Bridging past and future

Modern armor

The disasters in Taishun galvanized public support for stronger protection and accelerated legislative efforts.

In 2017, local community leaders proposed specific laws. Four years later, the nation's first local regulation, the Wenzhou Taishun Covered Bridge Protection Regulations, was enacted. Detailed implementation rules followed in December 2023, adopting a "one bridge, one policy" approach for the county's 32 historic covered bridges.

Hu Rong'en, a professor at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, commends the legislation: "Protecting covered bridges through legislation helps regulate activities that may affect them, including rural construction projects, while also supporting their bid for World Heritage status."

Taishun's efforts have inspired neighboring regions. Ningde promulgated regulations in January 2024; Nanping (in Fujian)'s will take effect on Oct 1; and Lishui, in Zhejiang, is advancing its own.

Beyond legislation, technology has become another vital layer of protection.

Many of the bridges stand deep in the mountains, accessible only by winding roads, making routine inspections especially challenging during bad weather.

At the Taishun Museum, housed in a building shaped like a covered bridge, Chen, the deputy director, demonstrates the Taishun Cultural Heritage (Covered Bridges) Supervision and Protection Platform.

"We have equipped our covered bridges with AI-powered thermal imaging cameras. If abnormal temperatures or open flames are detected, the system immediately triggers an alarm to warn people on the bridge to evacuate, while simultaneously alerting the monitoring center," Chen says.

"In addition to smart cameras, Taishun's ancient covered bridges are fitted with temperature-sensing cables and devices that monitor traffic and water flow," he adds."The platform issues an alert whenever it detects unusual activity."

The platform, launched in 2022, integrates data from the firefighting, water conservancy, meteorology, and law enforcement departments, and links over 700 intelligent monitoring terminals countywide.

"These technologies have made the work of grassroots heritage guardians much easier," Chen says.

In Ningde, Fujian, the province's first video monitoring and early warning platform for wooden arch bridges now provides round-the-clock intelligent surveillance.

"Many covered bridges have been equipped with firefighting IoT devices including smoke alarms, thermal imaging cameras, and automatic sprinklers," Ou Donghai, director of the Ningde Cultural Heritage Protection Center, told reporters at the Baixiang Bridge in Pingnan, which was destroyed by fire three times throughout its history.

Ou says Ningde is also working with universities on high-precision 3D laser scanning and BIM (building information modeling). "These tools support daily monitoring and can simulate disasters such as fires and floods, helping improve emergency planning and response," he says.