Houshan Bridge

　　Houshan Bridge is a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit. It is situated on the Leping Stream in Houshan Village, Lingyao Township. Originally constructed in the Ming Dynasty, the current bridge was rebuilt in the fourth year of the Jiawei period (1799) in February during the Qing Dynasty’s Jiaqing reign, and has undergone two restorations after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, in 1969 and 2001 respectively. This bridge is a typical wooden arch covered bridge. It is 41.5 meters long, 5 meters wide, with a clear span of 32 meters, an arch height of 8.4 meters, and a roofed corridor 4.5 meters high. Apart from the two tall stone piers at both ends that serve as the bridge's main support points, the main body of the bridge is constructed using interlocking ancient fir wood in an arch design. The bridge deck has 72 vertical pillars and features 17 bridge-house bays. The east and west sides of the bridge are equipped with railings covered by three-tiered eaves. The crossbeams and square rafters of the bridge house were originally painted with calligraphy and paintings, but these have faded over time due to age. According to inscriptions on the main beam of the bridge house, the chief carpenters responsible for the Qing Dynasty reconstruction were Master Li Zhengman and Zhang Xinyou from Ningde; the stonemasons were also from Ningde — Masters Su Chenggui and Su Chengxiang.

　　Source: Local Chronicles of Zhenghe County