The Zhaozhou Bridge

Near the city of Zhaozhou, there are two bridges. The large stone bridge, located south of the city, was built by Lu Ban; the small stone bridge, located to the west, was built by Lu Ban's younger sister, nicknamed Lu Jia.

Once, Lu Ban and his sister were traveling across the land and arrived at the city of Zhaozhou. From afar, they could see its yellow walls, but entering the city was not easy, as the Xiaohe River roared and foamed in their path. The riverbank was crowded with people: grain merchants, cloth sellers, date vendors, cotton carriers, and hay transporters. Some carried shoulder poles, others led donkeys, and some pushed carts—all hurrying to the temple fair. They shouted and made noise, each eager to cross to the other side and enter the city. The river's current was strong, and there were only two small boats ferrying people back and forth, unable to keep up with the demand. The people waited and waited, growing impatient, and began to argue.

Seeing this, Lu Ban asked:

"Why don't you build a bridge across the river?"

No matter whom he asked, the answer was always the same:

"The Xiaohe River is too wide—ten li across—and too deep, with no bottom in sight! And there are so many whirlpools! You won't find a craftsman in all the land who can build a bridge across the Xiaohe."

Hearing this, Lu Ban and his sister decided to build two bridges there. Now, Lu Jia, it must be said, no matter where she went, always heard people praising her brother for his skill and ingenuity. This vexed the young woman, and she decided to challenge her brother this time. She said, "Let each of us build a bridge. We'll see who finishes first!"

They agreed to start working at nightfall and finish by dawn, at the first crow of the rooster. Whoever failed to finish would lose. The brother and sister made their agreement and began preparing. Lu Ban was to build the bridge south of the city, while Lu Jia would build hers to the west.

Lu Jia arrived at her designated spot and got to work. By midnight, she had finished and thought, "I've won." With this thought, she went to see how Lu Ban was doing. And what do you think? When she arrived, she saw that the river was still flowing, the banks were unchanged, and there was no sign of a bridge. Lu Ban was nowhere to be found.

The young woman grew sad, but suddenly she noticed a man descending from the distant Taihang Mountains, driving a large flock of sheep. The sheep jostled and bumped into each other, running straight toward her. When they got close, Lu Jia realized they weren't sheep—they were gleaming white stones—and the man was none other than her brother, Lu Ban. Seeing the stones, Lu Jia felt a chill. How magnificent they were! What a strong and beautiful bridge they would make! Her bridge couldn't compare. She thought, "I must redo my bridge." With this thought, she ran back to her bridge and began carving flowers, magical grasses, the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, and a phoenix flying toward the sun on the railings. She looked at her work and was satisfied. But she couldn't resist going back to see what her brother was doing. Lu Ban was also nearing completion, with only two final stones left to place at the edge of the bridge. Seeing this, Lu Jia grew anxious and let out two thin, high-pitched rooster crows. Following her, the village roosters began their chorus. Hearing the roosters, Lu Ban quickly placed the last two stones, and the bridge was complete!

And so, two bridges appeared on the river. One, large and wide, became known as the Great Stone Bridge, while the other, built by Lu Jia, was ornate and light—the Small Stone Bridge. To this day, in the vicinity of Zhaozhou, when a girl needs to choose a pattern for her shoes or a pillow, her mother says:

"Go to the western gate and look at the patterns on the railings of the small bridge!"

Thus, in one night, the Great Stone Bridge of Zhaozhou was built—strong and beautiful. News of this spread far and wide, even reaching the Eight Immortals of Penglai Island. One of them, nicknamed Zhang Guo-lao, was particularly fond of unusual events. Hearing of this marvel, he brought out his donkey with a black mark on its forehead, loaded it with leather bags—placing the sun in the left and the moon in the right—and called for Chai Wang. Chai Wang took his cart with golden spokes and silver handles, loaded it with four towering mountains, and they set off. Arriving at the Zhaozhou Bridge, Zhang Guo-lao called out loudly:

"Who built this bridge?"

Lu Ban, who was inspecting the bridge at the time, heard the voice and replied:

"I built it. Why? Is it not built properly?"

Zhang Guo-lao pointed to his donkey and the cart and asked:

"Can we cross? Will the bridge hold?"

Lu Ban laughed and said:

"It holds mules and horses. Why worry about a donkey and a cart? Cross without fear!"

Zhang Guo-lao and Chai Wang smiled, stepped onto the bridge—one riding the donkey, the other pushing the cart. The bridge swayed, threatening to collapse. Seeing this, Lu Ban jumped beneath the bridge and supported it with both hands. Thus, the bridge did not collapse. It held the weight and became even stronger, though its southern edge shifted slightly westward.

To this day, the Zhaozhou Bridge bears the marks of eight donkey hoofprints and the groove from Chai Wang's cart, while beneath the bridge, the imprints of Lu Ban's hands remain. In the past, during the New Year, pictures of Lu Ban supporting the bridge were sold.

After crossing the bridge, Zhang Guo-lao turned to Lu Ban and said:

"I pity your eyes!"

Lu Ban thought, "I have eyes, yet I failed to recognize a great man," and felt ashamed. He plucked out one of his eyes and left it at the edge of the bridge before walking away. Later, Ma Yu-er passed by the bridge, picked up the eye, and inserted it into his forehead.

Lu Ban is considered the first teacher of carpenters, and to this day, when a carpenter wants to check the straightness and precision of lines, they close one eye. And since then, statues of Ma Yu-er have been made with three eyes.

The people have not forgotten that it was Lu Ban who built the Great Stone Bridge for Zhaozhou, and to this day, shepherd boys sing:

Who built the bridge in Zhaozhou
From white boulders so true?
Riding a donkey across,
Who shifted the bridge westward?
And from whose heavy cart
Did the marks on the bridge remain?
It was our Lu Ban who built
The bridge from white boulders.
Riding a donkey across,
Zhang Guo-lao shifted the bridge.
Chai Wang rolled his cart—
The marks on the bridge remain.

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The Zhaozhou Bridge

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