Taishun Covered Bridges

The Taishun Covered Bridges in Zhejiang are a collective term for the covered bridges in Taishun County, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China, with timber arch covered bridges as their core. More than 30 ancient covered bridges from the Ming and Qing dynasties still exist in Taishun, Zhejiang. Due to their large number and diverse forms, Taishun is known as the 'Kingdom of Covered Bridges' and the 'Home of Chinese Covered Bridges'. These covered bridges in Taishun, Zhejiang, serve as tangible testaments to China's rural culture. Their structural design closely resembles the Rainbow Bridge over the Bian River depicted in the famous Northern Song Dynasty painting, 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival'. For centuries, the local people of Taishun have referred to these covered bridges as 'Centipede Bridges'. The bridges primarily feature a timber arch structure, with their bodies constructed using mortise and tenon joints, without a single nail. This unique construction method has been recognized as a world tangible cultural heritage item. The combination of the covered walkway and the woven timber arch structure allows the covered bridges, in addition to their basic transportation function, to serve several other purposes: providing structural support for the woven timber arches, protecting the timber bridge from wind and rain, offering a place for people to rest, serving as venues for folk religious beliefs, and providing spaces for gatherings, communication, and commercial trade. Currently, you can experience the style of a Zhejiang Taishun Covered Bridge at Wuchang Temple in Jiji Township, Nantou County. This particular bridge was built in the style of the 'Beijian Bridge in Xiaqiao Village, Sixi Town'. At the center of the covered bridge, a statue of Yue Lao (the Old Man Under the Moon, a Chinese deity of marriage and love) is enshrined, inviting those who wish for a happy love life to step onto this 'bridge of love' and sincerely pray to Yue Lao for a good marriage.