January 24, 1953
The Xiluo Bridge in the western region of Taiwan’s main island was formally dedicated. The bridge, which crosses over the Zhuoshui River, connects Xiluo Township in Yunlin County with Xizhou County in Changhua County. At the time of its debut, the structure – measuring 6,361.7 feet (1,939 meters) in length and featuring 31 arches – was the longest bridge in East Asia.
The origins of the Xiluo Bridge can be traced to 1936 when local residents established a committee to build a bridge over the Zhuoshui River. Construction began the following year, and by 1940 a total of 32 piers for the bridge were in place. Taiwan was under Japanese rule throughout this time, and construction on the bridge was suspended after Japan’s entry into World War II against the Allied powers in 1941.
After the war ended with Japan’s defeat and Taiwan was handed over to…
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