Batuan Bridge

Batuan Bridge

Batuan Bridge, also known as Batuan Wind and Rain Bridge, is located on the Miao River near Batuan Village in Dudong Township, Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is slightly smaller in scale than the Chengyang Bridge.

The bridge was completed in the second year of the Xuantong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1910), runs east-west, is 50 meters long, and has a span of 30.14 meters between its abutments. Wooden beams are laid across stone piers and river piers, with layers of transverse timbers cantilevered outward to form a stacked-beam structure. Featuring two abutments, one pier, two spans, and three pavilions, its structural style is similar to that of the Chengyang Bridge. However, it differs in that a separate livestock passage is built alongside the pedestrian walkway, creating a two-tier wooden bridge with a height difference of 1.5 meters between the levels. The upper pedestrian level is 2.4 meters high and 3.1 meters wide, while the lower livestock level is 1.9 meters high and 1.4 meters wide.

The bridge makes skillful use of the terrain. On the western bank, there is only a single southern access road, whereas the eastern bank has both an eastern and a northern rural road. The builders placed two entrances at the eastern bridgehead and connected them via a bridge pavilion. On the western bank, the southern entrance aligns with the road direction, forming an 80-degree angle with the bridge’s axis, and is fronted by an ornamental archway. Another unique feature of the bridge is that it was constructed by two Dong carpenters, each starting from opposite ends. Though their individual styles differ, the overall design is seamlessly unified.

Batuan Bridge is the world’s first wooden bridge to feature a three-dimensional functional division, sharing similarities with modern double-deck overpasses. It is hailed as a “unique and unparalleled” example of folk bridge architecture throughout history and across the globe. In 2001, as a Qing Dynasty structure, Batuan Bridge was included in the fifth group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level by the State Council.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level