History of Hong Bridge

        Hong-Qiao-Feng-Yu-Lou (The Storm Tower on the Rainbow Bridge) in Phoenix town (the red spot), Hunan Province is another "No sky" street. It is believed that this tower was built during the early days of the reign of the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty. In 1914, an unprecedented flood occurred in the Tuo River under the Rainbow Bridge. It is said that there was 1,200 cubic meters of water per second in that flood. The flood was so huge that it took down houses, trees, and the entire Rainbow Bridge. The new magistrate, Tien Ying-chao, who was also a resident of Phoenix town, directed the restoration project to highlight the revolutionary spirit of the Revolution and to embellish Phoenix town.

        The piers were reinforced and the bridge was repaired. The wooden railings were demolished and replaced by a 12-compartment wooden building, whose length was equal to that of the bridge. The 12 compartments are used for a variety of stores. There is a roofed hallway in the middle, which is 3.6 meters wide. There was one row of Hua-chuang (traditional glassless window with flower-shaped decorations) on each side of the top of the tower, which were built for sunlight and ventilation. There is an arch on both ends of the bridge, and the boards on the arches read “虹橋” (Hong-Qiao/Rainbow Bridge), which were written by Tien Ying-chao.

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Structure of the Hong Bridge

        The 12-compartment design made Feng-Yu-Lou look like "No sky" street. Later on, the continuous wars and conflicts in China left the Rainbow Bridge deserted and devastated: the wooden parts of the Rainbow Bridge were rotten; the 12-compartment refined wooden building, like lots of other beautiful things in Phoenix town, is nowhere to be found. At the turn of the century, Phoenix town is still famous for its history and culture, and a new restoration project for Hong-Qiao-Feng-Yu-Lou is underway recently.

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        There are two piers in the Rainbow Bridge, which is an arched bridge made from local stones. The boat-shaped piers are not only magnificent but also able to reduce the pressure imposed by the water. There are two 12-compartment wooden buildings on both sides of the bridge with a 2-meter roofed hallway in the middle. Again, the compartments are used for a variety of stores. When walking in the hallway, you can hear the sounds winds and rain—hence the title Feng-Yu-Lou/The Storm Tower. The new Storm Tower, like its predecessor, is a two-story building. Yet it is better in design compared to the old one.

The Hong Bridge Today

     Today’s Hong-Qiao-Feng-Yu-Lou spans across the Tuo River and is vertical to Min-Zi-Yi-Tiao Street of Phoenix town, giving birth to the unique hybrid of the old and the new. Hong-Qiao-Feng-Yu-Lou is a classic and refined building, just like its predecessor.  Hong-Qiao-Feng-Yu-Lou is a two-story building. There are souvenir shops on the first floor. The second floor is an exhibition hall, displaying antiques of Phoenix town and providing information about the people, scenery, and culture of Phoenix town.