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Elderly villagers gather for a chat.[Photo by Huo Yan/China Daily]

Hualong Bridge, as it was officially called, not only facilitated transportation but also provided a venue for relaxation or even socializing. A slab that functions as a railing has a chessboard carved into it, a reminder that people were not in a hurry to cross the bridge, but would often linger on it.

Nowadays, people travel to Hualong Bridge to take photos. In the dry season when the water level is low, you can trek down onto an islet and capture the structure as it towers over you.

One of the major financial backers of the bridge was the Chen family, who were the wealthiest people in the town at the time. The village of Bangshang has a building complex that used to be the Chen residence. It took 20 years to build and encompasses 30 structures, including two turrets used for defense. Unlike large homesteads in other parts of China, the Chen household was built on a slope, thus taking on an asymmetry that is unconventional in China. Though dilapidated in appearance and by no means grand or imposing by modern standards, the compound has retained many architectural details, elaborate cornices and wood carvings.

The first of the Chen lineage can be traced to Chen Jun, a guard who accompanied a prince to Guilin in the year 1370 and liked the place so much he decided to stay on after local riots were taken care of. Chen Jun's mission was to ensure the safety of the ancient roads in Mochuan.

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