Bridges in China: history, culture and moderization

[througheye]

Bridges in China: history, culture and moderization

The Ancient Chinese are really genesis in building bridges, especially the stone-arch brides. They built very beautiful brides, which are still used today. some of them were marvels in engineering and design. They represent our history and culture.

The modern Chinese are crazy in building bridges. These bridges faced so many difficulties in engineering and we made them into reality. The bridges make the travel more convenient and closer the distance of all Chinese lived in different areas.

I just show some bridges in China below, ancient and modern. All members are welcome to add more figures of other bridges. Some beautiful, some strange, some spectacular bridges you ever knew and ever saw.

1. Zhaozhou (赵州桥， Anji) bridge. Locates in Hebei Provine, built in 605, designed by an genius engineer Li Chun , about 1400 years ago. It is the oldest existing stone-arch bridge and it is still used today.

2. Luoyang Bridge (洛阳桥）， Locates in Luoyang, Henan Province, built in 1053.

3. Guangji Bridge (广济桥）, locates in Chaozhou, Guangdong province, built in 1171. This bridge can be opened and closed for different purposes.

4. Lugou Bridge (卢沟桥，called as Marco Polo bridge by westerns), locates in Beijing, built in 1192, length 266.5 m. This bridge is where the China-Japan war began at 1937.

Every lion statue on the bridge is different to each other.

5. Bazi Bridge (八字桥）, locates in Shaoxin, Zhejiang province, built in 1201. It connects the roads from three different ways crossing the water. It was called the oldest intersection bridge.

6. Anping Bridge (安平桥), locates in Jingjiang, Fujian Province, lenght 2070 m. It was the longest stone bridge in ancient world when it was constructed.

 

[througheye]

7. Gongcheng Bridge (拱宸桥), locates on the Great Canal, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, built in 1631.

8. Ancient Track bridge (古纤道), locates in Shaoxin, Zhejiang province, first built in 815. This bridge was built in a canal. It was designed as the road for those who were dragging the boats in the canal.

9. some bridges in West Lake, Hangzhou.

10. Some ancient bridges in Suzhou and Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province.

 

[througheye]

11. The bridges in the Summer Palace, Beijing. They are built in 1700s.

The 17-arch bridge is my favorite, it is so beautiful.

12. Fengyu Bridge (风雨桥), it is actually a shelter during the rain. This type of bridge is popular in the South China. This one locates in Chengyang, where Dong-Nation lives.

13. some other ancient bridges.

Golden-river bridge, in Forbidden City, Beijing.

The Pavilion bridge in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

Some mimic-ancient style bridges.

This one is in Shaoxin, Zhejiang

In Liaocheng, Shandong.

 

[througheye]

Now start to post some modern bridges.

The first bridge over Yangtze River was Wuhan Yangtzi Bridge, built in 1955. It took 2 years for construction and opened in 1957. This bridge was designed for road (top layer) and railway (bottom layer).

From then, more and more huge bridges were built on Yangtze river. There were more than 55 bridges on the Yangtze River (from Yichang to Shanghai). Below are Just some of them.

Wuhan Bridge. (Wuhan has total 8 bridges over Yangtze River).

Wuhu Bridge

Yangzhou-Zhengjiang Bridge

Nanjing Old bridge built in 1960s

Some of Nanjing's new bridges (Nanjing has total 5 bridges over Yangtze river).

 

[througheye]

More bridges over Yangtze River

Suzhou-Nantong bridge

Taizhou Bridge

Shanghai Yangtze bridge

Some incredible expressway bridges in the mountain region.

Siduhe Bridge (四渡河大桥), probably the highest bridge in the world.

Aizhai Bridge (矮寨大桥）

 

[througheye]

Some oversea Bridges

1. Jiaozhou Bay oversea bridge (胶州湾跨海大桥), the longest oversea bridge in the world， locates in Qingdao, Shandong province, with total length of 41.58 km. It costed ~ $ 2 billion and 4.5 years to construct it.

2. Hangzhou Bay oversea Bridge (杭州湾跨海大桥), the second longest oversea bridge in the world, locates in Zhejiang province, connects Ningbo and Shanghai, with total length 36 km. It costed ~ $2 billion and 4 years to construct.

The rest area on the bridge.

3. Zhuahai-Macau-Hongkong oversea Bridge, under construction. Total length nearly 50 km. It is expected to be completed in 2017. The total cost will be ~ $ 10 billion.

4. East Sea Bridge (东海大桥）, connects Shanghai and Yangshan Port. Total length 32.5 km. The construction took 3 ears.

 

[througheye]

Oversea Bridges (continue).

5. Zhoushan-Ningbo oversea bridges.Total 5 bridges connects the islands in Zhoushan to mainland.

6. Xiamen-Zhangzhou oversea bridge

7. Jiangxin-Shaoxin oversea bridge

 

[througheye]

Some unique bridges in different cities. They are the landmarks of these cities.

Shanghai

Nanpu Bridge on the Huangpu River

Lupu Bridge (卢浦大桥), this bridge was built by pure steel.

Chongqing

Tianjing

Guangzhou

Liaocheng

 

[througheye]

More

Hangzhou

 

[cirr]

A small collection of great bridges built in anicient and modern China。

 

[througheye]

Yes, it is a small collection. Please post more figures if you have, such some bridges from your hometown or your province.

Bridges are engineering marvels, in ancient or modern times.

A small collection of great bridges built in anicient and modern China。

 

[+4vsgorillas-Apebane]

The old bridges are infinitely more beautiful.

You could just walk over and contemplate the people who walked the bridge, their lives and how they stood where you now stand.

 

[AndrewJin]

Charming architect, I love both ancient and modern types!
Find some in my photo gallery

 

[AndrewJin]

 

[AndrewJin]

Photos from my friend about Wuhan's Yangtze River bridges