Mugong Langqiao — wooden arch covered bridges — stand as elegant testaments to human ingenuity. Built without a single metal nail or rivet, these architectural marvels rely solely on intricate mortise-and-tenon joinery, gracefully spanning rivers for centuries like rainbows arched over misty mountain waters.

In the rugged mountainous borderlands of East China's Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, 843 such bridges still endure, according to the final report of the 2023-2025 National Covered Bridge Preservation Initiative. Across the entire country, the total rises to 2,193.

"Langqiao were once the heartbeat of local communities," Pan Jiandong, deputy director of the culture, radio, television, tourism, and sports department of Taishun county in Zhejiang, said.

"They didn't just connect villages — they served as shelters from rain, bustling marketplaces, information hubs, and even places of worship."

Pan, speaking during a recent media trip organized by the National Cultural Heritage Administration in mid-May, added, "As times have changed, these bridges have become deeply intertwined with the cultural identity of the Taishun people."

The origins of these remarkable structures trace back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Their ancient construction techniques were on the brink of extinction amid rapid modernization until conservation efforts intensified in the early 2000s.