Travel through 539 years! An ancient bridge in Hunan is still in use after restoration

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Huaihua, 13 Jan (CNBC) -- On 11 January, on a pontoon bridge with a history of 539 years in Jingzhou Miao and Dong Autonomous County, Huaihua City, Hunan Province, there was an endless stream of pedestrians coming from the south to the north. From a distance, the restored pontoon bridge spans the Canal River, and the new wood of the bridge is interspersed with it, combining ancient and modern atmosphere, with a unique charm.

According to historical records, the Huaihua Jingzhou Pontoon Bridge was built in 1484 to facilitate the production and life of residents on both sides of the Qujiang River, which has a history of 539 years. Nowadays, Jingzhou is thriving, the traffic flow has increased sharply, and residents on both sides of the Qujiang River still need to cross the Qujiang Bridge to cross the river, which is often crowded and has potential safety hazards. In order to make it easier for residents to pass, the local government decided to rebuild the pontoon bridge and add archways to the docks on both sides of the strait to make the whole pontoon look more beautiful.

It is understood that in November 2021, the repair work of the pontoon bridge was officially carried out, and the repair project was the bridge girder, bridge slab, fence, springboard, etc., and the repair of the pontoon bridge was completed on January 5, 2022. The new pontoon bridge is 90 meters long and 2.8 meters wide, connected by 15 boats, with springboards between the piers and boats, and iron cables and bamboo cables on both sides of the bridge to large trees and piers. Today, the pontoon bridge has also become a new tourist punching point in Jingzhou.