a series of ancient bridges that stand tall and last for a long time. Take the ancient bridge in Poyang Lake, for example, which has been submerged in water for hundreds of years and still retains its original appearance.
When the water level of Poyang Lake drops, the ancient bridge comes into view again, dating back more than 400 years and still in awe today.
So, when was this ancient bridge built and who presided over the construction? Let's explore the historical origins of this ancient bridge.
Poyang Lake, formerly known as Peng Lize, Peng Ze, Guanting Lake, etc., is located in the north of Jiangxi Province, is an important water source of Jiujiang, Nanchang and Shangrao, and is also the largest freshwater lake in China, second only to Qinghai Lake.
As a tributary of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Poyang Lake plays a pivotal role in regulating the water level of the Yangtze River, conserving water sources, improving the local climate and maintaining the surrounding ecological balance.
The water level of Poyang Lake has long been closely watched by local people, but it has continued to decline in recent years, from the initial 20 meters to nearly half. The data shows that the water level at the representative station Xingzi Station has dropped to a record low of 1199 meters.
Poyang Lake has entered a dry season ahead of schedule, highlighting the dramatic changes in the current climate. In the face of nature, human beings are insignificant. This change must be of great concern to us.
The water level of Poyang Lake has dropped, and the sleeping ancient bridge has reappeared, not only with silt, but also with treasures of the wisdom of the ancients. Among them, there is a thousand-eye bridge built in the Ming Dynasty, because the stone of the bridge deck is granite, with a total length of 2,930 meters, it is respected as "the longest stone bridge in the lake in the country".
Each pier is made up of about 10 pine logs, and the width of the bridge deck is about 12 meters, a total of more than 1,100 bridge holes, hence the name Thousand Eyes Bridge.
The ancient bridge is only visible during the dry season of Poyang Lake, and usually only partially reveals its true face. Recently, however, it has been fully revealed, signaling that the dry season of Poyang Lake has broken the historical record.
So, why is there a stone bridge in Poyang Lake? For the people of the Ming Dynasty, Poyang Lake was not just an ordinary lake, but a blessed land that was revered by them.
It was on Poyang Lake that Zhu Yuanzhang laid the foundation for half of the country, and here he turned the tide with a disadvantage and directly defeated Chen Youliang, the strongest opponent at the time.
The victory in the Battle of Poyang Lake extended Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze to the entire world, and there were almost no opponents who could match him. In his eyes, although Zhang Shicheng and the Yuan Dynasty are strong, they cannot be compared with Chen Youliang.
Therefore, this victory made Zhu Yuanzhang full of confidence. Since Zhu Yuanzhang's accession to the throne as emperor, Poyang Lake has been highly valued by the rulers of the Ming Dynasty, but the attention of the Ming court has not improved the living conditions of the local population.
This is because the water of Poyang Lake is unstable and isolated from both sides, which brings great inconvenience to the lives of local people. Whether it is Duchang to Xingzi, or Lushan to Xunyang, over Jianggongling, you need to cross Poyang Lake.
During the high season, people can borrow boats to cross the river, but during the dry season, they can only wade through the mud to cross the river. However, wading through the water is undoubtedly a very painful thing to do during the harsh winter months.
One might wonder why not go around the lake if it can't be flowed. It sounds easy, but it's actually very difficult. Getting around the lake would take several times more time and energy, not to mention that the ancients had no means of transportation to rely on.
Therefore, the feasibility of circumnavigating the lake is extremely low. In the blink of an eye, in the fourth year of Ming Chongzhen, Qian Qizhong, who was an official in Duchang at that time, felt the suffering of the people, so he went to the imperial court and proposed to build a bridge in Poyang Lake.
However, at that time, the Ming court was worried about internal and external troubles, so how could it have spare strength to build bridges? Faced with such a predicament, Qian Qizhong was not intimidated by difficulties. Since the imperial court couldn't come up with the money, he took the initiative to advocate donating money to raise funds, hoping that the local ** and the squires would jointly contribute money to build the bridge.
In order to set an example, Qian Qizhong donated all his money, which also infected others to donate generously. After five years of hard work and exhaustion of countless people's efforts, the bridge was finally completed and became a convenient artery for people in Duchang, Xingzi and other counties to travel to and from the lake.
The people rejoiced and jumped, and in order to commemorate Qian Qizhong, the bridge was affectionately called "Qian Gong Bridge" by the local people. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was still the main passage for lakeside residents.
Despite its small size, and despite its lack of momentum, it carries fond memories for generations. However, when the lake entered the flood period, the stone bridge was slowly submerged, and it was only during the dry season that people had the opportunity to see its shadow.
However, over time, it eventually became flooded by the lake. After hundreds of years of circulation, Poyang Lake once again ushered in a record-breaking dry period, and the overall appearance of this stone bridge was finally revealed to the world again.
However, due to the long immersion in the water, coupled with the impact of mud, sand, wind and waves, parts of the old bridge have been severely damaged.
In order to protect the traces of history, the cultural relics department allocated a lot of money to carry out a comprehensive repair of the ancient bridge. Adhering to the concept of repairing the old as the old, this ancient bridge with a history of more than 400 years has once again regained its former charm and is admirable.
Today, this ancient bridge has become a magnificent scenery on Poyang Lake, attracting countless tourists to check in. From a distance, the ancient bridge is like a winding dragon, always shaking the hearts of modern people.
This ancient bridge has long surpassed its meaning as a bridge, it carries the wisdom of the ancients and the generosity of the ancient people for the people. Officials do not compete with the people for profit, and the people do not compete with officials for righteousness, this is a philosophy of life left to us by the ancients, which is worthy of our deep thought.