The Longteng Broken Bridge

The viaduct carried the main west coast railway across the Longteng valley and was finished in 1907, built of brick and stone in tall arches because that is what the engineering of the time allowed. In 1935 an earthquake centred nearby brought most of it down, taking out the arches and leaving a line of ruptured piers on both sides of the river. Rather than rebuild on the same alignment, the railway was rerouted and the ruin was simply left alone. What stands now is a row of red brick towers with broken springing points where the arches sprang, colonised by grass and fig roots, with the newer line visible beyond. A path runs underneath.

What you actually see

• The southern piers - the tallest surviving section, with the arch springings broken off.
• The northern piers - a second, shorter row on the far side of the river.
• The brickwork - hand-laid arch rings visible where the structure sheared.
• The old mountain line - the abandoned railway alignment on the slope above.

When to go

October to April is drier and cooler; the valley is humid and mosquito-heavy through the summer. The site is open ground with no gate and no closing time, and early morning light on the brick is the best of it. Weekends bring coach parties over from Sanyi, but they stay twenty minutes and move on.

Honest expectations

There is not much here beyond the piers themselves, and thirty minutes covers it comfortably. Access is fenced in places, so you view the structure from below rather than walking on it. Without a car it is an awkward few kilometres from Sanyi station. The valley around it has been tidied with car parks and snack stalls, which flattens the effect.

Nearby

Sanyi's woodcarving workshops are a short drive back up the hill.