What do you think of when it comes to ionic bridges in China? Maybe the new high tech glass bridge comes to mind. For this article, we are going to way back, like 600 AD back.
The Anji Bridge, or in Chinese, 安济桥 (Ān jì qiáo), is an engineering marvel designed by a craftsman named Li Chun. The name of the bridge literally means “Safe Crossing Bridge” and is clearly a testament to its design and structure. Construction began in 595 AD and was finished around 605 AD. The bridge is also commonly known as the Zhaozhou Bridge, or in Chinese, 赵州桥 (Zhào zhōu qiáo). This bridge is one the world’s oldest open-spandrel segmental arch bridge made of stone.
Now, if you’re not an architect or engineer, I’m sure you don’t know what that means because I certainly did not. As you can see in the picture below, segmental refers to a circular arch that is less than 180 degrees. These types of arches are very common in the 20th century and can probably be seen over doorways, fireplaces, and windows.
The open-spandrel refers to the arches within the arched bridge that give further support to the bridge itself. In more technical terms, it takes the load from the deck and transfers it to the main arch where it then connects to the ground or base.
Not only that, but when the Xiao River below floods, the openings allow water to flow through it. This greatly reduces the stress on the structure because if the spandrels were closed, the water would pound against the bridge, potentially knocking it over. For a little less than 1500 years old, this bridge is absolutely amazing and really displays true Chinese innovation. Incredibly, this bridge has been through about 10 major floods and numerous wars and earthquakes. In the 1950s, Mao Yisheng, a bridge structure expert, tested the bridges load-bearing capacity. He found that this bridge can withstand as much as eight tons of weight! Amazing, right?
Check out theses sources below for more information!
http://www.bridgesofdublin.ie/bridge-building/famous-bridges/anji-bridge-605ad
http://www.visiontimes.com/2013/09/04/4-most-famous-bridges-in-ancient-chinese-architecture.html
我记得在中国上小学的时候就有一篇课文是讲赵州桥的历史的。在那个年代古人没有先进的设备去建造这座桥，但是他们还是运用自己的智慧完成了这些工程。
This is a very cool look on the history of the bridge and how it is an iconic architecture figure in China. Good job.
The pictures complimented the history in this post so well. great article, very descriptive
Wow, the Anji Bridge is really strong and well built if it lasted so long. I think that the person who designed it was a real genius
Wow! I didn’t know that there is a bridge like this. I think it’s really cool how this bridge is constructed.
Wow! I never saw this bridge before and I really like the design.
Great article! I have heard of this bridge before, but I didn’t know that the name of the bridge meant “Safe Crossing Bridge”. This bridge looks aesthetically pleasing and very sturdy. I very like how you were so informative and explained what the technical terms meant. It allowed me to understand how great of an accomplishment the bridge actually is. It was a very interesting article!
I’ve never heard of the Anji bridge before. I can’t believe it was built such a long time ago and is still standing today. The bridge shows one of the greatest feats of Ancient Chinese civilization. The pictures you included helped you explain the shape of the bridge. I can’t believe that the bridge can hold 8 tons of weight. The fact that it has also continued to stand after several natural disasters is amazing to me. Great article!
Great Article Wesley! I have never heard of Anji Bridge, and I’m surprised I haven’t. It is one the world’s oldest open-spandrel segmental arch bridge made of stone after all. I was surprised to read that it can hold 8 tons and is still standing today. It’s actually insane how long the bridge has been up considering all the natural disasters and conflicts that have taken place near there. You learn something new everyday.
I’ll admit I still don’t understand the archways and architectural stuff. However, I still can appreciate the bridge and how it is astounding. The fact it can withstand 8 tons is incredible! It has even already gone through 10 floods. It is so old, dating back to the 7th century, but it’s still standing strong. “Safe Crossing” is aptly named!
Wow Wesley, great article! I love how you incorporated your passion for engineering and fused that with your passion for Chinese culture to create an article about this amazing Anji Bridge. Your analogy that compared the curvature of the bridge to the curvature of a fireplace really helped me understand the technical aspect of the bridge. Also, it sounds like the open-spandrels are what really gives this bridge its namesake. Not only do they relieve stress on the bridge allowing it to carry more weight, but it also allows water to flow through it and prevents the bridge from being destroyed in a flood. This is probably why it has survived numerous natural disasters and Mao Yisheng’s diabolical weight tests. Few bridges in the west could withstand such tests and it truly is a testament to Chinese ingenuity. Keep up the great work!
Nice article Westly! It’s truly amazing how greatly built this bridge is. It is the oldest open-spandrel segmental arch bridge made of stone. This makes it more interesting because I still can’t believe how it is still standing to this very day. Not only that but it has also gone through so much. Great article and keep up the great work.
This proves that necessity is indeed the mother of invention. Had it not been for its unique structure, the water would definitely have ruined a masterpiece. Being that it is the oldest open-spandrel segmental arch bridge made of stone, it is shocking that is still exists. This also ensures the safe crossing of a person. I wonder where it is? Anyways, great job Wesley!
Great article Wesley, very well written. Taught me a lot of things such as 安济桥, is an engineering marvel designed by a craftsman named Li Chun. The name of the bridge literally means “Safe Crossing Bridge” Now I know where the name came from and what does the bridge symbolizes or means. Thanks so much for teaching me these things!
I really like this article. I always find it interesting to learn about architecture. It is amazing that they incorporated such great and complex design into a bridge. I have never heard about Anji Bridge before.
Now, I have to pay close attention to my math class. These spectacular structures couldn’t be build without the mind of engineers. China is great……..
This article was so interesting! It’s so cool that China has built such complex structures at such an early point in time. When comparing China to other countries at this time, China is definitely more advanced. I think that even nowadays many countries are still using this type of structure of a bridge in commercial highways and transportation systems. Lastly, I think it’s great that the bridge’s load-bearing capacity withstand as much as eight tons of weight! Super cool!
Wesley, what an intriguing piece. It is also interesting what kind of a message this bridge is supposed to represent, in that this is a cultural bridge, and a bridge that has withstood everything. This metaphor in the end of your piece, can be translated into anything one does in their future. I have always been fascinated with art and architecture of our increasingly diverse and globalized world, and this is quite an architectural marvel, rivaling some of Wright, Pei and Gehry. I was drawn further into your article sentence after sentence, and I was very impressed after finishing it. I look forward to reading more of your articles in the future.
Cool Wes! I remember learning about such bridges in IED with Mr. Silva and it’s pretty cool that one of the oldest ones is in China.The bridge reflects how advanced China was in ancient times, even without influence from the “superior” Europeans. It is so interesting that the bridge, even today with its aging structure and eroded material, can still support 8 tons and the ingenious arch design allows for less strain when flooding. The fact that such an ancient piece of architecture could be so advanced, even in today’s day-in-age, truly illustrates how drawing upon tradition and antiquity could allow for advancement.
I love the engineering marvels of history, and this is definitely one of them. A bridge that has been through about 10 major floods and lots of earthquakes, and yet is still standing today, nearly 1500 years old, still able to hold eight tons of weight – that’s pretty amazing!
Wow! I’ve actually never heard of the Anji Bridge. It’s so cool that it can withstand 8 tons of weight. I don’t understand any architecture behind this bridge, but just by looking at it, the design is beautiful. It’s amazing how it is still standing today, despite the fact that it was built around 600A.D. I would love to visit it one day!
There are so many awesome bridges in china and it is so fascinating to read about some of them in this article, amazing job.
Great article Wesley! I really loved how you described the Anji Bridge’s structure and how it’s structure helps to describe its namesake of safe! It’s amazing how back hundreds upon hundreds of years ago, people were able to create such technological marvels with such linited technology. I like how the bridge was designed so that when the river floods, the openings allow water to flow through it, reducing the stress on the bridge. I also found it amazing how this bridge has survived major earthquakes and war in addition to flooding! It shows the true marvels of Chinese innovations! Thanks for sharing!
Made in 600 AD?? Wow, that’s incredible! Who knew that some structure from over 1000 years ago could have that level of architecture and technology. This shows how Chinese architects allowed the bridge to be able to withstand storms and floods as well as support a heavy weight. Bravo to the engineers that designed this bridge. Maybe I could visit one day!
I don’t understand all the architectural stuff but I think this bridge that was built about 1000 years ago is still standing is simply amazing. The technology used in this construction is still used by modern engineers and it shows how much ancient Chinese architects were skilled and intelligent.
To see a bridge that has stood the test of time, is truly an amazing feat.
I had no idea that such an old bridge existed! I learned that the 安济桥 was designed by a craftsman named Li Chun. I also learned that the name of the bridge literally means “safe crossing bridge.”
Great article, Wesley! It is so fascinating that this bridge was built in 600 AD! I would have never thought a bridge that old could ever be standing today. I find it interesting how the technology used to build this bridge is used by modern architects today! It is crazy how much this bridge has went through and the fact that it still stands has to be something that the Chinese are very proud of.
I’ve never heard of this bridge before, and it’s amazing how it can withstand so many natural disasters and wars!
Nice Job! Before reading this, I had no idea what the Anji Bridge (安济桥) was. After reading this, I was able to take a step back in history. I would never think that something so old would last this long. This is so cool to know about Chinese history!
Great architectural article! It was detailed with explaining the technique used to build this bridge and even someone like me who doesn’t know any architectural background can understand. It’s so fascinating that he was able to build this bridge such a long time ago when there was no advanced technology like we have today. What a genuis he has to be in order to be able to build such a safe bridge! It’s even more amazing that it was able to withstand natural disasters and wars. Even though it’s a very old structure, I’m so glad it still holds its statute and value to this day.
Very interesting article. I never really knew much about the engineering behind bridges and this article explained the significance of this bridge in a very simple yet effective way. I think it is amazing that such architectural marvels could be made in a time before electricity was even thought of. Reading about these architectural marvels really opens your eyes to the ingenuity of people.
Very interesting article! I do not know much about engineering, especially with bridges, and this article was very informative. Cool to know that starting at 595 Ad in China, a Bridge called the Anji Bridge, was constructed, one of the world’s open-spandrel segmental arch bridge made of stone. In order to manage this feat, engineers used a a circular arch that gave support to the bridge itself, and helped to take load from the deck. Great article!
Very interesting article! I do not know much about engineering, especially with bridges, and this article was very informative. Cool to know that starting at 595 Ad in China, a Bridge called the Anji Bridge, was constructed, one of the world’s open-spandrel segmental arch bridge made of stone. In order to manage this feat, engineers used a a circular arch that gave support to the bridge itself, and helped to take load from the deck. Great article!
Wow! I never knew that the bridges in China have such complex structures. It’s also so interesting how they these bridges are so long-lasting. I just can’t believe the technological innovation China had during 600 AD. The thought process put into this structure is just impeccable. Although I’ve never heard of the Anji Bridge before, I will surely go visit it next time when I go back to China. Fascinating article Wesley!
这篇文章写的很好，因为详细描述了这个桥是怎么弄的，然后还说了这个桥可以干什么,比如洪水以下的萧河时，开口允许水流过。这大大减少了结构上的压力，因为如果水流关闭，水会撞到桥上，可能会撞击它。
安济桥确实是一大宏伟之作。这里有一首关于安济桥的诗先给大家：
驾石飞梁尽一虹，苍龙惊蛰背磨空。
坦途箭直千人过，驿使驰驱万国通。
云吐月轮高拱北，雨添春色去朝东。
休夸世俗遗仙迹，自古神丁役此工。
安济桥真是巧夺天工，是老祖宗们的智慧。很多古代的诗人都为安济桥的美丽和壮观作诗。我特别想有一天能去安济桥看看和感受一下这个中国智慧的结晶。这个桥想必帮助了很多当地居民的人，让他们能方便的生活。我们应该感谢古人，为我们留下了这么好的建筑。
安济桥是我国的重点保护文物，该桥是我国目前为止保存完好的拱形桥。可见我们的祖先是多么的聪明，他们的技术非常巧妙。通过这篇文章，我更近一部的了解了安济桥。这个桥的建造原理也非常的先进，经过地震也可以完好无损。
It was a really cool article to read! I like that it serves more then one purpose, and has a very cool design to it! I wish to actually see it in person one day!!
看完这篇文章后我很震惊，在公元前600年造的桥到至今还屹立不倒。我从来都不敢想象会有桥可以在这边多年来抵挡着各种风雨，洪水还牢牢地架在那里。看了这篇文章，我终于知道它没有倒下的原因，是因为它有着一个特殊的结构–拱形。现在很多桥的建筑都有用到这个形状，因为这个形状可以让桥更加的坚固，稳定。
Very interesting! I want to visit there one day. Seems like nice refreshing place to visit. Also, cool to know that starting at 595 Ad in China, a Bridge called the Anji Bridge, was constructed, one of the world’s open-spandrel segmental arch bridge made of stone. Thanks for sharing this information.