Pingnan Covered Bridges - Searching for Longjin Bridge in an Abandoned Village

Turning off the smooth and comfortable provincial road onto the village road to Houlong Village, I immediately regretted it. What a terrible road it was! It was a mixture of dirt and stones, full of potholes. After the rain, I had no idea how deep the puddles were, but I had to grit my teeth and drive through, jolting and bumping all the way. What if I got a flat tire from a nail? I had to leave it to fate. According to the navigation, from this entrance to Longjin Bridge in Houlong Village, there were still three kilometers to go.

The entire three kilometers were on this hopelessly broken road. Along the way, I saw a sign that read "Road Construction, Please Detour," but the road wasn't actually blocked, so I mentally prepared myself to abandon the car and walk if necessary. Fortunately, the road was ultimately passable, and I managed to park steadily at the village entrance at the navigation endpoint.

Houlong Village is a narrow, elongated settlement, with a stream running through it. In the middle of the stream is a long causeway, about two to three hundred meters long. From a distance, I could see a huge cryptomeria tree in the center of the causeway, a pleasant sight. On one side of the stream is a row of old houses forming the village, and on the other side is a green, lush hill. I rarely see villages with such a landscape, and it naturally lifted my spirits.

Drawn by the cryptomeria tree, I walked onto the causeway and looked eastward, downstream. However, I didn't see any covered bridge, and there were no villagers around to ask for directions.

The cryptomeria tree was quite graceful, with a straight trunk and dense crown. It was probably several hundred years old, and it was the most striking feature of the entire village.

Most of the old houses in the village were built with piled stones and rammed earth, and many were dilapidated with locked doors. Not only could I find no one to ask for directions, but I couldn't even hear any sounds of conversation or TV programs from inside the houses. It was almost like a ghost village. Had all the residents moved to a more convenient town?

After walking through the entire village, just as I was beginning to think that the navigation had led me to the wrong place again, I suddenly spotted a temple at the downstream bend of the stream. A few more steps brought Longjin Bridge into view, spanning between two mountains. What an unexpected turn for the better!

Standing on Longjin Bridge, looking downstream, I saw green mountains and clear waters unfolding before me. Looking upstream, the yellow-earth village after the rain was still breathtakingly beautiful.

Although getting to Longjin Bridge was not easy, I found the covered bridge I liked the most on this trip, along with its beautiful village.

(Written on April 28, 2022)