“West Ferry Bridge” is what Xijin Bridge literally means. Did you know that this ancient covered bridge in China is one of the largest in the country? Xijin Bridge stands in Yongkang, Jinhua, Zhejiang Province.
This lángqiáo is the largest covered bridge in Zhejiang Province. Let me tell you its story. The Xijin Bridge’s history stretches back to the Ming dynasty. Back then it was first built as a wooden bridge. Fast forward to 1718, during the Kangxi Era. The bridge underwent a significant rebuild.
Then in the early Yongzheng Era, workers replaced the bridge’s piers with stones. This was done to improve the bridge’s load capacity. The construction finally concluded at the beginning of the Qianlong Era. The Xijin Bridge received some repairs during the Jiaqing Era. In 1807, during the 12th year of the era, a stone stele was erected. It served to praise the bridge builders and to summarize the bridge’s history. The inscription on this stele became known as Xijin Qiao Zhi. It means “the inscript of the Xijin Bridge”.
Structurally, Xijin Bridge is a mix of stone and wood. The piers are stone and the upper structures are mostly wood. Originally, it was a completely wooden bridge. It stretched 206.3 meters across 15 piers and 16 spans. Once they replaced the piers with stone, the design changed. It then had 12 piers and 13 spans. The bridge shortened to 166 meters. Each pier measures 5.6 meters long, 3.3 meters wide, and 4.6 meters high. Between each pair of piers, there are six or seven girders. They span the tops of the piers. Each girder has an average length of 13 meters.
The Xijin Bridge stands as a testament to Chinese engineering and architectural skill. Its story, etched in stone and wood, continues to inspire awe in all who cross it.