China: 900-year-old wood arch bridge built during Song dynasty destroyed in fire

The Wan'an bridge, the longest wood arch bridge in China, was destroyed by fire on the night of August 6, according to local media reports. It was built during the Song dynasty era (960–1127  CE) in Pingnan County, Fujian Province, and is thought to be 900 years old.

According to Global Times, the fire did not cause any casualties. Investigations are ongoing to determine what started the fire. The Pingnan County Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Department has been brought in to conduct an additional inquiry on the case.

The 900-year-old wood bridge's body collapsed during the first 20 minutes of the fire, an expert told Global Times. Its unique wooden structure made it even more susceptible to damage by the fire, even though the open fires of the bridge were put out in about 10 hours. The Wan'an bridge, also referred to as the Bridge of Universal Peace, was China's longest wood arch bridge, measuring 98.2 metres in length.

In 2006, China included the bridge on its list of priceless cultural artefacts. According to UNESCO, Fujian's wooden arch bridges have long served as "significant gathering places for local residents to exchange information, amuse themselves, engage in worship, and strengthen relationships and cultural identity." China is still making efforts to preserve its traditional methods for building bridges and maintaining already-existing structures.

The Wan'an bridge has faced fire threats before, including on Saturday. The bridge had previously been burnt and later rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), under the rule of Emperor Kangxi. The bridge was selected as one of the nation's sixth batch of key cultural relics protection units in 2005. Experts have called for improved "four preventions" solutions to protect historic wooden structures as a result of the damages.

The Wengding village, the last remnant of a prehistoric Chinese tribe, was destroyed by fire in 2021 before the Wan'an bridge in Yunnan Province, southwest China, as a result of an 8-year-old boy playing with fire there. In 2019, the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris, France's most well-known cultural icon, was also destroyed by fire, alarming those who protect historic buildings around the world.

(Image: AP)