Longtan Bridge

　　    Longtan Bridge is a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit. It is situated in the Cuixi Gorge of Longtan Natural Village, Louxia Village, Yangyuan Township, only 2 kilometers from the national scenic area of Baishuiyang. The bridge was constructed in late 1962 and completed in 1965, taking over three years to build. More than 800 fir logs, each over a hundred years old, were used in its construction, some of which were donated by villagers of Louxia Village as building materials for their own homes. Longtan Bridge is the first wooden arch-covered bridge built in Zhenghe County after the liberation. It is 31 meters long, 5 meters wide, with a clear span of 23 meters. The bridge deck features a covered corridor that is 4.2 meters high, consisting of 12 bays supported by 64 pillars. It has a post-and-lintel and column-and-tie structural style, with a gable and hip roof covered in green tiles, and weatherproof wooden boards made of fir lining both sides of the bridge. The master carpenter behind the bridge’s construction was the young craftsman Yang Xianhua from Ye Gandi Village, Chengyuan Township, while the stonework was done by Master Dong Jinbo from Taishun, Zhejiang. Built during the politically turbulent 1960s, the bridge still bears many slogans and couplets reflecting the social and political life of the time, such as “Often recall the bitterness of the past, and you’ll cherish today’s sweetness,” “The General Line lights the way forward, ride the waves,” and “Cut through three rivers to build a sky bridge, level five ridges to pave the great road.” These inscriptions reflect the characteristics of the era and give the bridge additional historical, cultural, and sociological significance.

　　    Source: Local Chronicles of Zhenghe County