Dongguashan Bridge

Constructed in 1930, Dongguashan Bridge (冬瓜山橋) is one of the few remaining Japanese colonial era bridges on the Lanyang Plain (蘭陽平原) of Yilan, Taiwan. Located at the western extent of the sleepy and almost indiscernible Dongshan Old Street (冬山老街), it spans the Anpingkeng Drainage Canal (安平坑排水) with two reinforced concrete piers lined with stones to inhibit erosion. Its importance decreased dramatically when the newer 4-lane bridge along Provincial Highway 9 was completed in 1976.

Date CapturedNovember 28th, 2024 at 06:50 UTCCameraDC-S5M2LensLUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6Apertureƒ / 3.5Shutter Speed1/250 secFocal Length20.0 mmISO100Exposure Value11.6 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Date CapturedNovember 28th, 2024 at 06:52 UTCCameraDC-S5M2LensLUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6Apertureƒ / 4.5Shutter Speed1/160 secFocal Length20.0 mmISO100Exposure Value11.7 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Dongguashan, literally “winter melon mountain”, is the traditional name for what is now Dongshan Township. The name was rectified and shortened in 1920 along with many other township-level place names in Taiwan but the bridge inherited the old name for the area¹. In the post-war era the original nameplate and dedication on the bridgehead were replaced by the modern name and a date of establishment in the Mingguo calendar: 19 years after the founding of the Republic of China. Now that the bridge has become a heritage site there is talk of restoring the original Japanese date of establishment.

Date CapturedNovember 28th, 2024 at 06:52 UTCCameraDC-S5M2LensLUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6Apertureƒ / 4.5Shutter Speed1/160 secFocal Length21.0 mmISO100Exposure Value11.7 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Date CapturedNovember 28th, 2024 at 06:52 UTCCameraDC-S5M2LensLUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6Apertureƒ / 5Shutter Speed1/160 secFocal Length25.0 mmISO100Exposure Value12.0 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Some effort has been invested into making the area around the old bridge a pleasant spot for local residents to congregate. There is a small riverside path on the north side of the drainage canal and a second pedestrian bridge from which the old bridge may be safely viewed. While it isn’t going to top any lists of must-see places in Yilan, it still makes for a nice stopover on road trips to parts beyond.

Footnotes

1. Adding to the confusion: it is also common to see it named Dongshan Old Bridge (冬山舊橋)! ↩