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Traditional design and practices for building Chinese wooden arch bridges
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Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright Manage No EE00000206 Country China ICH Domain Traditional craft skills Address The locations of traditional design and practices for building Chinese wooden arch bridges range between 118°32′and 120°52′ East longitude and 26°17′ and 27°50′ North latitude. The administrative regions cover the northeastern part of Fujian Province, and the southwestern part of Zhejiang Province. The key areas cover Pingnan, Shouning and Zhouning Counties of Ningde City in Fujian Province, as well as Taishun and Qingyuan Counties in Zhejiang Province. The locations where the craftsmanship is applied extend to Fuzhou and Nanping Cities in Fujian Province as well as the Wenzhou and Lishui City areas in Zhejiang Province.
| Description | Wooden arch bridges are found in Fujian Province and Zhejiang Province, along China’s south-east coast. The traditional design and practices for building these bridges combine the use of wood, traditional architectural tools, craftsmanship, the core technologies of ‘beam-weaving’ and mortise and tenon joints, and an experienced woodworker’s understanding of different environments and the necessary structural mechanics. |
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| Social and cultural significance | The cultural space created by traditional Chinese arch bridges has provided an environment for encouraging communication, understanding and respect among human beings. The tradition has declined however in recent years due to rapid urbanization, scarcity of timber and lack of available construction space, all of which combine to threaten its transmission and survival. |
| Transmission method | The craftsmanship has been passed on orally and by personal demonstration, or by masters teaching apprentices or relatives strict procedures from one generation to another within a clan. At present, Mr. Chuncai Huang of Pingnan County, Mr. Duojin Zheng of Shouning County, Mr. Bizhen Zhang of Zhouning County, and Mr. Zhiji Dong of Taishun County are the acknowledged representatives of the groups. Names and information about the woodworking masters are written on the beams of the arch bridges upon completion in recognition of their participation and contribution, and include their chorography and pedigrees. The woodworkers can undertake bridge building projects in different communities or even across provinces. Different woodworkers can undertake the same project. Their borrowing and exchanging of bridge craft is open and effective. Today those clans play an irreplaceable role in building, maintaining and protecting the bridges. The craftsmanship of the wooden arch bridges has been improved continuously over hundreds of years to an ever higher level. As society has developed, people’s ways of life have changed a lot, the tools and facilities are better, and even the aesthetic views at the bridges surrounding the villages have changed, and the core crafts of the bridges (beam-weaving and mortise & tenon joints) have been preserved and improved. The wooden arch bridges can carry small vehicles, but their wooden structures cannot bear heavy loads and thus cannot meet the heavy traffic needs of the local residents. Therefore the demand for such bridges has been decreasing. At present the woodworking masters in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces who know the core technology for designing and building arch bridges are Messrs. Chuncai Huang, Duojin Zheng, Bizhen Zhang and Zhiji Dong, all over 75 years old. The number of participants in the practice is fewer than 20. What’s worse, because of advances in bridge architecture, the space for applying traditional arch bridge technology has decreased rapidly as the frequency of application and the variety of locations. Nowadays, the high social position of the woodworking masters is still recognized and respected among the local residents. Their names are written on the beams of the bridges and inscribed on bridge monuments, and their life stories are recorded on family trees. But the craft cannot sustain itself, so, it loses attractiveness as an occupation to the younger generation. The heirs to the craft in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces all practice general carpentry as their occupation now. In the past building wooden arch bridges was the most important source of income to their families. With the decreased amount of such bridge building, the heirs have to take up carpentry or other jobs; so, it becomes hard to sustain the craft. There are special timber requirements and considerations for building the bridges. The timber must be Chinese fir over 30 years old ideally. Some other wood, including pine, is used. The greatly reduced supply of needed timber in recent decades has had a negative influence on the construction of new wooden bridges. With rapid urbanization, the number of people benefiting from wooden arch bridges is dropping steadily, and this is negatively impacting the ability to pass on and develop the craftsmanship. How to sustain it is now a big worry. With the development of science and technology as well as rapid urbanization and the advancement of bridge architecture, the living space for the craftsmanship of arch bridge building is narrowing. Here’s how. First, arch bridges cannot carry vehicles nor meet the demands of modern traffic. Second the big timber used for building such bridges is scarce. Finally local communities lack motivation and the need to build such bridges. These are threats to the survival of the craftsmanship. Because the traditional craftsmanship is passed on from their ancestors, the heirs are willing and motivated to help sustain the craft, but it is undeniable the social need for the craft is weakening. Because the craftsmanship is usually passed on orally within a clan, there are few woodworkers who master the skill. What’s worse, they’re getting very old. As these woodworking masters disappear along with space to build such bridges, the craftsmanship risks becoming virtually extinct. |
| Community | The core locations of the heritage include Pingnan, Shouning, and Zhouning Counties of Ningde City in Fujian Province; and Qingyuan and Taishun Counties in Zhejiang Province. The groups are represented by Mr. Chuncai Huang of Pingnan County, Mr. Duojin Zheng of Shouning County, Mr. Bizhen Zhang of Zhouning County, in Ningde City and Mr. Zhiji Dong of Taishun County and so on. |
| Type of UNESCO List | List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding |
| Incribed year in UNESCO List | 2009 |