Behind the lack of fire in China: Traditional fire protection methods have been difficult to apply for the protection of ancient wooden buildings

Jimu Journalist Ding Peng

Video editing Ma Xingxiang

On August 6, the Fujian Wan'an Bridge, known as the longest existing wooden arcade bridge in China, was burned by fire. This wooden bridge built in the Northern Song Dynasty had a history of more than 900 years. Essence At present, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Jimu Journalists noticed that Wan'an Bridge is not the first wooden ancient building destroyed by a fire. In 2013, the wind and rain corridor bridge in the ancient town of Qianjiang, Qianjiang, Chongqing, known as the "Asian First Corridor Bridge", is also one. The wooden structure above the bridge was burned in the fire. In addition, ancient buildings such as Gongchen Building in Dali in Yunnan and Lingguan Building in Guang'an, Sichuan were also burned by sudden fires.

Professor Zhao Yan of the School of Architecture and Urban Planning of Huazhong University of Science and Technology said that the burning of Wan'an Bridge sounded the alarm bell for the protection of rural heritage. Yao Hongfeng, a member of Fujian Cultural Relics Expert Library, said that traditional fire protection methods are difficult to apply to the wooden arch bridge and need to introduce advanced fire protection technology.

At the time of the incident

In 900, the wooden arcade bridge was destroyed by the fire

At around 21:10 on August 6, Wan'an Bridge, the mayor of Pingnan County, caught fire. At present, the fire at the scene has all been extinguished, and no casualties. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

On the 7th, Ms. Wu, a local resident, told Jimu Journalists that her family was only 50 meters away from Wan'an Bridge. At the time of the incident, she watched the fire swallowing the bridge, but she was powerless and very heartbroken. When she was in middle school, she passed the bridge every day, and sometimes she could avoid rain on the bridge. The family would go directly to the bridge to pick her home. The bridge carried her childhood memories.

According to public information, Wan'an Bridge is located in Changqiao Village, Changqiao Township, Pingnan County. It spans above Changqiao Creek and connects two traditional Chinese villages Tangkou Village and Changqiao Village. Wan'an Bridge was once called "Longjiang Gongji Bridge" and "Rainbow Bridge", which was built in the Song Dynasty and exceeded 900 years. In the forty -seven years of the Qing Dynasty (1708), it was burned. In the seventh year of Qianlong (1742), the 21st year of the Republic of China (1932) was rebuilt twice, and all over the past. The bridge is 98.2 meters long, 4.7 meters wide, Wudun and six holes. The fir is material, and the ends of each hole are nine round wood, three yellow skewers and eight round woods, and four yellow skewers beams. There are 38 corridors on the bridge, with bridge chairs on both sides.

Wan'an Bridge was approved as a county -level cultural relics protection unit in 1990, and in 1991, it was approved as a provincial cultural relics protection unit. In 2006, it was listed as the sixth batch of national key cultural relics protection units as one of the "Northeast Fujian Bridge". The long wooden arch bridge was selected into the Chinese World Cultural Heritage Preparatory List in 2012.

Wan'an Bridge before the fire

Cultural mark in the hearts of villagers

According to a video shot by a local resident during the day on the 6th, on the same day, the bridge chair on both sides of the Wan'an Bridge was full of people who took a cold break, and some people simply lay on a chair and slept. The video publisher said: "Yesterday I walked with the niece yesterday, and there was no later, regret."

Jimu reporters noticed that after Wan'an Bridge was burned out, many local residents sent a short video. Netizens "We want to grow" said: "When I was in high school, I slept too hot in the tuition dormitory, so I went to sleep on the bridge and could not go back." Some netizens "Wang Zi 666" said: "In the 1950s," The flood caused the bridge to be rushed, and the villagers found several counties along the river.

Local resident Qi Yan (pseudonym) told Jimu Journalists that for them, Wanan Bridge is not only a key cultural relics protection unit, but also the iconic building they are proud. "Many foreigners come to Changqiao Town, and they will also take a look at Wan'an Bridge." Qi Yan said.

Ms. Wu told Jimu Journalists that the bridge was relatively cool. Every day, some residents were resting on the bridge to cool, and some villagers had to avoid the summer of the bridge, and some young people would walk on the bridge when they fell in love. She also often saw someone running and dancing on the bridge, and the bridge carried too many local people's life marks.

Local villager Wang Xiao introduced to Jimu Journalists that Wanan Bridge is a cultural mark in the hearts of local residents. It represents her childhood, father's childhood, and grandfather's childhood. When she was in school, she walked eight trips from the bridge every day for six years. She is working abroad, but as long as she returns to Changqiao Town, she will go to the bridge with her family and friends to walk and sit on the bridge. People who rest on the Wan'an Bridge Chair to cool

Wooden ancient buildings have been repeatedly suffered from fire

Jimu Journalists noticed that Wanan Bridge was burned as an ancient wooden building.

In November 2013, a fire occurred in Fengyu Corridor Bridge, the ancient town of Qianjiang, Qianjiang, Qianjiang, Chongqing, and the wooden buildings on the bridge surface were burned. The wind and rain gallery bridge is close to the ancient town of Lishui, 658 meters long and 5 meters wide. The gallery bridge is divided into two floors, one layer can be used for tourists and citizens, and the second floor can be used for viewing and leisure and entertainment. Or local residents are a kind of asylum.

In January 2015, a fire broke out in Gongchen Building in Nanzhao Town, Dali Prefecture, Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Gongchen Tower was built in the Ming Dynasty, built on the wall of 47.1 meters long, 26.6 meters wide, and 8.1 meters high. It is one of the oldest ancient towns in Yunnan Province.

In December 2017, the fire in Lingguan Building, located in Jiulong Town, Mianzhu, Sichuan. After the fire, the public security and firefighters quickly rushed to the scene. However, due to the wooden structure of Lingguan Tower, it was quickly burned in the fire. The architecture of Lingguan Building uses the traditional Chinese tenon structure, known as the "tallest fighting arch wood tower in Asia".

Wan'an Bridge after the fire

At 17:00 on February 14, 2021, "China's last primitive village" -The fire broke out in the old village of Wengding Village, Wengding Township, Lincang Cangyuanyuan Autonomous County, Yunnan, and almost all of the villages were burned. Wengding Village Old Village is the original ecological village with the historical culture and traditional architectural style of the Dai people. It is a provincial -level cultural relics protection unit. Laozhai is mainly composed of Zhaimen, Zhai Pile, Shenlin, Totem Pillar, Sarah Fang, Sacrifice House, Wooden Drumfang, Cattle Pile, and "Dry Board" residential buildings. Job grass and so on.

China News Weekly has reported that in recent years, ancient villages and ancient buildings in rural areas have repeatedly caught fire. In addition to commercialization, the villages have been caught, and there are other factors that cannot be ignored. Once it spreads, it is difficult to save; firefighting lacks its due manpower, lack of fire resources and facilities, difficulty in using fire protection water, old fire equipment, and difficult to effectively prevent fire and fire.

Gujian urgently needs to introduce advanced fire technology

Jimu reporters noticed that on August 7, the Chinese fire WeChat public account released the process of rescue the fire after receiving the police from the local fire department. According to reports, after the Ningde Fire Rescue Detachment received the police, he immediately dispatched 28 people and 5 vehicles to dispose. After the fire rescue workers arrived at the scene, they suppressed the fire according to the scene. At 22:10, the fire has been controlled. After nearly an hour of rescue, the fire at the scene was extinguished, and the accident did not cause casualties, but the bridge was burned and collapsed.

After the incident, many local netizens are also paying attention to whether Wanan Bridge will be rebuilt. Ms. Wu told Jimu Journalists that the local villagers cross the river and take the Wan'an Bridge are the most convenient routes. Another water drilling bridge cannot pass when the water rises during the flood season. distance.

Professor Zhao Yan of the School of Architecture and Urban Planning of Huazhong University of Science and Technology told Jimu Journalists that the damage of Wan'an Bridge not only means the burden of traditional creation skills and the wisdom of the ancient people, but also the break between traditional villages and spiritual cultural mediums, as well as the broken and spiritual cultural medium, and The disappearance of regional cultural totems.

Zhao Yan believes that the burning of Wan'an Bridge also sounded the alarm for the current protection of rural heritage. As a national key cultural relics protection unit, it is not possible to avoid the fate of being burned by a sudden fire. What should I go from the rural heritage that has not yet entered the public vision? From the perspective of the main body, villagers should continue to protect the bottom -up protection of the local heritage of local heritage while continuing folk culture and practice traditional activities. From the perspective of the subject level of the supervision, departments represented by the government and protection associations shall improve the regulatory mechanism, establish a system's emergency treatment plan and supporting facilities, and make overall planning arrange.

Yao Hongfeng, a member of Fujian Cultural Relics Expert Library, said in an interview with the media that the information of Wan'an Bridge is well preserved and can be repaired. Historical value will be discounted. Yao Hongfeng participated in the repair work of Wan'an Bridge 3 years ago. He said that Wanan Bridge, as a wooden arch bridge, is difficult to apply for traditional fire protection methods. Ancient construction needs to introduce advanced fire protection technology.

(The pictures in the text are video screenshots)

- END -