Building bridges

Traditional houses, featuring gray rooftops and white walls, flank the riversides. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Fangsheng

Fangsheng bridge is located in the Xizha tourism area, across the West Shihe River. It's about 17 meters long and 2 meters wide.

The name, Fangsheng ("free captive animals"), hails from olden times, when local people came here to release fish on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month and the 30th day of the seventh lunar month. The dates are important on the Buddhist calendar.

The bridge was built in 1602 and was rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Wangxian

Wangxian bridge stretches from north to south over Shijingtang area. It is 12.3 meters long and 1.5 meters high. It is unclear when it was initially built but it was rebuilt in 1861.

Wangxian, in Chinese, means "catching a glimpse of god".

Legend says that, during the Five Dynasties period (907-960), a person was drinking at a shop here and the alcohol stained his beard. He stroked his beard and threw the foam on a nearby wall upon which plants instantly started to grow. The man left, and people ran after him to ask about his extraordinary powers－but he disappeared near the bridge.