Nanya Bridge

Nanya Bridge

Nanya Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Wenzhou City.

Nanya Bridge. Located in Shangbutou Village, Tengqiao Town, Lucheng District, it was first built in the late Qing Dynasty and renovated in 1948. The bridge spans the Xupu River from east to west as an 11-arch beam-column stone bridge constructed with granite; it is 48.6 meters long and 1.2 meters wide. The bridge body is straight, with three bridge deck slabs laid flat across each arch. The piers consist of two upright square stone columns that lean slightly inward. In 2000, it was listed as part of the second batch of cultural relic protection units in Ouhai District.

Nanya Bridge connects to Shangbutou Village in the east and faces the Tengze Highway in the west, with the current road surface being about 10 meters higher than the bridge deck. Approximately 100 meters downstream is the highway bridge over the Xupu River on the Tengze Highway. The bridge is situated in the countryside with no tall buildings affecting the view. Spanning the Xupu River from east to west, it is an 11-arch beam-column stone bridge made of granite. It is 48.41 meters long, 1.2 meters wide, and the bridge deck is about 1.9 meters above the normal water level. The bridge body is straight, with the deck directly slotted into the pier columns, and three bridge deck slabs laid flat per arch. Each slab is 0.39 meters wide and about 0.25 meters thick, with tenons at both ends that interlock with the pier columns. The northern side of the bridge slabs is inscribed with the text “Republic of China Year of Wu Zi, Nanya Bridge, led by the Xia family” running east to west. The spans vary in length, with the central spans being longer. The pier structure is largely similar across spans, using relatively rough materials: two 0.4×0.4 meter square stone columns stand upright and lean inward, with long stone slabs forming angled braces on the outer sides of the columns at approximately 80 degrees. These braces not only enhance the balance of the piers but also divert the river flow to reduce erosion. Nanya Bridge is a unique type of beam-column stone bridge in China, serving as a transportation structure adapted to the special terrain, landform, and social development of the mountainous western region of Wenzhou. In September 2000, it was listed as part of the second batch of cultural relic protection units in Ouhai District, Wenzhou City. Following an administrative division adjustment in 2002, it was re-announced as part of the fifth batch of cultural relic protection units in Wenzhou City in August 2005.

Protection Level: County (City/District)-level Cultural Relic Protection Unit

Period: Qing Dynasty

Announcement Date: August 26, 2005

Category: Ancient Architecture

Protected Area: Extending 5 meters outward from the edge stones at both ends of the bridge to the east and west; extending 20 meters outward from the central axis of the bridge to the south and north.

Building Control Zone: Extending 50 meters outward from the protected area to the east, south, and north; extending 30 meters outward from the edge stone at the western end of the bridge to the west.

Shangbutou Village: Shangbutou Village…… Detailed information about Shangbutou Village++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Relic Protection Units in Wenzhou City