HuiLong Bridge in Dao County

HuiLong Bridge in Dao County

HuiLong Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province.

HuiLong Bridge

Built during the Qing Dynasty. Located in Pingri Village, Tanping Township, Dao County Dong Autonomous County, Hunan Province, this bridge is a traditional structure of the Dong people.

HuiLong Bridge was first built in the 24th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1759), and was renovated and reconstructed in the 20th year of the Republic of China (1931), when the wooden piers were replaced with stone ones. The bridge is 60 meters long and 4 meters wide. Except for the two central stone piers, the entire structure is built from fir wood, using mortise-and-tenon joints, slanted interlocks, and crisscrossing patterns for a highly sturdy construction, reflecting the architectural prowess of the Dong people. The bridge can be divided into eastern and western sections with distinctly different structures. The western section features an arch design, constructed by arranging logs into tiers placed atop the stone piers, extending cantilever-style to form an arch, then covered with wooden planks. The eastern section is a beam-style bridge, using log tiers laid flat over the stone piers, with two additional tiers placed on the middle pier, and then two layers of logs spanning between the end piers, topped with wooden planks to form the deck. The bridge is covered with a double-eave roof forming a long corridor. At both ends and the middle of the bridge, three multi-angular pavilions are built — the central one inscribed with “Wenchang Pavilion,” and the end ones labeled “HuiLong Bridge.” All have triple eaves, with the lower level featuring four slopes and the top in a hexagonal spire shape, topped with an inverted bowl, a “golden basin,” and a vase. Birds are molded inside the vases, which chirp in the wind. The bridge corridor is 4 meters wide, with four horizontal pillars; the distance between the two central pillars is 2.7 meters, serving as the walkway. The eave pillars are 0.55 meters from the central pillars, with an overhang of 0.8 meters. Benches are placed between the pillars for pedestrians to rest and take shelter from wind and rain. The bridge beams and side eaves are decorated with colorful paintings depicting mythological stories from "Investiture of the Gods," "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," "Stories of the Tang Dynasty," and "Water Margin." The pillars and beams form a structural framework with a total of 21 frames, connected by purlins and covered with small green tiles to form the corridor. This bridge features a rigorous structure, exquisite design, and strong ethnic characteristics.

On January 24, 1959, it was designated as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit by the People's Government of Hunan Province, with reference number 107.

Source: Overview of Cultural Relics in Hunan