史载为当地富户花万两银子所修，后人义务守护33年
Built by a Rich Local Businessman and Guarded by His Descendants Voluntarily for 33 years
楚天都市报极目新闻记者 黄忠 通讯员 徐竞翔 梅旺
摄影：楚天都市报极目新闻记者 刘中灿
翻译：谢端 熊紫瑞 卫拉（湖北大学）
JIMU News
Reporter: Huang Zhong
Correspondents: Xu Jingxiang, Mei Wang
Photographer: Liu Zhongcan
Translators: Xie Duan, Xiong Zirui, LisaM.K from Hubei University
一溪流水绕村行，翠柳摇风百鸟鸣，青石板桥人迹少，山花烂漫处处红。在武汉江夏区山坡街陈六村大屋饶湾，一座始建于元代1349年的石桥栉风沐雨，至今保存完好，仍能通行。
The stream flows around the village and the green willows sway in the wind as the birds sing. Few people are on the bridge, but flowers in full bloom cover the mountains. Built in 1349 during the Yuan Dynasty in Dawuraowan, Chenliu Village, Shanpo Street, Jiangxia District, Wuhan city, a stone bridge has weathered through the years, and now sits well preserved and still usable.
这座桥名叫南桥，武汉江夏区博物馆馆长刘治云介绍，该桥有武汉第一桥的说法，是武汉地区乃至湖北省内现存年代最早且有确切年代可考的桥梁建筑，1989年被列为湖北省文物保护单位。
According to Liu Zhiyun, the curator of Jiangxia Museum of Wuhan, the bridge is called Nanqiao Bridge and it is said to be the first bridge in Wuhan city and the earliest existing bridge in Wuhan city and even in Hubei Province, which was listed as a cultural relics protection unit in Hubei Province in 1989.
4月5日，极目新闻记者现场探访，追寻这座673岁古桥的故事和传说。
JIMU News reporter visited the site to trace the stories and legends of this 673-year-old bridge on April 5.
元代南桥宛如明月倒映水中
Nanqiao Bridge from the Yuan Dynasty, a Bright Moon Reflected in the Water
从山坡街驾车开上天子山大道，约十来分钟就能看到道路一旁，元代南桥的标志牌。连接南桥的小路劈山而开，附近村民说此路为近年所建，主要是方便游客参观。青石铺就的小路，径直前行约30米就是南桥了。
Driving from Shanpo Street to Tianzishan Avenue, one could see the sign of the Nanqiao Bridge in about ten minutes and arrive at the Nanqiao Bridge after going straight for about 30 meters along the path. The path, which splits the mountain and connects the bridge, was built with bluestones in recent years for the convenience of tourists, according to the villagers in the neighborhood.
石桥静静地躺在长满庄稼、灌木与茅草的乡野中，给人厚重的历史沧桑感。桥面中间三十二块方形砖石整齐排列，连接东西两岸。从南桥所在的南桥港一侧远望，石桥拱洞呈半圆形，与水中倒影相连，构成一个完整的圆洞，远远看去如一轮明月倒映水中。
The stone bridge lies quietly in the countryside full of crops, shrubs and thatch, giving people a heavy sense of historical changes. Thirty-two square masonry blocks are neatly arranged in the middle of the bridge deck, connecting the east and west banks. Viewed from the side of the Nanqiao Port where the Nanqiao Bridge is located, the arch hole of the stone bridge is semi-circular which when connected with its reflection in the water, forms a complete circle, resembling a bright moon reflected in the water when seen from a distance.
饶浩功夫妻清理南桥杂草 Rao Haogong and his wife clear up weeds on the Nanqiao Bridge
桥旁立着一座石碑，上书桥名和南桥简介。记者了解到，附近村湾的老人都喜欢来桥上散步，抚今思昔。不时还有摄影和旅游爱好者，来此拍摄小桥流水。
Beside the bridge stood a stone tablet with its name and a brief introduction of the Nanqiao Bridge. The reporter learned that the elderly in the nearby villages like to take a walk on the bridge to recall the past. And from time to time, photographers and tourists came here to take pictures of the beautiful scenery.
南桥港上，下游约20米处，已新建一座石桥，供人和车辆通行。一古一今，两桥遥望，时光荏苒，历史变迁，流水无言见证。
Nowadays, a new stone bridge has been built for vehicles and people at about 20 meters upstream and downstream of Nanqiao Port. Two bridges, old and new, stand in the distance as time flies and history changes with the flowing water bearing witness.
673岁的文保古桥仍可通行
The 673-year-old Ancient Bridge is Still Usable
武汉江夏区博物馆馆长刘治云对南桥颇有研究，在他和江卫华编著的《武汉江夏考古发现与研究》一书中，有一个章节专门介绍南桥。
Liu Zhiyun, curator of Jiangxia District Museum, has done a lot of research on the Nanqiao Bridge. In the book “Wuhan Jiangxia Archaeological Discovery and Research” edited by him and Jiang Weihua, there is a chapter devoted to the Nanqiao Bridge.
刘治云介绍，南桥为单孔半圆形，全长36.7米，桥面中间宽6.3米，两端宽7.4米，桥拱跨度为6.9米，桥面距水面约10米，占地面积约300平方米。
According to Liu, the single-hole semicircular bridge covers an area of about 300 square meters, with a total length of 36.7 meters, a width of 6.3 meters in the middle of the bridge deck and a width of 7.4 meters at both ends. The span of the bridge arch is 6.9 meters, and its deck is about 10 meters from the water.
“桥体建筑材料为凿磨规整的红砂石块砌筑，局部有少许的青条石修补。桥侧面用大小条石错缝平砌，内拱券全用花岗岩条石砌建。”刘治云介绍，两边的挡水护坡墙砌成“八”字形，每层条石均采用两横一致的“丁”字形砌筑方式，非常牢固美观。桥身中部用黄土及碎石块填实，桥顶用红砂石板铺砌成路面，“现在因为人迹不多，桥面上长有青苔和杂草，反而增添了南桥的年岁感。”
“The main body of the bridge is made of red sandstone blocks that have been chiseled and flatten, with a little blue and green striped stone used in repairing some parts. The side of the bridge is built with staggered joints of large and small stones, and the inner arches are built with granite stones.” Liu said. He added that the water retaining and slope protection walls on both sides are built in the shape of the Chinese character “八” (meaning eight, pronounced as ‘bā’), and each layer of stone is built in the shape of “T” with two horizontal lines, making it firm and aesthetic. The middle of the bridge body is filled with loess and gravel, and the top of the bridge is paved with red sandstone slabs. Nowadays with fewer people, there are moss and weeds growing on the bridge, which adds to the sense of age of the Nanqiao Bridge.
刘治云告诉记者，南桥券顶中部阴刻有“至正九年己丑春江夏南桥——力鼎”，一行十三字，楷书；桥西头南面镶嵌一块“康熙三十六年”青石碑。岁月侵蚀，这些字多已漫漶不清。
Liu told the reporter that the central part of the arch of the Nanqiao Bridge is engraved with“至正九年己丑春江夏南桥——力鼎” (indicating the time of construction and the location of the bridge), a line of thirteen Chinese characters in regular script. The south of the west end of the bridge is inlaid with a piece of blue stele which says “康熙三十六年” (the year of the restoration of the bridge). As time goes by, many of these words have now become blurred.
“从桥上的铭文看，南桥建造的时间为元末至正九年，也就是公元1349年，距今有673年历史。康熙三十六年，即公元1697年曾加以修葺。”刘治云介绍，在上世纪80年代时，南桥的桥面、拱顶、护水墙都遭到不同程度损坏，又分别在1985年、1994年、2015年进行了三次保养维修，至今保存完好，仍为南桥港两边村民的往来发挥作用。
Liu explained that “The inscriptions on the bridge indicated that the Nanqiao Bridge was built at the ninth year of Zhizheng era at the end of Yuan Dynasty, that is, 673 years ago in 1349. The bridge was restored in the 36th year of the Kangxi era, that is, in 1697.” In the 1980s, the bridge deck, vault and water retaining wall of the bridge were damaged to varying degrees, and were restored three times in 1985, 1994 and 2015 respectively. It has been well preserved until now and still plays a role in the exchanges between villagers on both sides of the bridge.
1989年，南桥被列为湖北省文物保护单位。自那时起，江夏区文旅部门还安排了文物保护员进行看护。
In 1989, the Nanqiao Bridge was listed as a cultural relics protection unit in Hubei Province.Since then, the Department of Culture and Tourism of Jiangxia District has arranged for conservators to take care of the bridge.
传说当地富户花万两银修桥
Legend Has it that A Rich Businessman Spent a Fortune on Building the Bridge
乡野之间，为何有这么一座桥梁？江夏区山坡街文化站负责人陈汉水介绍，南桥古时是当地村民通往外界的必经通道，车水马龙，相当繁华。据传其前身是一座木桥，七百年前，南桥地区是水陆交通交汇处，是江夏、鄂州、大冶、咸宁生意人来往的主要商道。
Why is there such a bridge in the countryside? Chen Hanshui, the person in charge of the Shanpo Street Cultural Station in Jiangxia District, said that in ancient times, the Nanqiao Bridge was the only way for local villagers to go to the outside world and it is said that its predecessor was a wooden bridge. Seven hundred years ago, the Nanqiao area was the intersection of water and land transportation, and was the main commercial route for businessmen from the districts of Jiangxia, Ezhou, Daye and Xianning.
“桥上过往客商络绎不绝，桥下码头每天停泊很多商船。”陈汉水说，由于客商多，小小的南桥地区街就热闹起来，有客栈、饭馆、杂货铺、茶馆等，成为繁荣的码头街市。当地还有民间传说，记载了南桥修筑往事。
“There is an endless stream of merchants on the bridge, and there are many merchant ships parked at the dock under the bridge every day.” Chen said that thanks to the large number of merchants, the small Nanqiao area became lively and developed into a prosperous dock market, with inns, restaurants, grocery stores, tea houses, and etc. There are also folklores aboutthe past of the construction of the Nanqiao Bridge.
据说，当地富商饶姓东山公经常在南桥茶馆里与客商闲聊修桥之事，和一名科姓客商很谈得来。于是就委托科某购买修桥石料，并交付一万两银子定金，双方约定第二年春送石科到此修桥，可到了第二年春，根本没看到科某的影子。原来，科某拿着银子做生意去了，3年后发财衣锦还乡，船至梁子湖中心，晴空突然狂风大作，湖面波浪滔天。科某大惊失色，跪在船头仰天而曰：“老天啊，救救我吧！我知道自己背信于朋友，发了不义之财，我一定会报答朋友的大恩大德。”随后，科某撞上船板昏迷，醒来后风浪已停息，于是他返乡后立即履诺，修好了南桥。
It is said that Rao Dongshan, a wealthy local businessman, who often chatted with other merchants about the repair of the bridge in the Nanqiao Teahouse, had a good conversation with a merchant surnamed Ke. So he entrusted Ke to buy stone materials for the bridge and paid a deposit of 10,000 taels of silver (approximately 373kg). They agreed that Ke would deliver the stones to Nanqiao area and build the bridge in the next spring; but when the time came, Ke did not show up. It turned out that Ke started his own business with the money and three years later, he made a fortune and decided to return to his hometown by boat. When his boat reached the center of Liangzi Lake, the clear sky suddenly gusted with strong winds, and the waves on the lake surfaced. Ke was filled with terror and so heknelt on the bow of the boat and looked up to the sky, praying “God, please save me! I know that I betrayed my friend and made the money fraudulently, but I will definitely repay my friend's great kindness.” Soon afterwards, Ke crashed into the boat and fell into a coma. The wind and waves had subsided when he woke up later, so he fulfilled his promise immediately after returning home and repaired the Nanqiao Bridge.
陈汉水介绍，上世纪中期，该桥所在处仍然人烟密集，有学校、庙宇、店铺等建筑。后来因历史原因和村民外迁，才变得冷冷清清。如今南桥成为孤桥，寺庙和茶楼早已归尘，只留下桥面上那条来往窑工独轮车碾压而形成的深凹痕迹，成为这段繁华历史的见证。
Chen said that in the middle of the 20th century, the area around the bridge was still densely populated with buildings such as schools, temples, and shops; however, it became deserted later due to historical reasons and the relocation of the villagers. Now as the temples and teahouses have long disappeared,the Nanqiao Bridge has become a lonely bridge, leaving only the deep concave trace formed by the rolling of the passing kiln workers' wheelbarrow on the bridge that bears witness to its prosperous history.
饶姓后人义务守桥33年
Rao's Descendants Have Voluntarily Guarded the Bridge for 33 Years
陈六村大屋饶湾今年70岁的饶浩功，是饶姓东山公的后人，一直守护着南桥。他说1985年南桥破损，当地文化部门出资修缮，他和另两名村民承接了修缮工作，在文博部门的指导下，整整几个月才完工。“当时是夏天，我们每天天刚亮就去桥上，很多石料垮塌掉入桥下的港汊中。于是我们跳入水中，将石头一块块摸出来，再相应地镶嵌入桥梁的缺损地方。”虽然时隔37年，饶浩功仍记得当初的修缮细节。
Rao Haogong, 70 years old, is a descendant of Rao Dongshangong and has been guarding the Nanqiao Bridge. He said that the Nanqiao Bridge was damaged in 1985, so the local cultural department funded the repair. He and two other villagers undertook the repair work, which took several months to complete under the guidance of the cultural heritage and museology department. “It was summer, and we went to the bridge every day at dawn. A lot of stones collapsed and fell into the harbour under the bridge. So we jumped into the water, took out the stones one by one, and inserted them into the missing parts of the bridge accordingly.” Although it has been 37 years, Rao still remembers the details of that repair mission.
1989年起，饶浩功被聘为文物义务保护员，先后多次获评模范义务保护员。这些30多年前的证书，饶浩功一直当宝贝一样收藏。
Since 1989, Rao has been hired as a voluntary conservator of cultural relics, and has been awarded as “Model Voluntary Conservator” many times. These certificates awarded more than 30 years ago have always been a treasure to Rao.
饶浩功展示模范义务保护员证书 Rao Haogong displays his certificates of Model Voluntary Conservator
“这桥是我们饶家先祖修的，作为后人，我一定要好好保护。”饶浩功告诉记者，他没事就去南桥附近转悠，除除杂草、清理垃圾，巡查安全，“很多人都知道这里藏着一座600多岁的古桥，节假日不少人开车来参观、钓鱼，我就要劝阻做好卫生、不要损毁南桥。”
“This bridge was built by my ancestor. As a descendant, I must protect it well.” Rao told the reporter that he would go around the Nanqiao Bridge in his free time to remove weeds and clean up garbage and inspect its safety. “Many people know there is an ancient bridge over 600 years old hidden here, so many people drive here to visit or fish during the holidays and so I always remind them not to throw garbage or damage the bridge.”
“江夏是水乡桥都，据《江夏县志》记载，清代之前，收入其中的桥梁建筑有大小60余座，分布在古驿道与古航道的湖港汊上。通过第三次全国文物普查发现，不少已经损毁破损，目前江夏境内还有古桥36座。”武汉市江夏区文化和旅游局局长王太明介绍，它们见证了沧海桑田、城镇变迁。
“Jiangxia is full of waters and bridges. According to the Jiangxia County Chronical, before the Qing Dynasty, there were more than 60 bridges distributed over the branches of the ancient post roads and waterways. Though many of the bridges have been damaged, there still remain 36 ancient bridges in Jiangxia district, according to the third national census of cultural relics.” Wang Taiming, director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Jiangxia District, Wuhan, said that these bridges have witnessed the drastic changes of Jiangxia district.
随着岁月流逝，许多古桥渐渐失去功能，正淡出人们的视野。王太明对此表示，对于南桥等古桥，江夏文旅部门将加大保护力度，精心修缮。同时采取手绘画卷的形式重现南桥辉煌，留住江夏符号和古桥记忆。
As time goes by, many ancient bridges have gradually lost their function and are fading out of sight. Wang said that Jiangxia Department of Culture and Tourism will step up in its protection efforts and carefully repair the bridges. At the same time, the splendor of the Nanqiao Bridge is reproduced in the form of hand-painted scrolls, intended to preserve the symbols of Jiangxia and recall the memory of its ancient bridges.