Brief introduction to the characteristics of bridges in China

China has a vast land, and the bridges between the north and the south and between the east and the west, influenced by their natural geography and humanistic society, have formed their own relatively independent styles and characteristics according to local conditions. For example, the Central Plains in the north and the Yellow River Basin have relatively flat terrain and few rivers and waters, so people rely on mule-horse carts or hand-propelled carts to transport materials. Therefore, the bridges here are mostly Kuantan majestic stone arch bridge and Liang Shi bridge, so that ships can pass under the bridge; In the northwest and southwest regions, it is difficult to build piers because of the high mountains and steep valleys. Therefore, mountain materials such as rattan, bamboo cables and logs are often used to build rope suspension bridges or outrigger wooden beam bridges. The coastal areas of Lingnan, Fujian and Guangdong are rich in hard granite, so stone bridges abound. In Yunnan minority areas, because of the abundant bamboo, unique bamboo bridges can be seen everywhere. Judging from the style of the bridge, the bridge in the north is as rough and simple as the people in the north; Bridges in the south are as nimble and light as people in the south. Of course, this is also closely related to physical geography. For example, the rivers in the north have changed greatly due to the bullying of water flow and the impact of mountain torrents and ice, so the bridge must be thick and steady; However, the water potential of the southern river is relatively gentle and it is easy to navigate, so the bridge is relatively slender and beautiful.

(2) diversity.

China is an ancient civilization, with vast territory and abundant resources, beautiful mountains and rivers, and great differences in geological landforms between the north and the south, so the technical requirements for bridge construction are also high. Around the Han Dynasty, four basic bridge types of bridges: beam bridge, pontoon bridge, cable bridge and arch bridge, were all produced. According to their different building materials and structural forms, these four kinds of bridges have evolved respectively: wooden bridge, stone bridge, brick bridge, bamboo bridge, salt bridge, ice bridge, rattan bridge, iron bridge, reed bridge, stone pillar bridge, stone pier bridge, flood bridge, cantilever bridge, covered bridge, wind and rain bridge, bamboo bridge, stone bridge, retractable bridge, cable-stayed bridge and three bridges.

(3) versatility.

in ancient China, craftsmen built bridges, paying great attention to maximizing the benefits of bridges, not only taking into account local conditions, proceeding from practicality, but also considering making bridges play a multi-functional role as much as possible. For example, most of the arch bridges in the south of the Yangtze River are flat at both ends and high in the middle, which not only produces the beauty of arc in modeling, but also facilitates boating. The corridor bridge, which is widely seen in southern China, fully reflects the multi-purpose characteristics of one bridge. In the south, it rains a lot and the sunshine is strong, so the bridge builder builds a gallery house on the bridge, which not only provides a place for passers-by to escape from the wind and rain, but also increases the self-weight of the bridge, so as to prevent the bridge from being washed away by floods and protect the wooden beams and iron cables from wind and rain corrosion. In particular, many of these covered bridges are also used as markets, accommodation and commercial activities because people used to rush. For example, Xiangzi Bridge in Chaoan County, Guangdong Province, with a total length of more than 5 meters, is known as "a long bridge in one mile and a city in one mile", and a pontoon bridge that can be opened and closed is set in the bridge to facilitate navigation; Gallery houses are built on the bridge, and markets are made behind the building. During this period, shops are row upon row, from morning till dusk, bustling and lively, so that you can't smell the roaring tide and the wide river surface. Therefore, there is a joke among the people that "ask Xiangqiao when you arrive at Xiangqiao".

(4) public welfare.

since the bridge came into being, it has appeared as a sociality belonging to the people. Traditional buildings in our country are generally private, and only bridges (except those in private gardens), whether officially built or privately built, are publicly owned by the society. Therefore, for thousands of years, loving bridges and protecting roads has become a good fashion, while "repairing bridges and paving the way" is a charitable act that benefits the public and is highly respected by the public. Therefore, repairing or building a bridge has a broad mass character. Looking at historical records, there are probably four ways to build bridges in China: one is civil construction, that is, the bridge is built independently by one family and one surname; The second is to raise funds, report to the government for support and work together to build. This kind is the most common, such as the famous Zhao Zhouqiao and Quanzhou Luoyang Bridge, which were all built in this way. Third, officials advocate people's repair, which is advocated by local officials, pledged by gentry, and appointed officials or business gentry to preside over the completion. This is mostly a large bridge; Fourth, it was all funded by the government. Therefore, there are ancient bridges all over China, and even more bridges are built in the hinterland. Its quantity and wide distribution rank first in the world.