Bantou Flower Bridge

　　Bantou Flower Bridge is a county-level key cultural relic protection site. It is located over the Panxi Stream in Bantou Village, Yangyuan Township. The bridge was first built in the sixth year of the Zhengde era of Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty (1511), underwent two renovations during the Kangxi and Daoguang eras of the Qing Dynasty, was rebuilt in the third year of the Xianfeng era (1853), destroyed by fire in the first year of the Republic of China (1911), and reconstructed again in the third year of the Republic of China. It was renovated once more in 1982. This pavilion-style stone arch and wooden single-span covered bridge has a clear span of 12.2 meters, 13 bays, a width of 8 meters, and a height of 16 meters. It runs from north to south and is 40 meters long. The central main pavilion features three tiers of upturned eaves, while the side pavilions to the north and south each have two tiers of upturned eaves. Each tier is adorned with wind chimes, nine of which remain today. There are 6 rows and 80 bridge pillars, and the pillars and beams are inscribed with over 30 couplets. The roof is fitted with an inverted-bowl style caisson ceiling, and the arches, beams, and pillars are painted with figures, stories, and floral patterns. Inside the bridge are nine shrines housing statues of deities. The central pavilion and the pavilions at both ends feature 0. The tips of two swords protrude from the stone crevices on either side of the bridge’s arch, pointing directly toward the stream. Two steles commemorating the bridge’s renovation during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty are preserved inside the bridge pavilions.

　　Source: Local Chronicles of Zhenghe County