Zhaozhou Bridge, also called Anji Bridge and Dashi Bridge (Great Stone Bridge), is a key cultural relic under national protection.
Above the Xiaohe River of Zhao County, Hebei Province, about 15.53 miles from the southeast of Shijiazhuang City, designed and built in the Daye period (605-618 A.D.) of the Sui Dynasty (581-618 A.D.) by renowned constructor Li Chun, Zhaozhou Bridge is the earliest and best-preserved open-spandrel stone arch bridge now in existence. It is also called Anji Bridge, the name bestowed by Emperor Zhezong of the Song Dynasty (1085-1100 A.D.), meaning ensuring people safe lives and aiding people. Designated by the State Council as being among China's foremost protected monuments in 1961, Zhaozhou Bridge was also selected by the ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) as the twelfth "milestone of international civil engineering" and a bronze monument was presented by the ASCE.
Zhaozhou Bridge embodies a combination of craftsmanship and art and has attracted many men of letter from different eras here to praise the bridge s beauty. One line of a poem reads, "Thousands of horses, carriages and people cross the bridge and it is truly the first bridge under heaven." The inscription text entitled An Introduction to the Stone Bridge written by the minister Zhang Jiazhen in the Tang Dynasty highlights its historic value.
With a total length of 211.29 feet, a span of 121.46 feet and a height of 23.72 feet, Zhaozhou Bridge is a single-arch stone bridge that has the longest span and history. The bridge is sophisticated yet elegantly constructed. Taking in the whole view, you will find it a single-arch bridge. However, it is actually a vertical combination of 28 arches. The two smaller spans in the shoulders of the bridge is an innovation in the history of the bridge construction, giving the stone bridge a fairly pretty design. Zhaozhou Bridge has its own architectural features: the greatness of the span and the smoothness of the arc not only cut the use of stone material but also facilitate travel. The two small spans in the two shoulders increase the drainage area to ease the flow of water, cut the use of stone material, lighten the bridge, and enhance the stability. The vertical combination building method makes every arch an independent body so that it would be convenient and economical for construction and restoration.
In October 1991, Zhaozhou Bridge was chosen as one of the 12 milestones in the history of civil engineering by the American Society of Civil Engineers.