A modern bridge epitomizes traditional China

[Photo/CGTN]

Guangji Bridge is one of the four most celebrated ancient bridges in China. It lies 500 kilometers away from the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. Built during the Southern Song Dynasty in the 12th century, it was the first-ever bridge capable of opening to allow ships to pass. It was a key link on the trade routes connecting Guangdong with Fujian, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and other areas to the north and east. Its beauty testifies to the remarkable skill of its builders.

After 1949, Soviet technology played a key role in China’s infrastructure development. Completed in 1957, the Yangtze River Bridge in Wuhan, then the longest bridge over the Yangtze, was a fruit of Soviet aid. It was also the first bridge over the Yangtze to carry both road and rail transport. As the final link in the Beijing to Guangzhou railway – a major north-south artery – the bridge overcame one of the biggest natural barriers in China. Old footage shows the elation of the people who witnessed the opening of this historic bridge.