The Luoyang Bridge lies over the Luoyang River, which divides Quanzhou City and Hui'an County, 10 kilometers east of Quanzhou City in Fujian Province.
The Luoyang Bridge, the first stone beam bridge at sea port ever built in china, is a monumental work in the history of Chinese bridge construction. The bridge,1200m long and 7m wide, has been lying astride the Luoyang River ever since 1053,the fifth year of Huangyou in the Northern Song Dynasty. As it is located at Wanan Du, it is also called Wanan Birdge. There is a legend about the birdge. When the construction of the birdge commenced, the powerful tidewater frustrated ten attempts to lay the foundation.
The magistrate of the prefecture Cai Xiang then sent an officer to present his letter to Sea God, asking for his advice, and received a one-word reply "Venigar". After a hard contemplation, Cai Xiang worked out the hidden meaning in the chinese word "Venigar" and realized that Sea God suggested the work date on the 21st that month. Then, on that very day, stone was thrown into the river and foundation was laid successfully. Hence, there have been the sayings "The Luoyang Bridge is a work of wonder,unique in the world" and "you may not believe a gentleman but you may well have belief in the Venigar ". After the founding of the People's Republic of china, the Luoyang Bridge has been preserved as a historic relic while a new birdge was built northwest to it. With two birdges lying parallel like two rainbows, the view is even more splendid. |
