The Longqing Bridge is a traditional wooden arcade bridge. [Photo/lsnews.com.cn]

The ancient Longqing Bridge in Lishui, East China's Zhejiang province – with a history spanning more than a millennium – will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its last major renovation on Dec 23, according to local officials.

The wooden arcade bridge, which crosses the Meixi River at the border of Lishui's county-level city of Longquan and Qingyuan county, was first built more than 1,000 years ago. In 1777, during the reign of Qianlong (1736-95) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the bridge was reconstructed and was renamed the Tongfu Bridge.

The present name Longqing was given by Zhang Jian, a leading social reformer and industrial entrepreneur in the early 20th century. He wrote down the script "龙庆桥" for the Longqing Bridge. The calligraphy was finely carved onto a stone tablet.

The stone tablet with Zhang Jian's calligraphy survived the war. [Photo/lsnews.com.cn]

In 1949, the bridge was badly damaged by war.

Ten years ago, rebuilding and renovation began on Dec 23, 2010, with a total investment of 9 million yuan ($1.38 million) through fund raising, corporate sponsorship and government subsidies from Longquan and Qingyuan.