The live show “Waiting for You at the Covered Bridge” is performed at Beijian Bridge.

On April 18th, during the main event of the International Day for Monuments and Sites held in Tai’an, Shandong province, China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the National Development and Reform Commission jointly unveiled the 2024 list of the outstanding cultural heritage-themed tourism routes. Among the top ten national cultural routes announced was the “Realm of the Covered Bridges”, a project jointly submitted by the provincial cultural heritage administrations of Zhejiang and Fujian. Other selected routes include: “Tracing the Central Axis of China” “The Imperial Road” “Rice and Silk: Jiangnan’s Charm” “China on Porcelain” “Cultural Heritage Lies Within” “The South Guangdong Ancient Postroads” “Golden Ox Road of the Ancient Shu Routes” “The Great Silk Road of the Han Empire”, and “Journey to Yan’an”.

According to this report, the “Realm of the Covered Bridges” highlights 38 meticulously selected covered bridges across Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, including iconic structures such as Beijian, Xidong, and Santiao in Taishun. Adopting a site-driven approach, the route strategically connects key elements like ancient trails, waterways, and historical villages, to form a cohesive regional cultural corridor. The route features seven thematic sections such as “Feiyun River’s Source and She Culture” “Beijian and Xidong: Justice and Prosperity” “Ancient Houkeng Streams: Eternal Kiln Fires”, and the like. Through six main travel routes, the initiative weaves together covered bridge heritage, celadon craftsmanship, and revolutionary history, vividly capturing the historical landscape and cultural fabric of the Zhejiang-Fujian mountain areas.

Preliminary statistics show that there are 138 covered bridges of various types listed among the National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units, spanning 13 provinces and autonomous regions across China. Taishun County, currently hosting 32 ancient covered bridges, 15 of which are under national protection, stands out as one of the most concentrated and distinctive areas in the country. In May 2023, China’s Publicity Department, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the National Cultural Heritage Administration jointly issued the “Three-Year Action Plan for the Protection of Covered Bridges (2023–2025)”, which frequently references “Taishun’s Covered Bridges” . On October 16th, 2023, the National Cultural Heritage Administration held the launch ceremony for the Action Plan in Taishun, aiming to enhance the preservation, research, and sustainable utilization of covered bridges. This event also served as an opportunity to foster collaboration between the Zhejiang and Fujian provincial cultural heritage administrations in developing the “Realm of the Covered Bridges” as part of a thematic heritage tourism route. During the route-building process, the two provinces have worked closely together, actively exploring new models for integrating heritage preservation with cultural and tourism development.

In recent years, guided by the “four cultural strategies” of “heritage, culture, tourism and innovation”, Taishun has prioritized the preservation of covered bridges, advancing their efforts in site protection, craftsmanship inheritance, and value transformation. These initiatives have led to the establishment of the first national-level tourist resort in southern Zhejiang and northern Fujian. Meanwhile, Taishun contributed to the successful inclusion of the traditional wooden arch bridge construction techniques in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and secured its covered bridges a place on China’s Tentative List for the World Cultural Heritage Status. In addition, embracing the theme of “Heritage by Day and Night, National Treasures Then and Now”, Taishun has creatively developed cultural projects like the immersive live show of “Waiting for You at the Covered Bridge” and the stylish ancient-style light show. These initiatives have enriched and expanded interactive spaces such as the “Taishun Artisan Market” and the “Covered Bridge Marketplace.”

An official from Taishun's Culture and Tourism Department stated that, the county’s “Realm of the Covered Bridges” centers around the townships of Sixi, Xiaocun, and Sankui, and others, creating a covered bridge-themed park by linking distinctive landmarks along the way and integrating culture, tourism, and local industries into a dynamic cultural tourism ecosystem. In addition, Taishun plans to further enhance the construction of this themed route by building a National Covered Bridge Park and the China Covered Bridge Museum, aiming to showcase the cultural charm of covered bridges from multiple dimensions and perspectives. Moreover, through the heritage route, Taishun seeks to highlight the unique qualities of neighbouring cities with covered bridges, promote the shift from the cross-provincial cooperation to the value co-creation in the preservation and utilization of covered bridges, and establish the route as a significant cultural symbol for sharing China’s rich traditional culture with the world.