Nanyang Bridge is situated in Yuyan Village, Sixi Town. It is a one-pier, two-span flat wooden covered bridge with double-sided cantilever beams. Erected in the 9th year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1870), the bridge stretches 41.7 metres long and 4.6 metres wide. Its structural feature lies in a stone pier built in the stream, upon which layered wooden girders are laid and extend evenly left and right. Derived from simply supported wooden beam bridges, this double cantilever structure enhances the load-bearing capacity of the girders and ensures longitudinal stability of wooden posts. This design was widely adopted for wooden bridges across mountainous areas of Zhejiang Province.

Yuyan of Sixi is a kinship village where the Bao clan has lived for generations. Their ancestor Bao Guishan originally hailed from Zhulou in Pingyang and moved to Yuyan in the 1st year of the Deyou reign of the Southern Song Dynasty (1275). The village boasts historic relics including the Bao Clan Ancestral Hall, covered bridges and cliff inscriptions on Yuyan Mountain. The Bao Clan Ancestral Hall enjoys widespread renown for its grand scale and the noble integrity of the Bao forefathers, who swore “never to tread land ruled by the Qing court”.

The structural feature of Nanyang Bridge is a stone pier erected in the stream, topped with stacked wooden beams stretching symmetrically to both sides. As a structural variant developed from simply supported wooden beam bridges, the double cantilever design strengthens the bearing capacity of wooden girders and delivers longitudinal stability to wooden columns. This construction method was commonly used for wooden bridges throughout mountainous Zhejiang.

Public welfare projects in ancient villages, whether funded by the government or private individuals, served the general public. For thousands of years, “building bridges and paving roads” has been recognised as a virtuous deed benefiting society, which readily won generous support from all walks of life. Five stone stelae stand on the ground of Wuxian Temple beside Nanyang Bridge, recording the names of donors who funded the bridge construction. Densely inscribed with countless names, these five large monuments testify to the extensive public donations received during the building of Nanyang Bridge.