Zhenhuang Bridge is a famous scenic spot in Xinyang’s cultural landscape.
It was called Zhenhuai Bridge in ancient times. It starts from Ning'an Gate (Shuimen Gate) in the south, connects Dashun Gate in the north, and spans the Huanghe River. It is the passage between the north and south cities.
It was first built in the Taiding period of the Yuan Dynasty (1324-1328). It was rebuilt in the 19th year of Chenghua (1483) of Emperor Xianzong of the Ming Dynasty and renamed Kuahuang Bridge. In the 31st year of Wanli reign of Ming Dynasty (1603), the stone-timbered wooden bridge was built and was originally called Zhenhuang Bridge. In the 23rd year of Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1758), Wu Yisong, the magistrate of the state, moved the bridge westward to between Dashun Gate (Zhongshan Gate) in the north city and Ning'an Gate (now destroyed) in the south city, and the bridge deck was paved with pine boards. During the Republic of China, it was repaired and collapsed many times. In the 1950s, the bridge deck was re-paved with wooden boards, and it was still a wooden bridge with stone piers. In 1966, a rail bridge and a cement bridge deck were installed. The bridge is 108 meters long, with 8 piers and 9 holes. The clear span of each hole ranges from 7.8 meters to 9.6 meters. On the north bank is the Zhongshan Gate, with high steps and steep banks. On the south bank, the streets are narrow, leading to No. 1 Middle School and the Mosque. The bridge does not carry cars and is only for pedestrians.
The Zhenhuang Bridge is built at the narrowest point of the Huanghe River, where the river is only 100 meters wide, of which the bridge piers occupy more than 30 meters. The Huanghe River, which is very seasonal, actually only has more than 60 meters of water crossing section under the bridge. Every year during the flood season, the Zhenhuang Bridge suddenly turns into a bridge choked by the Huanghe River. The Huanghe River, which runs through Huangchuan County, has a flood control capacity that only occurs once every five years.
When the floods were at their worst, the water level in the river section above Zhenhuang Bridge continued to rise. The floods climbed up the city and submerged roads and many houses. There is a drop of nearly 1 meter between the water level above the bridge and the water level below the bridge. Every time there is a flood in Zhenhuangqiao, people in Huangchuan will feel heartbroken.
The people of Huangchuan, who have suffered from floods, have been striving for a project to cure the Huanghe River. Under the direct care of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, at the end of 2000, the state approved the treatment plan for the Huangchuan-Chengdu section of the Huanghe River. In July 2003, the first phase of the project was basically completed. The nearly 1,000-meter-long riverbank upstream and downstream of Zhenhuang Bridge has been given a new look, and the newly built aviation bridge upstream stands proudly and has become a new passage. In comparison, Zhenhuang Bridge becomes an ugly duckling.