Guangji Bridge is situated over the County River in Nandou Village, Jiangkou Town, northeast of Fenghua City, and was originally constructed during the Southern Song Dynasty, with a reconstruction in the Yuan Dynasty. The bridge runs east to west, measuring 51.68 meters in length and 6.6 meters in width. It features a slightly arched, four-span wooden and stone structure with 16 covered rooms along the bridge. Guangji Bridge is one of the earliest existing wooden and stone structure covered bridges in Zhejiang. The peculiar and scientifically advanced aspect of Guangji Bridge is its mortise and tenon structure of the bridge piers. Instead of using solid stone blocks commonly found in bridge piers, Guangji Bridge uses four rows of stone columns. Each pier is composed of six long, flat stones standing upright, a feature dating back to the Yuan Dynasty. Lock stones are placed on the top of the columns, with grooves carved on them to hold wooden pegs that secure the stones. Ten beams are arranged, with planks laid above. Each stone has a tenon at both ends, and two large stones with six mortises each are fitted onto the bridge columns, creating a tight and seamless connection. This type of pier structure is not only sturdy but also reduces the impact of water flow due to its smaller frontal area, making it less susceptible to collision and entanglement with floating objects. It also takes up less space in the river, facilitating navigation. The bridge is open all year round, accessible 24/7.
Nandu Guangji Bridge
Guangji Bridge is situated over the County River in Nandou Village, Jiangkou Town, northeast of Feng[...]
