Zhaozhou Bridge

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The well-shaped Zhaozhou Bridge is also known as the Anji Bridge. It was designed by Li Chun, an architectural craftsman in the Sui Dynasty. It crosses the Xiao River , which lies south of Zhao County, Hebei Province. It is the existing oldest open-spandrel arch bridge in the world. The central arch of this bridge is made of 28 independent stone slabs, which are closely joint together with iron dovetails. There are two small arches on each side of the central arch, which forms the said “open-spandrel arch bridge”. This kind of structure can ef f ciently reduce the impact of f ood on the bridge. In addition, it can reduce the pressure of bridge’s weight on its own abutment, which enables the bridge to be more f rm and durable. The artful design of Zhaozhou Bridge fully shows the extraordinary creativity of the craftsmen in ancient China.

The entire bridge is in the shape of a rainbow high up in the sky, which looks light and elegant. The central arch is an arc less than a semicircle, giving a very reasonable mechanic property to the structure. The stone bridge is built on a 1.5-meter -thick stone basis. All stone slabs are connected with each other by iron dovetails (components that connect the wooden and stone wares by joining the dented and protruded parts of these wares), creating a f rm and stable structure. The decorative carvings on the boards on both sides of the bridge are very simple and vivid, owning a very high artistic and aesthetic value.

This is a picture of “two dragons playing with the pearl” that is carved on the board of the bridge. Two small dragons open their mouths and reveal their teeth. They raise their heads and face each other. The two dragons combine their front claws together. Both of them have powerful and bold shapes as well as nimble gestures. Wave-shaped and lotusshaped lines are carved around the picture as the ornaments. The carving skill was simple and powerful, creating smooth lines as well as a bold and vigorous style. It is a premier product of stone carving art in the Sui Dynasty.

The Zhaozhou Bridge is more than 1300 years old and remains completely uninjured till today after going through several earthquakes.

The middle part of the bridge is thinner and its both ends are thicker . The bridge is 9.6 meters wide. T h e b r i d g e d e c k i s slightly sloping, which is convenient for carriages to walk on. 28 stone slabs are placed together side by side. All of them are precisely carved. There are two small arches on each end of the bridge, which is good for draining floods and reducing the bridge’s own weight. The pier of the bridge is wider than the bridge top, which increases its capacity for pressure.

Legend about Zhaozhou Bridge

The legend says that the Zhaozhou Bridge was built by Lu Ban. After being built, its name spread further and further because it was solid and grand. An immortal named Elder Zhang Guo was not convinced after hearing about the bridge and wanted to have a competition with Lu Ban. He also took Lord Chai and Zhao Kuangyin on the way. When they reached the Zhaozhou Bridge, Elder Zhang Guo said to Lu Ban: “If you can let the three of us pass the bridge safely , I will ride my donkey backwards from now on.” Lu Ban said laughingly: “This bridge can hold thousands of soldiers and horses. Your small donkey and carriages are not a problem at all!” Elder Zhang Guo rode his donkey and went onto the bridge. He was followed by Lord Chai who was pushing a wheelbarrow and Zhao Kuangyin who was pulling a carriage. When they were walking on the bridge, Elder Zhang Guo suddenly turned around and put the sun, the moon and the stars into his bag. Lord Chai and Zhao Kuangyin summoned the Five Great Mountains and placed them into their carriages lightly. The bridge could not hold anymore and began to shake. Upon seeing that, Lu Ban immediately jumped into the river and raised one hand to support the bridge with all his strength. In that way the three immortals could arrive at the other end of the bridge. Elder Zhang Guo had no choice but to admit his failure. He rode his donkey backwards and returned to the Heaven with Lord Chai and Zhao Kuangyin. However, they left several deep donkey hoof prints and a wheel print on the deck of Zhaozhou Bridge. Lord Chai slipped when he was walking on the bridge and punched a knee-shaped hole on the bridge deck. There was also a big hand print on the bottom of the eastern side of the bridge’s vault. It was left by Lu Ban when he supported the bridge.