Covered Bridges in Tongdao Dong Autonomous County

Covered bridges are so common in Tongdao Dong Autonomous County, Huaihua, that wherever there is a river, there is a covered bridge.

At present, 20 covered bridges in the county have been officially designated as immovable cultural relics, of which 13 are under national-level protection and three under provincial-level protection.

In May 2021, Dong wooden architecture construction techniques (Tongdao variety) were added by the State Council to the expanded catalogue of China's National Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage Items. Today, thanks to growing preservation awareness, the county has brought covered bridges under its cultural relics protection framework, carrying out renovation projects to preserve their original appearance, and promoting the integrated growth of "covered bridge + cultural tourism."

Chinese source: Xinhua