Nuomi Bridge ( zh, t=糯米橋, p=Nuòmǐqiáo, l=sticky rice bridge), alternatively the Nuomishih Bridge ( zh, t=糯米石橋, labels=no) or the Beigangxi Stone Bridge ( zh, t=北港溪石橋, labels=no), is a

masonry Masonry is the building of structures from individual units, which are often laid in and bound together by mortar; the term ''masonry'' can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are bricks, building ...

arch bridge An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ...

Guoxing Guoxing Township () is a rural township in Nantou County, Taiwan. As of January 2014, the township has a population total of 19,715. Administrative divisions Guoxing, Shimen, Daqi, Zhangliu, Zhangfeng, Zhangfu, Beigang, Fugui, Gangou, Ganlin, ...

Nantou County Nantou County (; Hokkien POJ: ''Lâm-tâu-koān''; Hakka PFS: ''Nàm-thèu-yen'') is the second largest county of Taiwan by area, located in the central part of the country. It is also the only non-coastal county in Taiwan. Its name derives fro ...

, Taiwan. Completed in 1940, the bridge spans the Beigang River, one of the headwaters of the

Dadu River The Dadu River (), known in Tibetan as the Gyelmo Ngul Chu, is a major river located primarily in Sichuan province, southwestern China. The Dadu flows from the eastern Tibetan Plateau into the Sichuan Basin where it joins with the Min River, a t ...

, near Beigang Village. The bridge is known for its use of

sticky rice mortar Sticky rice mortar was invented in ancient China utilizing organic materials in inorganic mortar. Hydraulic mortar was not available in ancient China, possibly due to a lack of volcanic ash. Around 500 CE, sticky rice soup was mixed with s ...

and is a protected monument in Nantou County.

History

Before the Nuomi Bridge was built, a simple wooden bridge existed near the site. During Japan's rule over Taiwan, the

Imperial Japanese Army Air Service The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAS) or Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF; ja, 大日本帝國陸軍航空部隊, Dainippon Teikoku Rikugun Kōkūbutai, lit=Greater Japan Empire Army Air Corps) was the aviation force of the Im ...

wished to shorten the transportation time between its two airfields in Tōsei (now Dongshi) and Hori (now Puli), so a road was built transversing through the mountainous terrain. The Japanese chose to replace the wooden bridge with a masonry bridge, and as a part of the military's infrastructure, special care was taken with the quality of the construction. Since the bridge was located in an isolated area, local laborers and materials were used: the stone was taken from the nearby hills southwest of Beigang Village, while the mortar was created using a traditional method by combining

lime Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Botany ...

glutinous rice Glutinous rice (''Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amylose ...

, and

brown sugar Brown sugar is unrefined or partially refined soft sugar. Brown Sugar may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Brown Sugar'' (1922 film), a 1922 British silent film directed by Fred Paul * ''Brown Sugar'' (1931 film), a 1931 ...

(known as

). Construction was completed in 1940, and after its completion, the bridge became an important transportation link in the region. Old Beigang River Bridge

Nuomi Bridge once carried Provincial Highway 21 until 1987, when a new bridge for cars was built immediately downstream to the west. In 1994, the bridge was protected as a county-level monument for its historic value. However, the new bridge restricted the river's

streamflow Streamflow, or channel runoff, is the flow of water in streams and other channels, and is a major element of the water cycle. It is one component of the movement of water from the land to waterbodies, the other component being surface runoff. Water ...

, which resulted in a flood during Typhoon Mindulle in 2004 destroying the bridge's deck (though the spans remained intact). A new deck was completed 2008, only to be destroyed again during

Typhoon Morakot Typhoon Morakot, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Kiko, was the deadliest typhoon to impact Taiwan in recorded history. The eighth named storm and fourth typhoon of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season, Morakot wrought catastrophic damage in Taiwa ...

in 2009. Therefore, the downstream bridge was rebuilt in 2014, this time with consideration to streamflow, and Nuomi Bridge was repaired and reopened to the public in 2019.

Notes

References

{{reflist Arch bridges in Taiwan Historic sites in Taiwan Tourist attractions in Nantou County 1940 establishments in Taiwan