Quanzhou, the world ocean trade center of the Song and Yuan Dynasties

Anping Bridge is a representative heritage element of the Song and Yuan Quanzhou transportation network. It is located on the bay at the junction of Anhai Town, Jinjiang, and Shuitou Town, Nan'an, 30 km southwest of Quanzhou City. It was built between 1138 and 1152, and is about 2,255 meters long and 2.9–4 meters wide. It is commonly known as the "Five-mile Bridge" because it is five Chinese miles long, and is the longest existing cross-sea beam stone bridge in China. The bridge deck is paved with stone slabs and protected by granite railings on both sides. There are 360 stone piers, and huge stone slabs are laid across the piers to form the bridge deck. The stone slabs are 5–11 meters long. The piers of Anping Bridge innovatively adopt the "sleeping wood foundation" method, and three different types of piers are set up according to local conditions: rectangular, single-pointed ship-shaped, and double-pointed ship-shaped piers. Anping Bridge is a land transportation node between Quanzhou and the vast southern coastal areas, reflecting the development of Quanzhou's water and land transportation system driven by ocean trade. The completion of Anping Bridge not only reflects the contribution of Quanzhou's diverse social structure to ocean trade during the Song and Yuan Dynasties, but also reflects the economic prosperity and wealth accumulation brought to Quanzhou society by ocean trade. 1. Ruiguang Pagoda 2. Anping Bridge 3. Chaoyin Temple