INGENIEUR
INGENIEUR
Photo 1 : Entrance to Chengyang eight villages , Sanjiang
become the important crossing between the river banks . The covered roof and pavilions on the bridge decks provide people a place to rest , gather , communicate and seek shelter from wind and rain .
Bridges as objects are of special significance to the residents in Sanjiang County . Local Dong residents believe that a bridge that spans the river separates the temporal and nether worlds . Providing bridges will reward them in the afterlife and blessings on their offspring . Dong regards it as the structure of life that would affect the wellbeing of the surrounding residents . This explains why the small county of Sanjiang has more than 100 bridges with these special features .
Construction of Chengyang Wind and Rain Bridge
Chengyang ’ s eight villages is so called as they are a cluster of eight Dong villages close to one another and situated along the Linxi river .
The iconic Chengyang Bridge , also known as Chengyang Wind and Rain Bridge , was built in the first year of the Republic of China ( 1912 ), led by 50 elders of Chengyang ’ s eight villages . It was
Photo 2 : Chengyang Wind and Rain Bridge constructed with multi-layer timber beams crisscrossing on top masonry pier .
70 VOL 95 JULY-SEPTEMBER 2023