Kezhai Bridge

Kezhai Bridge

Kezhai Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Chongqing Municipality.

Kezhai Bridge is located in Kezhai Village, Longfeng Township, Xiushan Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, dating back to the Qing Dynasty.

Longfeng Kezhai Bridge is situated 25 kilometers west of Xiushan County in Chongqing, spanning the Pingjiang River. Originally built during the Yuan Dynasty, it has undergone multiple renovations. During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, a five-tiered veranda and pavilion corridor were added. In 1952, the pavilion corridor was dismantled due to weathering, leaving only the long corridor.

The structure runs from north to south and features a six-arch stone-and-timber flat bridge in the form of a bridge tower. It is 58.2 meters long, 8.95 meters high, with a total span of 57 meters.

The bridge is equipped with a wooden, triple-eaved {double-eaved on the lower part} flush-gable roofed corridor building, supported by a post-and-lintel beam frame using three traverses and seven columns. It spans a total width of 21 bays (58.2 meters), with a total depth of 6.25 meters and a height of 4.55 meters. The bridgeheads feature blue-brick gable walls with gateways, and there are seven and ten steps at either end. The western end of the bridge connects to Kezhai Village, while the eastern end is bordered by residential houses.

This bridge serves as a major transportation route for towns and townships such as Qingxi, Longfeng, and Tang’ao. It is also a place where local Tujia people gather and hold sacrificial ceremonies. Due to years of disrepair, parts of the bridge have deformed and been damaged. In 1984, it was designated as a county-level cultural relic protection unit.

In 2000, Kezhai Bridge was listed as one of the first batch of cultural relic protection units of Chongqing Municipality by the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government.