In eastern Maoxian is the small town of Tumen (土门). The town is quite standard for the region, while being known for a bridge, the No. 3 Bridge (三元桥), or Sanyuan Bridge, which is over a hundred years old. Although this bridge is maybe unremarkable today, its locally important for being a solid, moon bridge constructed at a time where suspension bridges were commonplace (moon bridges are a common sight in other regions). I suspect that is partly due to this particular area’s history of seismic activity.

At the local museum in Maoxian is a collection of probably the oldest verifiable photographs of Maoxian, including a 1908 picture of the No. 3 Bridge, taken by an Englishman named Ernest H. Wilson. Wilson, himself a plant collector who made several journeys to China from 1899-1911, is responsible for some of the best and earliest photography capturing the Sichuan landscape. You can easily find more of Wilson’s excellent photography depicting life in Sichuan by searching his name plus “China” online.

Since Wilson’s travels, the bridge has survived (including through earthquakes and landslides) and remained an object of distinction for the area.

Additional history on this bridge claims some role as a strategic location during the revolution and/or war with Japan. Many words are carved into the interior stone of the bridge but they are very faded at this point.

The surrounding area is rather spread out (aside from a small town center) and rural, and not very noteworthy for the region. The bridge is situated right by the road connecting with nearby towns. There is a stream that runs along the town and under the bridge, which I guess is connected to the Minjiang.

Sadly, I was unable to spend more than a couple hours in Tumen. I planned to go a second time during my stay in Maoxian but snow and ice on the road changed that. I hope to return again during a warmer month. In addition to the town demanding a more in-depth look, nearby trails also offer intriguing possible discoveries.