Dragon Encounter Broken Bridge, South Broken Bridge Introduction
The Mountain Line Railway descends from Miaoli Station. About two kilometers past Shengxing, at the Longteng Creek, several elegantly designed remnants of the High Sky Pillars stand amidst the wild grass on the east side of the railway, exuding a sense of antiquity. These are the remains of the Longteng Broken Bridge, a poignant reminder for the older local residents of the devastating Central Taiwan Earthquake. This earthquake occurred on the morning of April 21, 1935, with its epicenter near Guandao Mountain; the Sanyi area suffered heavy damage, and the majestic Longteng Creek Bridge along the Mountain Line Railway was completely destroyed. After the earthquake, a new bridge was built on the western side of the original bridge, leaving the arch-shaped bridge pillars standing resiliently against the scorching sun and harsh winds as a memorial for future generations. This broken red-brick arch bridge was constructed around 1905 by the Japanese, with craftsmen sourced from Guangdong, China. The Japanese were known for their stringent quality control, and the entire bridge was built solely with red bricks and cement, without a single steel reinforcement bar; nonetheless, its structure is extremely tight and sturdy. In earlier years, when the community faced hardships and transportation was inconvenient, local residents saw the fallen red-brick bridge as a resource. Many attempted to chip away at some bricks to take home for wall construction, but often after a whole day of work, only a few intact bricks were collected. This speaks to the durability of the bridge, which is one of the reasons it has remained standing strong for over a century.
