Dilin Wind and Rain Bridge

Dilin Wind and Rain Bridge

The Dilin Wind and Rain Bridge is located on a small river to the south of Dilin Village, Xilejiang Township, Longsheng County. Lush ancient trees line both banks of the bridge, creating picturesque scenery. About 50 meters downstream from the bridge stands another wind and rain bridge, connected to the upstream area via a bluestone path, while a stone bridge leads to the local village. The bridge covers an area of 122.5 square meters.

The Dong people had already migrated to and settled in Longsheng before the Northern Song Dynasty. According to the Dong ancestral verse “Ancestors Entering the Village,” in the second year of the Tian Sheng era of the Song Dynasty (1024), the Dong people moved from Liping in Guizhou and Jingzhou in Hunan through Suining into the northern and western parts of Longsheng. By the Ming Dynasty, there was already a large Dong population in the area. Dilin Dong Village is the third-largest Dong settlement in the county and was known as having 700 Dong households during the Qing Dynasty. The earliest wind and rain bridge in the village, the Dilin Wind and Rain Bridge, was built in the 12th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1886). It is one of the oldest surviving Dong-style wind and rain bridges in Longsheng and also the best-preserved one. Its exterior design, internal structure, and tiled roof features are unique to Longsheng, and it is the only one with a flush-gable roof and upturned eaves. The bridge serves multiple functions such as transportation, entertainment, observation, and ritual, making it the most iconic structure in the village after the drum tower. In 1999, it was designated as a county-level key cultural relics protection unit.

Source: Longsheng Tourism Website

Lejiang Town: Lejiang Township is located in the northwest of Longsheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County, about 37 kilometers from the county seat. Established in 1987, the township governs 13 administrative villages, 203 villager groups, 4,680 households, and has a total population of 19,250 people. It is home to five ethnic groups: Miao, Yao, Dong, Zhuang, and Han, among which the Dong people number 15,967, accounting for 85% of the total population. Lejiang is a minority-inhabited mountainous township characterized by “nine parts mountain, half part water, and half part farmland.” It covers a total area of 220 square kilometers, with arable land spanning 20,467 mu.

Lejiang Township is a major agricultural area. In recent years, the township Party committee and government have made great efforts to adjust agriculture... Lejiang Town detailed information++