Leijiaqiao Ancient Towpath: The Most Intact Ancient Towpath in Linping

Location: Intersection of Linping Grand Canal and Zhaoqiao Port, Yaojiadai Village, Donghu Sub-district, 

Period: Ming Dynasty 

Introduction: According to local historical records in Tangxi, it was initially a government-built embankment during the Ming Dynasty. It served as a pedestrian road from Yaojiadai Village to Tangxi Town and also as a canal transportation route. In 2013, it was listed as a municipal-level cultural heritage protection site in Hangzhou.

Leijiaqiao Ancient Towpath is located along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. It is the only well-preserved ancient towpath along the Grand Canal. It stretches from east to west, and one can still see the inclined ramps used for towing boats and imagine the hardships of the boatmen in the past.

The ancient towpath meanders from the north along the eastern bank of the canal, crosses over Leijia Bridge to the southern bank, and continues into the distance. It is approximately 11 meters long and 2.2 meters wide.

Leijia Bridge is a single-arch stone bridge, measuring 11.3 meters in length, with an arch height of about 3 meters and a span of 6.5 meters. The bridge deck is 1.95 meters wide. The bridge piers are constructed with interlocking stones, with stone buttresses embedded on the inner side, and stone beams supporting the bridge deck, with steps at both ends. This ancient bridge connected to an ancient towpath is possibly the only one of its kind in Hangzhou.

In the depths of the rarely visited vegetation, if we carefully explore, we will discover the imprints of history hidden here. Crossing the lush aquatic plants, we can see the paved stone slabs, and our minds conjure up a glimpse of the bustling canal scene from a hundred years ago.

The dark-skinned boatmen, with their bare arms exposed under the scorching sun, had ropes cutting deep bloodstains on their backs. They never complained or shouted, silently pulling the boats forward, and became a chapter in the history of the canal's transformation...

With a whistle and a rope, the boatmen, braving the current, symbolize the diligence of the Chinese working people for thousands of years. And Leijiaqiao Ancient Towpath has become a symbol witnessing the historical and cultural significance of the Grand Canal.