Bridges over waterways had been known in China since the ancient Zhou dynasty . During the Song dynasty , large trestle bridges was constructed , such as that built by Zhang Zhongyan in 1158 . There was also large bridges made entirely of stone , like the Ba Zi Bridge of Shaoxing , built in 1256 and still standing today . Bridges with pavilions crowning their central spans was often featured in such paintings as the landscapes of Xia Gui ( 1195 – 1224 ) . Long , covered corridor bridges , like the 12th @-@ century Rainbow Bridge in Wuyuan , Jiangxi province , which have wide stone @-@ based piers and a wooden superstructure , was also built .