Jiuzhe Mountain Arch-Bridge Cluster

Jiuzhe Mountain Arch-Bridge Cluster

The Jiuzhe Mountain Arch-Bridge Cluster is a Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Tiantai Arch-Bridge Cluster is located within the Jiuzhe Mountain Scenic Area in Jietou Town, southwestern Tiantai County, approximately 38 kilometers from the county seat. Although not very old — all were built during the Republican era — they feature unique bridge designs, which led to their designation as a Provincial-Level Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the Zhejiang Provincial People's Government in 2011.

There are a total of seven arch bridges in the Tiantai Arch-Bridge Cluster. Five are situated along the main stream of Jiuzhe Creek, stretching from Chashankou to Mingtang Village, while the other two are located on a tributary leading to Jixi Village. The term “arch,” pronounced “jiàn” (jiàn), means “diagonally braced.” In the past, when wooden houses began to lean, people would use diagonal wooden posts to support the upper parts of the tilted pillars, gradually straightening the structure — a process known as “jiàn house,” which was even a specialized trade. An “arch bridge” is a vivid local term for bridges that employ diagonal bracing for load-bearing. It is a type of three-fold edge bridge, with the formal name being “curved slab (beam) solid-web three-fold edge stone beam (arch) bridge.” Very few curved slab fold-edge arch bridges survive in China today, which is why the book Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 4, Part 3 – Civil Engineering and Nautics specifically mentions the arch bridges of Jiuzhe in Tiantai.

Jietou Town: Located in the western part of Tiantai County, Jietou Town borders Pingqiao Town to the east, Longxi Township to the south, Fangqian Town of Pan’an County to the west, and Xinzho

Further reading:

· Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units