Taishun Travel Recommendations

For the National Day holiday, to avoid the crowds, I recommend a relatively off-the-beaten-path destination: Taishun in Wenzhou. I casually browsed and stumbled upon this beautiful place, and randomly picked a few attractions. In Nanpu Creek, the most attractive part of this not-so-huge scenic area is undoubtedly the 'One-Line Sky'. Although you might get a little wet, it's an interesting experience. Overall, the climbing here is not difficult, and it's quite relaxing. Xu Yaodi ancient village is only a 20-minute drive from Nanpu Creek. I had never heard before that this place was a filming location for a variety show, but when I stepped into the village, I was deeply moved by its beauty. Despite the villagers' belongings being piled up, everything seemed orderly, giving a sense of tranquility and comfort. I bought a bottle of red glutinous rice wine for my mother as a souvenir, and the beautiful young lady even gave me a net bag, which made me feel very warm. Xiao Village Commune is located just 13 minutes up the mountain from Xu Yaodi. It's clearly man-made, with a significant investment, giving off the vibe of a folk park. Although the hydrangea sea was not as lush due to the wrong season, and the Hobbit village was just a small corner, the children had a great time. Fortunately, the ticket was only 29.9 yuan, otherwise, it might feel a bit unworthy. Finally, I arrived at the Beijian Bridge in the Covered Bridge Cultural Park. I chose to come here because I heard that Taishun's ancient covered bridges are a must-see. Standing on the bridge, I was captivated by the carp in the river below. There were many of them, and they were large, making me linger and forget to return.

The world's most beautiful covered bridge

The Taishun Covered Bridge Culture Park is located in Sixi Town, Taishun County, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province. The park centers around the Beijian Bridge and Xidong Bridge, two wooden arch bridges acclaimed as 'the most beautiful covered bridges in the world', showcasing the architectural aesthetics and historical value of Chinese covered bridges. Beijian Bridge and Xidong Bridge are considered 'living fossils' of Chinese covered bridges, and their traditional wooden arch bridge construction techniques have been inscribed on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. The Beijian Bridge spans a clear green stream, forming an elegant arc that connects the worlds on both sides. The entire bridge was built without a single nail, and a stone stairway winds its way up. For thousands of years, people have been coming and going along this path, with two ancient trees at the head of the bridge silently shading the passersby. Walking here is like intersecting with the ancients in time and space. The old bridge, bearing the marks of time, tells the vicissitudes of history. The babbling stream below, like a gentle musical movement, adds a touch of tranquility and poetry to the bridge. During the hot summer days, the stream under the bridge becomes a popular place for people to cool off, where they play in the water, enjoying the coolness and joy of summer. The covered bridge is not just a bridge, but also a witness to history and a treasure of the landscape. It has witnessed the changes of the times and carries the emotions and memories of people. Its existence makes the world a more beautiful and richer place. Images 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/11/12/13/14/15 are of Beijian Bridge, while the rest are of Xidong Bridge.

Taishun covered bridges are not in a hurry, as one can stroll through Taishun at a leisurely pace

Taishun is a small county nestled in the mountains of southern Zhejiang, bordering Fujian. The mountains are not very high, but they are full of an ethereal charm; the waters are not very deep, but they are spiritually enchanting. If it were only for the clear mountains and beautiful waters, the lush forests and bamboo, perhaps it would not be so captivating, making one's steps involuntarily slow down. It also has beautiful covered bridges that add color to the mountains and rivers, and the scenery gains a soul because of them. There are numerous covered bridges in Taishun, among which fifteen bridges in five towns are of national protected status. Last night, I stayed in a national protected bridge in Yayang Town. It was only in the morning that I discovered the guesthouse I stayed in was an old house, a two-story, three-section compound with a dry railing style, featuring a beautiful pond in the courtyard, surrounded by wooden corridors, stone steps, and lush flowers and trees, all quaint and elegant. The locals said that this place used to be a general's mansion. This is the central house, with another three-section compound next to it called the side house, and there are upper and lower houses; each is a large estate, most of which are being restored. To me, they resemble the grand mansions of local chieftains. The old houses here vary in size and quality, but the style is generally the same. The covered bridges are similar, not many styles, but placed among different landscapes of mountains, forests, and bamboo, they never tire the viewer. The only national protected bridge in Yayang Town, the Pubin Bridge, is not well-known locally. When asked about covered bridges, everyone points to Sixi Town. After some effort, I finally found my way and located the Pubin Bridge. The Pubin Bridge is a flat covered bridge, without soaring arches, appearing very ordinary, but this is how a covered bridge should look. It is not a monument; it is practical, simply wanting to serve the local villagers honestly. Next to the bridge is a spacious pavilion; the bridge was built with donations from villagers from miles around, and when the funds exceeded the need, a tea pavilion was added, and someone was hired to brew tea, offered for free to passing travelers. Of course, that's all in the past now, just like the 2 yuan vegetarian meals at Guoqing Temple mentioned online, it has become a legend. The most beautiful covered bridge in Taishun is in Sixi Town, which is now a scenic area. The Xidong Bridge spans like a real rainbow lying on the waves, with no piers, just a large span of beautiful ochre bridge body. Such a bridge structure is called a woven beam wooden arch bridge, where thick wooden beams are interwoven to form the bridge body, with wooden planks laid on top and a covered gallery built over it, the roof with long ridges and flying eaves, resembling a centipede, hence the locals call it the Centipede Bridge. The stream, the rainbow bridge, the green bamboo, and the lush forest are indescribably beautiful. How could there be anything more beautiful than it! The only thing more beautiful than it could be its sister bridge, the Beijian Bridge. Look at the ancient camphor tree embraced by the covered bridge; who could have such enduring patience to outline this stunning picture over a thousand years. Of the other three national protected bridges in Sixi Town, the Xiaguang Bridge left a deep impression. The Xiaguang Bridge is a stone arch covered bridge; it used to be a wooden covered bridge, but it was destroyed several times by candle fire. Eventually, the local gentry decided to spend more than double the cost to change from wood to stone construction, ensuring the smooth passage of this important route between Zhejiang and Fujian provinces. This illustrates two points: first, wooden covered bridges are an economical solution; second, most covered bridges have a shrine in the middle, and they are also the center of faith for the villagers, who need to burn incense and worship the deities they pray to. In addition, the covered bridge is also the village living room, where villagers chat, exchange, and discuss. Of course, the living room function has almost disappeared now; I only saw two elderly people chatting on a remote old bridge. A day's time is like drinking a cup of spring tea, with a fresh aroma in the early spring, rich at noon, and light in the evening; the quiet and soft light in the evening is cast faintly on the river surface, the ancient stones polished by footsteps, neatly and rhythmically extending to the other shore. This is the Shishui Town step. This most primitive and oldest stone step is the last national protected bridge I visited. Perhaps it is not quite right to call it a bridge, but since it was laid across Shishui Creek, it has crossed generations of destined people.

Taishun Covered Bridges

Many people think about visiting all 56 of China's World Natural and Cultural Heritage sites, but there is also a tentative list for nomination, which includes many great places worth exploring. The Taishun Covered Bridges (in Taishun County, Wenzhou, Zhejiang) are on that tentative list. For me, both the heritage list and the tentative nomination list occupy the top spots in my domestic travel destinations. The photo shows the Beijian Bridge, and the last one is its sister bridge, the Xidong Bridge.

Taishun Covered Bridge

Covered bridges are mainly distributed in the towns of Sankui, Luoyang, Sixi, Xiaocun and the township of Zhouling in Taishun County. There are buses between each township, the transportation is very convenient, suitable for self-driving or independent travel. The main distribution of covered bridges is as follows: Luoyang Town: Xianju Bridge; Zhouling Township: Sanjiao Bridge, Yuwen Bridge; Sankui Town: Xuezhai Bridge, Liuzhai Bridge, Yongqing Bridge; Xiaocun Town: Wenxing Bridge, Dongyang Bridge; Sixi Town: Xidong Bridge, Beijian Bridge, Nanyang Bridge. In addition to the covered bridges, the Shishui Dingbu in Shiyang Town, the Hu's Courtyard in Xuexi Township, the Bao's Ancestral Hall in Sixi Town, and the ancient village of Xu'ao in Xiaocun Town are all famous tourist attractions, which complement the Taishun Covered Bridge.

Taishun Covered Bridge Cultural Park is located in Tunxi Town, Taishun, Wenzhou, a national 4A-level tourist scenic spot and a non-legacy tourism classic scenic spot in Zhejiang Province. It is characterized by landscape leisure and vacation, red classic review and ecological leisure agriculture. The cultural park covers an area of 109 hectares and consists of three major blocks: the corridor bridge cultural display area, the traditional mountain village living area and the traditional commercial pedestrian street. The Beibei Bridge in the scenic area is praised by the bridge experts as the most beautiful bridge in the world. The bridge was built in the 13th year of Emperor Kangxi (AD 1674), with simple shape and exquisite structure. Beibu Bridge and the surrounding residential buildings are connected together, and a beautiful picture is formed with two thousand old trees in Qiaotou; In addition to the covered bridges and traditional houses, the traditional buildings of the Covered Bridge Cultural Park Gallery bridge, Lin Family Courtyard, 18th Bachelor's Site, Tang's Ancestral Hall, Ancient Road, Gujing and other cultural landscapes. From the aspects of politics, economy, culture, society and folk customs, the colorful traditional buildings reflect the basic characteristics of farming and settlement in the mountainous areas of southern Zhejiang during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Through the small bridge over the river, to the other side of the scenic spot, here is the traditional commercial pedestrian street. Pedestrian street has catering and local specialty products for sale at an affordable price. In addition to rich material cultural heritage and beautiful natural scenery, the scenic area also has the traditional Chinese wooden arch bridge construction skills (UNESCO "Intangible Cultural Heritage List of Human Needs to Protect"), and the puppet show (national non-state) Intangible cultural heritage such as material cultural heritage) and Chen Xiexin (provincial intangible cultural heritage). Quxi Town, where Gangqiao Cultural Park is located, is 105 km from Wenzhou City. Recommended by car