"Zhao Zhou Bridge Inscription": "Zhao Zhou Jiaohe Bridge, sui smith Li Chun's traces also." Strange to create, people do not know what to think. Try to see the magic of using stones, the anvil of Leng Ping, the dome of the dome, suddenly there is no yang..."
Zhaozhou Bridge is the world's oldest, largest span and most complete preserved stone arch bridge, it was built in the Sui Dynasty by the famous craftsman Li Chun. Zhaozhou Bridge has stood on the land of China for more than 1400 years, and has stood through wind and frost. There is a text in the primary school Chinese textbook dedicated to the Zhaozhou Bridge, and its delicate description makes this thousand-year-old bridge a tourist attraction for many teenagers. Zhaozhou Bridge is undoubtedly the pride of China, it is famous all over the world, attracting many bridge design experts and architects at home and abroad to explore its true appearance. Zhao Zhouqiao has created countless records, which condense the painstaking efforts of ancient Chinese craftsmen and embody the wisdom and artistic appreciation vision of the ancients.
Zhaozhou Bridge has drawn a strong stroke in the history of bridge construction in ancient China, and it pioneered the bridge structure of "open shoulder arch" and created a new era of Bridge Design in China. Bridges of this shape were strong, stable and used little material, but at the time it was risky to build such an arched bridge, because no one could guarantee its stability. Facts have proved that Zhaozhou Bridge not only lived up to expectations at that time, but also became the pride of the people of Chinese today. The most tragic thing about Zhaozhou Bridge is that it has stood for a thousand years and has not fallen, but it became history 60 years ago, which is a deep pity.
The much-watched Zhaozhou Bridge
Since its establishment, Zhaozhou Bridge has received attention and attention from successive rulers, and caring about the use of Zhaozhou Bridge is as important as paying attention to people's livelihood. Zhaozhou Bridge underwent 8 repairs, and by the Daoguang years of the Qing Dynasty, Zhaozhou Bridge had completed its 7th repair. Liang Sicheng, a well-known bridge research expert in China, conducted detailed exploration and surveying of the Zhaozhou Bridge during the Republic of China period. He recorded a series of precious data, coupled with his feelings for Zhaozhou Bridge, and wrote "Zhaozhou Dashi Bridge is Anji Bridge". In the Song Dynasty, Zhao Zhou Bridge was given the name Zhao Ji Bridge, and has been using it as the official name ever since, and the folk also called it Dashi Bridge.
Zhaozhou Bridge is 50.82 meters long, span 37.2 meters, bridge height 7.23 meters, the reason why it has such a heavy weight in the hearts of the Chinese people, in addition to because it reflects the superb technology of building bridges in ancient China, mainly because Zhaozhou Bridge shows a super high bridge carving art, the Sui Dynasty advocated carving style is atmospheric and thick, which is vividly reflected in the construction, design and carving of Zhaozhou Bridge. Zhao Zhouqiao's carving techniques are vigorous and powerful, majestic and natural, and aesthetically unique, which have gone through thousands of years and are not outdated, reflecting the avant-garde and classic appreciation vision of Sui Dynasty carving artists. The bridge decoration of Zhao Zhou Bridge is very finely carved, and it has a high artistic research value today.
Become history
Why did Zhaozhou Bridge become history 60 years ago? Mainly because the Zhaozhou Bridge was repaired for the eighth time in 1955, for the sake of the load-bearing nature of the bridge itself and the safety of pedestrians. Engineers replaced the original blue-gray sand with modern reinforced concrete, and the eighth repair work made the Zhaozhou Bridge almost a makeover, so large that the repair work took 3 years to complete. Many people see the repaired Zhaozhou Bridge, and they all think that the unique charm and taste of the ancient bridge have been lost, and the reinforced concrete material has made the whole bridge lose its soul. People think that it is no longer the ancient bridge that was named by the emperor, and it is no longer the ancient bridge that combines practicality and design beauty.
At the same time, we must understand that the significance of the Zhaozhou Bridge to the Chinese nation should not exist only in an empty shelf. As a bridge, in addition to carrying the reputation of history, it also needs to fulfill its most simple and fundamental mission as a bridge - the safety of pedestrians on the side of the crossing. In fact, when Liang Sicheng measured it in all directions, he found that the bridge was "old", and in the time of standing for a thousand years, it was no longer solid inside, and it carried too many disasters. According to ancient records, Zhaozhou Bridge experienced a total of 10 floods, 8 wars and several earthquakes. Even modern bridges made of reinforced concrete may not be able to withstand many disasters, let alone the Zhaozhou Bridge made of natural stones.
After the survey was completed, Liang Sicheng suggested that the relevant departments repair the Zhaozhou Bridge, but for various reasons, the eighth repair of the Zhaozhou Bridge was not put on the agenda until a few years after the founding of New China. Although today's Zhaozhou Bridge is wrapped in modern building materials, engineers have preserved its original pattern carving part to the greatest extent. In order to protect the Zhaozhou Bridge, the relevant departments do not allow vehicles to pass through the Zhaozhou Bridge, only pedestrians are allowed to pass, even if the original Zhaozhou Bridge has completely become history, people will not forget the glory it has created. From ancient times to the present, the weathered Zhaozhou Bridge has finally been able to continue to stand on the land of China with a stronger posture.
Reference: Zhao Zhou Qiao Ming