A three-year nationwide action plan to better protect ancient covered bridges (廊桥) started on Monday in Taishun county, Wenzhou city in East China's Zhejiang province.

Covered bridges not only serve as means of transportation and communication. They are also acting as places to rest and for leisurely gatherings, sites for making offerings and even market areas for trading.

"Covered bridges are an important part of traditional Chinese culture, with a long history and rich diversity," said Huang Zi, a lead expert at the Zhejiang Ancient Architecture Design and Research Institute.

But their largely wooden structures and the variety of roles they play make them easier to be damaged. In 2016, three ancient covered bridges in Taishun were destroyed by heavy rains during a typhoon. In 2020, a covered bridge first built during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and most recently rebuilt in the 18th century in Wuyuan county, Jiangxi province, was destroyed by floodwaters. Not long ago, a 900-year-old covered bridge in Pingnan county, Fujian province, one of the longest in China, fell down in a fire at night in early August.

Protective measures have already been put in place in areas with ancient covered bridges. It will be a long-term process, said Huang, and greater efforts should be made to keep that sustainable (可持续的). One key, according to Huang, is to involve people's concerns, needs and values in protecting the covered bridges.

"More preservation knowledge should be communicated to people through related projects," he said.

More relevantly, the protection of covered bridges should be combined with tourism. "When people come to visit, walk and have fun there, those old covered bridges can truly show their energy and liveliness," he said.