Taiwan Food Atlas

Xiluo Bridge

An orange-red steel truss built with U.S. aid materials, a memory of postwar construction spanning the Zhuoshui River
📍 Yunlin · Xiluo Township · Zhongshan Road⛩️ Historic Structure🔖 County-Designated Monument · Cycling Path · Zhuoshui River Landscape

Xiluo Bridge is a steel-truss road bridge spanning the Zhuoshui River between Xiluo in Yunlin and Xizhou in Changhua, measuring 1,939 meters long; completed in December 1952 and opened to traffic in January 1953, it was the world's second-longest bridge after the Golden Gate Bridge and the largest in the Far East at the time. The bridge carries a layered history: piers and abutments were built during the Japanese colonial period, construction was interrupted by World War II, and the steel truss superstructure was finally completed with U.S. aid materials after the war.

Xiluo Bridge measures 1,939.03 meters long. Its piers and abutments were completed during the Japanese colonial period (1937–1941) before construction was halted by World War II; the steel truss superstructure was finished with U.S. aid materials, completed on December 25, 1952, and opened to traffic on January 28, 1953. At the time it was the world's second-longest bridge after the Golden Gate Bridge and the largest in the Far East, built as a Warren truss using more than 5,300 metric tons of steel (Wikipedia; National Development Council Archives Administration).

Highlights of Xiluo Bridge

The bridge uses a Pratt truss design; the orange-red steel trusses extend across the Zhuoshui River in a steady rhythm. From the bridge you can see the wide gravel-bar riverbed and the mountain silhouette in the distance. The structure is now a county-designated monument, with the main frame retaining its historic appearance. The construction timeline from 1937 to 1953 spans the late Japanese colonial period and early postwar Taiwan, making it a tangible artifact of the history of civil engineering on the island.

The cycling path and pedestrian walkway let visitors cover the full length on foot or by bike — nearly two kilometers of steel bridge at full scale. At sunset, angled light hits the frame, intensifying the orange-red color, and the bridge's shadow reflects on the water below, drawing photographers regularly. A history display at the bridgehead explains the construction background.

How to make the most of your visit

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Cycle the full lengthThe deck cycling path is about four kilometers return. Rent a bicycle at the Xiluo end, ride to Xizhou Township in Changhua County and back, experiencing the full span of the bridge over the Zhuoshui River.
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Sunset side-light photographyAt sunset the orange-red frame pairs with the sky for the most visually striking shots. From below the bridgehead at the riverbank you can frame the bridge reflection in the water.
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Read the bridgehead history displayPanels at the bridgehead document the construction history — Japanese-era groundbreaking and postwar U.S. aid reconstruction — readable in ten to fifteen minutes. Useful context for understanding the bridge.
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Link with Xiluo Old Street and soy sauceXiluo is known for traditional soy sauce brewing. Several century-old soy sauce shops line Yanping Road Old Street, walkable from the bridge after your visit — a look at local agricultural processing culture.

Practical information

Getting there and hours

  • The walkway and cycling path are open all day with no admission fee. For the bridgehead history display space, check announcements from Xiluo Township Office or the county tourism bureau.
  • By car, park at the bridgehead car park on the Xiluo side. By bus, take Unibus or Taiwan Bus to Xiluo Station and walk about fifteen to twenty minutes to the bridgehead.

Nearby connections

  • Xiluo's Yanping Road Old Street preserves Japanese-era shophouses and soy sauce heritage shops; about a fifteen-minute walk from the bridge, combinable as a Xiluo half-day trip.
  • Huwei is about fifteen kilometers north and can be added to reach Huwei Sugar Factory and Joint Government Hall, forming a central Yunlin day itinerary.

Sources: Cultural Heritage Bureau (Ministry of Culture) Monument Database, Xiluo Township Office Tourism Information. Photos pending Dio's own shots.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is Xiluo Bridge?

It measures 1,939.03 meters, spanning the Zhuoshui River between Yunlin and Changhua.

When was Xiluo Bridge completed?

Construction finished in December 1952, and it opened to traffic on January 28, 1953.

How did Xiluo Bridge rank globally when it opened?

It was the world's second-longest bridge after the Golden Gate Bridge, and the largest in the Far East at the time.

Sources

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