The Wan’an bridge, a wooden arch bridge with a history of more than 900 years, was destroyed by fire on Saturday night. The bridge measures 98.2 meters long and is located in Pingnan county, East China’s Fujian province. Photo: Cultural, Sports and Tourism Bureau of Shanghang county

The fire that broke out around 8 p.m. was put out by emergency workers around 10 p.m. Saturday. Photo: VCG

The bridge, supported by five stone pillars, collapsed during the fire. No injuries were reported in the incident. Photo: VCG

Residents cross the sheltered walkway of the bridge in June 2012. The bridge was the longest existing wooden arch bridge in China. Photo: VCG

The southeast end of the Wan’an Bridge leads to a temple, where the locals visit to worship the Monkey King, a legendary mythical monkey figure in the 16th-century Chinese literary classic “Journey to the West.” The temple survived Saturday’s fire. Photo: VCG

Built in the Song dynasty (960-1127), the bridge was restored many times during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Wan’an Bridge takes its name from a dictum: “Peace and sereniyu for thousands of generations, good and prosperous life for all people.” Photo: VCG

In May 2006, Wan’an Bridge was selected as a national cultural relic for preservation. The damage to the bridge has prompted calls for more effective solutions to protect cultural relics of its kind. Photo: VCG