The four bridges—Bali Bridge in the east, Chaozong Bridge and Anji Bridge in the north, and Maju Bridge in the southeast of Beijing—were all ordered to be built by Emperor Zhu Qizhen (Yingzong) of the Ming Dynasty. These bridges share similar architectural styles and are often referred to as "brother bridges." The oldest of these is the Bali Bridge in Tongzhou (also known as Bali Zhuang Bridge), built in the 11th year of the Zhengtong era (1446), and named Yongtong Bridge. Chaozong Bridge and Anji Bridge in Shihe, Changping, were completed next, starting in the 13th year of Zhengtong (1448). The youngest of these is Maju Bridge, located in Tongzhou, which was built in the 7th year of the Tianshun era (1463) and named Hongren Bridge. Among these, Bali Zhuang Bridge is the most delicate, with a length of 50 meters and a width of 16 meters; Chaozong Bridge is the most majestic, measuring 130 meters in length and 13.3 meters in width; Maju Bridge falls in between, with a length of 83.3 meters and a width of 10 meters.
These four stone bridges are located at important river crossings and transportation hubs. Over time, they have each experienced unique histories.
Emperor's Edict and Supervision of the Project
Building a stone bridge in that era was a monumental project requiring imperial approval and funding from the government. During Emperor Yingzong's reign, a request was made to build a stone bridge in Bali Zhuang, Tongzhou. The eunuch Li De from the Imperial Household Department reported that "during the rainy season of late summer and autumn, the wooden bridge often collapsed and needed to be replaced," and recommended the construction of a stone bridge. Emperor Yingzong sent Grand Eunuch Wang Zhen to conduct a field investigation.
The construction of the Shahe Bridge was initiated after a report from Liu Siy, the county magistrate of Changping, who wrote: "Shahe and surrounding areas are important routes to the Dayan Mountain and Juyong Pass. The old wooden bridges are dismantled every year, causing labor wastage. Moreover, it is inconvenient for the imperial entourage and military. I request that the bridge be rebuilt with stone, ensuring it is strong and durable."
The construction of Maju Bridge stemmed from a report by an unknown official, which prompted Emperor Yingzong to send three ministers—Li Xian, Chen Wen, and Peng Shi—to investigate the situation. They discovered that the bridge was constantly used, with people crossing it year-round. Upon hearing this, Emperor Yingzong was moved and approved the construction of the bridge.After receiving imperial approval, the emperor also requested divine blessings. For instance, in the case of Shahe Bridge, records in the Zhengtong Shilu state that, in the 13th year of Zhengtong, Emperor Yingzong dispatched the Minister of Works, Shi Pu, to conduct a grand sacrificial ceremony to the god of construction, praying for the safety of the project. Since these were royal projects, the oversight was entrusted to the Assistant Minister of Works, equivalent to today's deputy minister of construction. Wang Yongshou, Assistant Minister of Works, oversaw the construction of the Shahe bridges, while Wang Yonghe supervised the Bali Zhuang Bridge. Though they were referred to as brothers, they were not related. Wang Yonghe was from Kunshan (now part of Jiangsu), and he served as a general in the Ming army, but died in the Battle of Tumu Fortress in 1449. Wang Yongshou was from Taiyuan in Shanxi and later served as the Minister of Works in Nanjing.
The construction of Bali Zhuang Bridge was particularly noteworthy. The Minister of Works managed the funding, and eunuch Ruan An, a skilled architect, was appointed as the chief overseer. Ruan An was involved in significant construction projects in Beijing, including the renovation of the city walls, the addition of towers to the nine city gates, and the conversion of wooden bridges into stone ones.
By the time Maju Bridge was built, Ruan An had passed away (1381–1453), and the oversight was given to two other prominent figures: the Assistant Minister of Works, Kuai Xiang, and Lu Xiang. Kuai Xiang was a renowned architect, known as "Kuai Luban," and he played a key role in constructing Beijing's major buildings. Lu Xiang specialized in stonework, and together, their expertise made them a perfect match for the project.
The names associated with the construction of these bridges were mostly officials, with laborers and military personnel involved in the actual work. According to the inscription at Maju Bridge, each soldier working on the bridge received one tael of silver per month. At Bali Zhuang Bridge, the workers were primarily from the imperial fleet.
The fate of Anji bridge
Among the three bridge construction projects, the one at Shahe was the largest because it involved two bridges: one spanning the South Shahe River and the other spanning the North Shahe River. Once completed, the southern bridge was named Anji, meaning "safe crossing," and the northern bridge was named Chaozong, meaning "the water returning to the sea." Anji Bridge was a three-arch bridge, while Chaozong Bridge was a seven-arch bridge. Both bridges featured granite stone railings, giving them a solid and reliable appearance.
Centuries later, Chaozong Bridge remains well-preserved, while Anji Bridge has disappeared without a trace. This has led to a popular but unsubstantiated tale: the northern bridge was built by a loyal official who did not cut corners, while the southern bridge was built by a corrupt official who embezzled funds and used substandard materials. The southern bridge was completed first and received the emperor's praise. The northern bridge, which took longer to build due to a focus on quality, was delayed and led to the death of the official in charge. When the emperor later realized the northern bridge was far sturdier, he "corrected his mistake" and exonerated the official. Since the official's name was Zhao Chaozong, the bridge was named Chaozong Bridge. This, of course, is a fictionalized explanation.
In reality, Anji Bridge became dangerous less than forty years after its completion. In July of 1484, the scholar Li Dongyang visited Changping to pay respects at a tomb and crossed the bridge. He wrote in his Zhongyuan Xieling Yu Yu Ji (Account of the Zhongyuan Tomb Visit in the Rain) that, on his way out of the city, the bridge was already half-collapsed, and by the time he returned, it had completely fallen apart. The collapse rendered the bridge unusable, and even high-ranking officials had to sit by the river, unable to cross. According to Li's account, there were no boats available, except for a few small fishing boats that could carry five or six people at a time. When people crowded onto the boats, they often tipped over, and one servant drowned, causing panic and despair.
The collapse of Anji Bridge was not due to "shoddy construction." The bridge was located at the lowest point of the Shahe River valley, and the strong rainfall in the Western Mountains caused floods that overwhelmed the bridge's structure. In contrast, Chaozong Bridge was less affected because most of the floodwater from the northern mountains flowed downstream, bypassing the bridge.
In 1538, during the construction of Gonghua City and the Shahe Palace, both Anji and Chaozong Bridges were repaired and rebuilt. Anji Bridge was extended from three to nine arches, increasing its ability to withstand floods, but it was still insufficient. Records from the Zhishi Ji (Local Records) state that in July of 1539, "continuous rains in the capital caused the collapse of the floating bridge at Shahe" (though the term "floating bridge" may be inaccurate). In 1541, the bridge was again repaired. In 1574, Empress Dowager Li, the mother of Emperor Wanli, provided 12,255 taels of silver from the palace to strengthen both bridges. Throughout the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the bridge was reinforced multiple times, but the frequent floods continued to damage it. By the end of the Republic of China period, the river changed course, and Anji Bridge lost its function, being replaced by a reinforced concrete bridge. In 1959, when the Xiaoshahe Reservoir was constructed, the stone from Anji Bridge was removed to build the dam's slope protection, and the bridge's remnants disappeared. Today, the bridge across the South Shahe River on the Jingzang Expressway was built in the early 1980s during the construction of the Badaling Expressway. The ancient Chaozong Bridge, however, still stands and has been designated as a key cultural relic for preservation.
Inscriptions left by the emperor and his ministers at the bridgeheads
Since the bridges were constructed under the emperor's orders, it was customary to erect stone inscriptions after their completion.
At the head of the Baliyao Bridge, a stone tablet was erected with an inscription written by Li Shimian, the Minister of the Imperial Academy at the time. The emperor ordered his officials to write inscriptions that would naturally praise the emperor. However, Li Shimian's inscription, though over 200 characters long, mentioned only the construction process and the officials, military officers, and eunuchs involved, without offering a single word of flattery toward the emperor. The History of the Ming Dynasty describes Li Shimian as having a "stubborn character." What does this mean? In the 19th year of the Yongle reign (1421), shortly after the completion of the Three Great Halls, they were struck by lightning and burned. Emperor Zhu Di issued an edict requesting frank advice. Li Shimian submitted a memorial with fifteen points of advice, one of which was that building Beijing was a mistake. Zhu Di was enraged and threw the memorial to the ground. Then, after reading the rest of the memorial, which was mostly sensible, he had Li Shimian imprisoned for over a year before reinstating him. In the first year of the Hongxi reign (1425), Li Shimian's candid memorial angered Emperor Zhengde, who summoned him to the palace, where he stubbornly defended his position. This infuriated the emperor, who had him beaten with a golden club until three of his ribs were broken, nearly killing him. Even after Emperor Zhengde's death, the incident lingered in his mind, and his successor, Emperor Xuande, ordered an inquiry. However, Emperor Xuande changed his mind and gave the order to have Li Shimian executed in the West Market. When the executioner went to carry out the command, he was intercepted and found that Li Shimian had already returned to his duties in the imperial court, still wearing his official robes.
The two bridges at Shahe did not have inscriptions from the Zhengde period. It is likely that, shortly after the bridges were completed, Emperor Yingzong was captured by the Oirat Mongols during the Tumu Crisis, and he did not have the opportunity to issue the inscriptions. A stone tablet stands at the eastern approach to Chaozong Bridge, with "Chaozong Bridge" written in large seal script on both sides, and the inscription dates to the fourth year of the Wanli reign (1576). It is said that this inscription was written by the young Emperor Zhu Yijun (Wanli). At the time, Zhu Yijun was only 13 years old, and his calligraphy was impressive for his age. The Ming Shilu (Ming Annals) records an event in the second year of Wanli, when Emperor Zhu Yijun wrote eight characters, "Biyi Yiren, Yongbao Tianming" (I assist this person and ensure the eternal mandate of Heaven), which were granted to the statesman Zhang Juzheng. Zhang praised the emperor's writing, and he subsequently advised him that as an emperor, one should focus on cultivating virtue and governing the state for the well-being of the people, rather than concentrating on writing. This suggests that Zhu Yijun's calligraphy was indeed of good quality.
After the construction of Majue Bridge, a stone tablet was also erected (though the tablet no longer exists, the inscription is recorded in Rixia Jiuwen Kao). The inscription was commissioned by the emperor and written by the minister Li Xian. The nearly 900-character inscription is filled with praise for Emperor Yingzong, stating that the emperor's approval of the bridge construction demonstrated his compassion for the people and his decision to allocate funds from the imperial treasury rather than burden the commoners, reflecting the emperor's benevolence. Hence, the bridge was named "Hongren" (Great Benevolence).
Reading this inscription, one might perceive Li Xian as a sycophantic minister. However, this is not the case. Li Xian was guiding Emperor Yingzong to act like the ancient sages and rulers, exercising compassion and governance for the people. There is an incident that illustrates Li Xian's character: Majue Bridge was started on the 15th day of the fourth month. On the night of the 27th day of the second month, there was a sound like thunder in the sky. Emperor Yingzong thought it was a divine warning and intended to have Taoist priests perform a ritual to avert disaster. Li Xian argued that this was a "demonic omen," and that when the ruler neglects the people and the realm suffers, such supernatural occurrences happen. He advised the emperor to implement lenient policies, investigate the abuses of the Jinyiwei (the imperial secret police), and take actions to alleviate the people's burdens, which would disperse the ominous signs. The emperor was initially resistant, but Li Xian continued to argue until the emperor relented. This shows that Li Xian was a principled and forthright advisor.
Qianlong's reconstruction of Majue Bridge surpasses emperor Yingzong
By the early Qing Dynasty, the Hongren Bridge had also been washed away by flooding. In the 38th year of the Qianlong reign (1773), the emperor issued an edict for its reconstruction. The newly built bridge was modified from nine arches to seven, and its width was reduced from three zhang (about 9.3 meters) to two and a half zhang (about 7.7 meters). Qianlong explained that although the bridge was narrower, it was now sturdier than before. Naturally, with the completion of the new bridge, a stone tablet was erected, and Qianlong himself wrote the inscription. In the text, he first outlined the sources and courses of the Tuan, Feng, and Liangshui rivers. He then described the construction of the new bridge and noted that this project had also dredged over 8,000 zhang of riverbed, repaired nine existing bridge gates, and built five new ones. The soil extracted from the river was used to construct a thousand zhang of pathway outside the Right An Gate, and the irrigation capacity for farmland on both sides of the river was expanded.
It almost seemed as though Qianlong was boasting: "Look at what I've done, it's far more than what Emperor Yingzong accomplished!" In his inscription, he emphasized that managing rivers, building bridges, and repairing roads were critical responsibilities for any ruler. His tone implied that Emperor Yingzong's mere bridge construction was insignificant in comparison. As a result, Qianlong rejected the name "Hongren Bridge" and insisted on calling it "Majue Bridge."
During the Ming Dynasty, in the 10th year of the TianshunReign (1466), when Hongren Bridge was originally completed, a temple dedicated to Bixia Yuanjun (the Lady of the Azure Clouds) had been built at the southern end of the bridge. When Qianlong reconstructed Majue Bridge in the 38th year of his reign, he also renovated the Bixia Yuanjun Temple. After both the bridge and the temple were completed, Qianlong personally visited the site to pay his respects and was greeted with cheers from the local people. To express his satisfaction, he composed a long five-character poem, which is recorded in Rixia Jiuwen Kao.
Today, Majue Bridge has become a major hub, with wide roads spanning the Liangshui River. The old stone bridge and the Bixia Yuanjun Temple are no longer in existence.
