Dragon Bridge, South Broken Bridge Introduction
The Mountain Line Railway travels south from Miaoli Station. About two kilometers past Shengxing, on the Longteng Creek, several beautifully shaped remaining pillars stand amidst the wild grass on the east side of the railway, rich in historical significance. These are the remnants of the Longteng Broken Bridge, a trace of the devastating Central Taiwan Earthquake that left the older generations of locals in fear. The earthquake occurred on the morning of April 21, 1935, with its epicenter near Guandao Mountain, causing severe damage in the Sanyi area. The magnificent Longteng Creek Bridge on the Mountain Line Railway was completely destroyed. After the quake, a new bridge was constructed on the west side of the original one, leaving the arch-shaped bridge pillars standing under the scorching sun and bitter cold as a memorial for future generations. This broken red brick arch bridge was built by the Japanese around 1905, with craftsmen brought in from Guangdong, China. The Japanese were extremely strict about quality control; the entire bridge was constructed solely of red bricks and cement without any steel reinforcement, yet its structure was very tight and sturdy. In the earlier years of hardship and transportation inconvenience, local residents, witnessing the fallen red brick bridge due to the earthquake that could be utilized, tried to break off some bricks to take home for building walls and houses. However, often they would strike all day and only manage to obtain a dozen intact bricks, which illustrates the bridge's remarkable sturdiness. This is also one of the reasons why, despite having endured for over a century, the broken bridge still stands strong.
