Daxian High Arch Bridge

　　The High Arch Bridge is situated at the street center of Dafeng Township Government in Daxian, stretching east-west across the Mingyue River. It serves as a crucial transportation link connecting townships including Dafeng and Tanmu. From a distance, it resembles a drawn bow, and up close, the reflection of the bridge in the water creates the illusion of a crescent moon hanging in the sky — majestic and spectacular. Over a hundred years ago, it was hailed as “the finest bridge among all in the prefecture.” According to the Daxian County Annals from the Republican era: Since the Tang Dynasty, this area has been a key route connecting Daxian, Kaijiang, Wanzhou, and Liangping. During the Ming Dynasty, an iron-chain bridge was built here. The current arch bridge was constructed in the 7th year of the Tongzhi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1866). When funding the bridge’s construction, “ten thousand dan of rice were raised,” hence it also earned the name “Ten-Thousand-Dan Bridge.” This single-span, large-scale stone bridge spans 45 meters in length, 27 meters in height, and 10.3 meters in width, all built with bluestone forming a semi-circular arch. From either end of the bridge up to the apex of the arch, there are 76 stone steps in total, with a slope of 65 degrees. The stone railings on both sides of the bridge are 1 meter high, constructed by interlocking sticky rice and lime mortar, curving smoothly toward the top of the arch. The bridge deck at the crown is tiled-back shaped, 9 meters wide and 6 meters long. The approach ramps at both ends of the bridge are flat paved areas of 8x9 meters made of flagstones. The Republican-era Daxian County Annals recorded: There used to be a pair of bronze bells beneath the bridge; whenever the wind blew, they would emit a deep hum audible for miles. At each end of the bridge, there originally stood a pair of 2.5-meter-tall stone lions with a base circumference of 3 meters, seemingly playing and ready to leap, adding lively charm. On the stone cliffs on both riverbanks, there were also two Erlang Temples, each housing a majestic and imposing statue of Erlang Shen. Unfortunately, these treasures that once guarded the bridge were lost to vandals and destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Fortunately, the great bridge has withstood over a century of change and still stands intact to this day. To protect the bridge, the highway was rerouted, and the Daka Highway now winds its way past the bridge. Yet, an increasing number of visitors are captivated by the High Arch Bridge’s unique architectural style and exquisite craftsmanship, often lingering there in admiration. The bridge has been designated as a County-Level Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the Daxian County People's Government.