Xiangqiao District 湘桥区

Setting and landscape

The district covers about 325 square kilometres. Mountains and hills in the north give way to plain in the south, and the Han River cuts across it from north-west to south-east. Bijia Mountain (笔架山), Jinshan (金山), Hulu Hill (葫芦山) and the river frame the old city, a setting the district calls "three hills and one river guarding the city walls". The climate is a warm, wet south subtropical monsoon climate with long summers and short winters.

History

The area belonged to Haiyang County (海阳县), created in 331. The name Chaozhou dates from 591, when the Sui set up a prefecture of that name, and from the Tang to the Qing the district's land stayed in Haiyang. In 1914 Haiyang was renamed Chao'an (潮安) because a county in Shandong had the same name. Xiangqiao District was created in December 1991, when Chaozhou became a prefecture-level city, and opened its offices on 23 April 1992.

What to see

Guangji Bridge (广济桥), the Xiangzi Bridge of local speech, crosses the Han River outside the old east gate. It began in 1171 as a pontoon bridge; piers were built out from both banks until 23 stood in 1228, and in 1435 twelve towers were added. The bridge combines arch, beam and pontoon spans, with an opening section of 18 boats. About 520 metres long with 21 old piers, it was restored to its Ming form between 2003 and 2007 and has been a national key protected site since 1988.

On the east bank, Hanwengong Temple (韩文公祠) stands at the western foot of Bijia Mountain and honours the Tang writer Han Yu (韩愈). It has been on this site since 1189, and its main halls are Ming and Qing. Kaiyuan Temple (开元寺) on Kaiyuan Road (开元路), founded in 738 and first called Lotus Temple (莲花寺), has been a national key protected site since 2001. Paifang Street (牌坊街) was among the first national tourism and leisure streets, and the Ministry of Culture named Taiping Street and Yixingjia Lane (太平街义兴甲巷) a famous historic and cultural street of China. The district counts seven national key protected sites and more than 50 old streets and lanes.

The district keeps protection bases for Chaozhou woodcarving (潮州木雕), Chaozhou embroidery (潮绣) and hand-thrown red-clay teapots (手拉朱泥壶), and venues for Teochew opera (潮剧), Chaozhou music and gongfu tea (工夫茶艺). Its intangible heritage list runs to 106 items, 13 of them national.

Highlights

• Guangji Bridge 广济桥: Han River bridge begun in 1171 that joins stone spans with an opening section of 18 boats; national key protected site since 1988.
• Hanwengong Temple 韩文公祠: Shrine to the Tang writer Han Yu at the foot of Bijia Mountain, on its present site since 1189.
• Kaiyuan Temple 开元寺: Buddhist temple founded in 738; national key protected site since 2001.
• Paifang Street 牌坊街: Old-city street in the first group of national tourism and leisure streets.