Vwegba Blogging World

YANGMEIZHOU TIMBER ARCHED BRIDGE, almost 1000 years old, Xiadang village, Shouning County, China Still standing and still in every-day use - the arched wooden bridge was built nearly 1,000 years ago, demonstrates the true skill of the master craftsmen who first constructed them. These stunning timber structure have withstood test of time. The Yangmeizhou Bridge is 47.6 meters long and 4.9 meters wide, is suspended between two banks of lush greenery, and built from the wood of the trees surrounding them, are still a fully functional part of life. Included on UNESCO's National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, was built entirely by hand using the skill of 'beam-weaving'. The woodworking masters design the bridges with a range of arches depending on the surroundings, while the passageways can be of various styles, depending on the use of the bridge. To create arch support, 'beam weaving' is used which sees three rows of wood formed into an arch-supporting system wh