West Kuahu Bridge

West Kuahu Bridge

West Kuahu Bridge was first built during the Southern Song Dynasty, rebuilt in the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, and renovated again in the first year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1796). The entire bridge consists of a single-arch span and a three-span beam bridge, with a total length of 61 meters. The arched section is 30 meters long, with a clear span of 5.5 meters. The bridge railings are inscribed with the names of donors who funded the reconstruction, along with the years. The three-span beam bridge is 31 meters long in total, divided equally into three spans, and the current bridge deck is now covered with cement. Five meters north of the arched bridge stands a small single-span beam bridge called “Tongyan Bridge.” Together with West Kuahu Bridge, they form a “7” shape on the plane. The side railings are inscribed with characters indicating renovations carried out during the Qianlong and Jiaqing eras of the Qing Dynasty. In 2011, the Zhejiang Provincial Government designated West Kuahu Bridge as a provincial-level cultural heritage site.