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As the largest of its kind in Guizhou Province, where China's biggest Dong community lives, Wind and Rain Bridge in Diping is the symbolized architecture of the Dong minority people. It derives the special name because besides providing a method to cross the rivers, it also gives protection from the elements.
The oldest Wind & Rain Bridge in Guizhou Province is Diping Wind & Rain Bridge in Liping County. The bridge is over 56 meters long. It's first constructed in 1883 during the Qing Dynasty over 100 years ago. However, the original structure was destroyed in a big fire in 1959 and the one visitors see today was a recreation finished in 1964.
It's a pure wooden architecture made up of pillars, purlins and balusters of different sizes and shapes. The entire bridge is made of wood with mortise and tenant joints & without any iron nails. The body of the bridge is divided to three tiers, the largest one in the middle functions to take the shape of a traditional Chinese drum tower. The pilasters and eaves of the bridge are painted with beautiful pictures of history and scenery and engraved with exquisite and delicate flowers and patterns. These magnificent structures are another example of the influence of the Dong in an area.
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