Luoyang Bridge

Luoyang Bridge
Coordinates	24°57′16″N 118°40′34″E / 24.9545°N 118.6762°E / 24.9545; 118.6762
Carries	China National Highway 324 (G324)
Crosses	Luoyang River
Locale	Quanzhou, Fujian, China
Preceded by	pedestrian bridge
Followed by	China National Highway 201
Characteristics
Material	Stone
Total length	1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi)
Width	40 metres (130 ft)
No. of spans	46
Design life	1000+ years
History
Construction start	1058
UNESCO World Heritage Site
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Location	China
Part of	Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China
Criteria	Cultural: (iv)
Reference	1561
Inscription	2021 (44th Session)
Location

The Luoyang Bridge, also known as Wan'an Bridge, is located in Quanzhou, Fujian province, China. The stone bay bridge is situated at the mouth of Luoyang River. Being the first stone bay bridge in China, it enjoys the reputation of "one of the four ancient bridges of China".^[1]

The project started from the fifth year (1053) of Huangyou's ruling period in the Northern Song dynasty. Cai Xiang, the chief of Quanzhou prefecture in the 3rd year (1058) of Jiayou's reign, took over the task of constructing the bridge, who had overcome several difficulties concerning bridge deck pavement and bridge pier by applying a raft foundation and raising oysters in the river to solid the base. In the fourth year (1059) of Jiayou's reign, the construction of Luoyang bridge was completed and Cai Xiang wrote "The Wan'an bridge" for it. The bridge had been reconstructed and repaired in the later dynasties. In the Southern Song dynasty, pagodas and fengshui pagodas were built outside the guardrail of the bridge.

The bridge is 1200 meters long, and has 46 piers in total. The north part of the bridge is in the territory of Hui'an County while the south is in Luojiang District. The middle part is located in a river island called Zhongzhou. Pagodas and tower joss can be found both on the bridge and Zhongzhou island.

Luoyang bridge was listed as a key cultural relics unit under the national protection in 1988. In 2021, the bridge was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List along with other Song and Yuan dynasty sites around Quanzhou because of its importance to medieval maritime trade in China and the exchange of cultures and ideas around the world.^[2]