Puji Bridge

The Puji Bridge is one of the oldest standing structures in Zunyi: a 14-metre stone arch bridge built of red sandstone, spanning the Gaoqiao River near the old town. The current structure dates from the final restoration in the Chongzhen era (early 17th century), though the bridge has occupied this crossing since the Southern Song dynasty. At just 14 metres long and 6 metres wide, it is modest in scale, but its red sandstone construction and Song-dynasty origins make it a genuinely ancient piece of urban fabric in a city better known for a very different episode of history.

The bridge is a provincial-level cultural heritage site. It sits a short walk from the Zunyi Conference area and makes a natural extension of a walking tour through the old city. The red sandstone matches the local geology and gives the bridge a warmth that the more common grey limestone arches lack.

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A story
The Puji Bridge has been rebuilt four times since it was first constructed in the Southern Song dynasty — destroyed by flooding during the Ming, restored in the final years of the Ming, and gradually worn to the red sandstone arch that stands today. It is named after the Buddhist temple that once stood beside it, which has long since disappeared.