2022/11/12

History of Jingmei Bridge

  1. Wooden trough bridge, the 1st bridge crossing Jingmei River

In 1760 (the 25th year of the Qianlong era), Kuo Hsi-liu completed Shikong Tunnel for Qingtan as the main structure of the Liugongjun canal system. The following year he built a U-shaped wooden trough bridge that would divert water from Wulixue River (nowadays Jingmei River). His son, Kuo Yuan-fen, remodeled the bridge with V-shaped sharp-edged wooden troughs in 1767 (the 32nd year of the Qianlong era) to prevent pedestrian entry. The bridge was supported by 47 wood stakes embedded in a riverbed, and it extended from the present-day Zongxing Road to Kingbeding Street (nowadays Jingmei Street) in Xindian. The bridge was used to distribute water until 1908, when the Liugongjun canal system was modified with the construction of Liugong Bridge.

  1. Liugong Bridge, the 2nd bridge crossing Jingmei River

 Completed in 1908 (the 41st year of the Meiji era) as Taiwan’s first reinforced-concrete bridge, Liugong Bridge remained in use for 55 years until it was demolished in 1963. It ran between today’s Xindian Happy Hotel and Jingwen Street and allowed access by pedestrians and vehicles. Beneath the bridge there were culverts supplying water to irrigate fields in Greater Taipei. This bridge, named “Liugong” in remembrance of Kuo Hsi-liu’s remarkable venture to build the Liugongjun canal system, was used for transportation and irrigation purposes.


  1. Old Jingmei Bridge: the 3rd bridge crossing Jingmei River

The Old Jingmei Bridge was unveiled in 1955 and remained in use for 45 years until it was dismantled in 2009. The bridge measured 80 m in length and 7.4 m in net width, had sidewalks on both sides of its deck, was made of reinforced concrete, and ran between Shunan Street in Xindian and Jingwen Street in Jingmei. The bridge was used only for transportation purposes because the Liugongjun canal system was modified to distribute water through siphon pipes at the time.

  1. New Jingmei Bridge: the 4th bridge crossing Jingmei River

The construction of the New Jingmei Bridge began in 2009 and was completed the following year. It is a single-span steel deck bridge (also known as a cable-stayed bridge) that runs between Shunan Street in Xindian and Jingwen Street in Jingmei, measures 15 m in net width, separates vehicle and pedestrian traffic, and has a bicycle path extending to Jingmei River. Moreover, the bridge has a modern look.

※ 感謝鄭之瑜(Kat Chamberlain)老師協助本文翻譯校閱。
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