Jinping Weimei Bridge

　　Jinping Weimei Bridge is a county-level key cultural relics protection unit. It is located on the Leping Stream at the end of Jinping Village, Lingyao Township, and is a well-preserved cantilevered flat-beam wooden covered bridge in Zhenghe County. The bridge was built in the eighth year of the Xianfeng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1858), and due to aging and damage, it underwent repairs in the early 1980s, with the current structure largely retaining its original appearance. The bridge is 26.2 meters long, 5 meters wide, with a clear span of 20.2 meters and a height of 4.8 meters above the stream. The bridge’s covered corridor is 4.75 meters high, featuring a gable-and-hip roof and a post-and-lintel construction style. It has 40 pillars and is divided into nine bays. Railings and awnings are installed on both sides. In ancient times, the bridge served as a vital transportation route connecting Northern Fujian to Southern Zhejiang, as well as Zhenghe to Shouning and Eastern Fujian. It is said that an inscription once adorned the entrance, reading: “A thoroughfare for the three provinces of Fujian, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi; a must-cross bridge for the counties of Song, Zheng, and Shou,” though this no longer exists. In modern times, with the development of road transport, the bridge’s role as a thoroughfare has diminished. However, situated near the Jinping Ancient Fir Forest, it has become a cultural attraction within the King of Firs scenic area. The bridge bears many slogans from the early liberation period and the “communalization” era, such as “Long live the General Line,” “—Long live!” “Love the commune as your home, be selfless and fair,” “Promote the proletariat, eliminate capitalism, keep thoughts red,” “Dedicate yourself to others, show noble character,” and others—through which one can easily sense the social atmosphere of those times.

　　Source: Local Chronicles of Zhenghe County