Water Bridge at No. 72 Xijing Street
On the east bank of the city river, in front of No. 72 Xijing Street, stands a black granite monument inscribed with “Qingpu District Cultural Relic Protection Site”, established in February 2017.
This water bridge faces west and features an inwardly concave double-sided saddle shape. At the front, two stone steps lead downward, measuring 121 cm in width. The central platform is assembled from three stone slabs with a width of 110 cm. From the platform, six steps descend southward (total length 185 cm), and another six steps descend northward (total length 206 cm).
A unique detail lies in the west-facing side of the platform: the mooring stone is carved with a motif of a vase containing three fangtian huaji (a type of ancient Chinese halberd). In Chinese, “vase” (瓶, píng) is a homophone for “peace” (平, píng), symbolizing safety and harmony, while “halberd” (戟, jǐ) sounds like “rank” (级, jí), historically symbolizing official status and grades. Together, this motif forms the pun “ping sheng san ji” (平生三级), meaning “to rise three ranks in peace.” In the Ming and Qing dynasties, scholars prayed for success in the three levels of the imperial examinations—xiucai (licentiate), juren (provincial graduate), and jinshi (metropolitan graduate).
After the abolition of the imperial examination system, such motifs on mooring stones lost their original cultural relevance. Yet as a form of decorative stone carving, they have continued as an artistic legacy.
