ABSTRACT
The woven arch bridges in Southeast China (“MZ bridges”) are located in a small and rather isolated mountain area on the border between Zhejiang and Fujian provinces. The Jielong Bridge in Jingning, Zhejiang, is a large bridge over a deep gorge, with a clear span of 30 m. According to the ink inscriptions written on the bridge corridor beams, the bridge was finished in 1917, and the carpenter masters who were in charge of the under-deck structure were of the famous Zhang family from Ningde County, whereas the bridge corridor was built by local carpenters. In order to achieve a deeper understanding of the craftsmanship and the traditional building technique used in the MZ bridges, the author uses multiple study approaches. By making an extensive survey of the existing historical bridges and an in-depth archaeological study of the oldest example, he examines the technical features of the silent witnesses.
