I remember reading A Qing poet Fang Junyi's poem praising Wanfuqiao. The poem says, "Wanfu Bridge is ten miles long, and Changhong lies empty." It can be seen that Wanfu Bridge is spectacular. Speaking of which, I am no stranger to Wanfuqiao. It was more than 50 years ago when I was a student. I once took part in a militia training, and walked more than 60 miles from Yangzhou to Jiangdu, east of Liao Jia ditch. That was the first time I saw Wanfuqiao. I have never been out of Yangzhou since I was a child, so I have never seen such a magnificent bridge, the bridge and the gate are integrated. The sluice gate is releasing water, and the rolling river under the bridge rushes to the Yangtze River downstream. This scene has been deeply imprinted on my mind ever since.
On the eve of the spring return this year, I learned from the WeChat of my hometown relatives and friends that Wanfu New Bridge, the world's first cable-stayed bridge, was completed and opened to traffic on the south side of the old Wanfu Bridge, and the bridges and gates were integrated. This suddenly reminded me of the memory of Wanfuqiao. After returning home, Xinping and I hurried to see the majestic posture of Wanfuqiao.
When we were near Wanfu Xinqiao, I was stunned by her unique shape. The whole bridge is a suspended cable structure, but it is not the traditional reinforced concrete foundation column that fixes the suspended cable, but two towers that are hundreds of meters high and go straight into the sky. The overall color of the tower is gray. Seen from a distance, the whole tower looks like it is made of blue bricks. The top of the tower is a triangular architectural combination. The cornices of the building are upturned and antique. Copper gourd Baoding at the top is resplendent and magnificent, reflecting the traditional architectural style and color of the ancient city.
To our surprise, the newly completed East Tower is being opened to the public. When we took the elevator to the observation deck at the top of the tower, the beautiful scenery in front of us suddenly appeared in front of us, which was amazing. To the west, you can see the majestic posture of the west tower and the scenery of the ancient city from a distance; To the north, I saw the Wanfu Ancient Bridge, where the bridge and the door are integrated, lying like a long dragon on the wide river surface of Liao Jia ditch; Looking to the southeast, the recently completed colorful three-dimensional tapestry of Kelpolo Flower World is beautiful. The observation deck is designed according to the garden corridor, allowing you to stroll in different landscapes and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the surrounding "seven rivers and eight islands" at high altitude. I think, under the background of night lights, if you are on Wanfu Bridge and look at the crescent bend and the water and sky line, it is a spectacular sight of "90% of the clouds stand against the fence, and Wanfu lights and water connect the sky".
The Drip Bookstore located on the fourth floor of the tower has a particularly strong cultural atmosphere. The books sold in the bookstore include the works of Master Kitakyushu Xingyun in Taiwan Province Province. Here, there is also a photo exhibition of Master Nebula. After careful browsing, it turns out that Master Xingyun's birthplace is in Wanfu Village next to Wanfuqiao. Speaking of which, Master Xingyun and I are still fellow villagers. Ten years ago, I visited Foguang Mountain, where Master Xing Yun was located, and heard his witty speech at the National Museum. His strong local accent makes me feel very cordial. Now, I have come to his birthplace again, and I am very excited. It is a great honor to produce such a great monk who attracts worldwide attention.
Wanfuqiao, what a beautiful and auspicious name. However, speaking of Wanfuqiao's past life, the frustrations and hardships she experienced also made her hometown people deeply touched.
Wanfuqiao is the only passage from Yangzhou to northern Jiangsu in the last century, which was built in Daoguang period of Qing Dynasty. This is a relatively simple wooden bridge. Soon, because the Taiping Army was about to invade Yangzhou, the Qing court ordered the demolition of Wanfu Bridge to stop its attack. After reconstruction, there was a period of peace. In the early years of the Republic of China, warlords scuffled, and Sun burned Wan Fu. What is even more outrageous is that during the Anti-Japanese War, a few days after the Nanjing Massacre, the Japanese aggressors rushed more than 400 innocent people to Wanfuqiao, with machine guns at both ends of the bridge. Desperate Japanese devils shot and killed all these unarmed villagers, and the blood stained the river under the bridge. This is the "Wanfuqiao Massacre" that shocked the north and south of the river. During the War of Liberation, the ill-fated Wanfuqiao was destroyed by Kuomintang troops. Until 1956, under the slogan "The Huaihe River must be built", in order to dredge the Huaihe River, the state built Wanfumen with a bridge on it. At this point, Wanfuqiao was thoroughly remoulded, and the Liao Jia ditch, which used to pass by boat, became a thoroughfare.
Xinping and I strolled on Wanfu New Bridge, watching the blue waves and misty water under the bridge; I saw countless red "Fu" characters inlaid on the bridge railing, with different fonts. The vicissitudes and dignity of Wanfuqiao in the past 100 years have witnessed the history and take-off of my hometown. I sincerely pray for my hometown and all my relatives and friends! I think, how beautiful it would be if this picture of happiness could be unfolded and given to friends and relatives far away!