■ Observer
The local heritage represented by the wooden arch bridge should be protected from the bottom up.
On the evening of August 6, a fire broke out in the Wan'an Bridge in Pingnan, Fujian, the longest existing wooden arch bridge in my country, and was severely damaged.
At present, the local public security and fire protection have intervened, and the specific cause of the fire remains to be further investigated.
The local area has also made it clear that the Wan'an Bridge will be rebuilt.
This wooden arch bridge with a history of more than 900 years is the longest, and it was listed as a national key cultural relics protection unit in 2006.
Wan'an Bridge spans two traditional Chinese villages and provincial historical and cultural villages - Tangkou Village and Changqiao Village, closely connecting the simple and solemn cultural core and spiritual connotation between the villages.
As an important rural heritage in my country, the destruction of Wan'an Bridge has triggered some thoughts on the protection of traditional rural heritage.
According to research statistics, there are 88 existing wooden arch bridges in northeastern Fujian and southwestern Zhejiang alone.
Between the deep valleys of the mountains and the village post road, the wooden arch bridge is an intentional design based on the purpose of production and labor in a specific area, which meets the economic, cultural, transportation and other needs of the society at that time.
Diversified functions and cultural connotations have given the importance of wooden arch covered bridges in human settlements. Historically, people have attached great importance to the management and maintenance of covered bridges. Guarantee the stability of the bridge structure.
However, with the rapid development of modern transportation in my country, the importance of wooden arch bridges in human settlements has gradually diminished. How to achieve sustainable development through reasonable and effective protection and restoration is a key issue facing the current local heritage.
In fact, many "hundred-year-old" covered bridges have left us due to natural disasters or fires.
In 2016 alone, three ancient covered bridges in Taishun County, Zhejiang Province were damaged by typhoons.
In addition to natural disasters, Yuqing Bridge and Jianou Buyue Bridge in Wuyi Mountain in northern Fujian were all destroyed by fire.
The burning of Wan'an Bridge this time has undoubtedly sounded the alarm for the current rural heritage protection.
From the perspective of the main user, the villagers should strengthen the bottom-up protection of the local heritage represented by the wooden arch bridge while continuing the folk culture and practicing traditional activities.
From the perspective of the main body of supervision, units represented by the government and protection associations should improve the supervision mechanism, establish systematic supporting measures for flood, fire and other prevention and emergency response, effectively solve the source of protection funds, and promote awareness in protection awareness. The collection and arrangement of basic information, the delineation of protected areas, the source of funds, tourism development, etc.
Today, there is no Wan'an Bridge in the world.
This fire destroyed not only a Wan'an Bridge, but also another possibility presented by history and 900 years of historical memory, which requires serious reflection and thinking.
According to reports, Pingnan County officials have started the restoration of Wan'an Bridge and have initially drawn up a restoration plan.
In the reconstruction of Wan'an Bridge, the basic principles should be to highlight cultural relic value, emotional value, tourism value and educational value.
Reconstructing the Wan'an Bridge on the basis of its remnants may be a necessary process for the accumulation of historical and cultural layers, and it is also a reflection of the balanced and sustainable relationship between the needs of present and future generations and the historical heritage.
□ Zhao Kui (Professor and Ph.D. Supervisor of School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Huazhong University of Science and Technology)