Published : 2020-11-08
Bridges are an essential part of city construction. Especially for cities located around rivers or lakes, bridges are exceptionally key to transportation connections.
When talking about a city with the most bridges, most people would think of Venice.
However, the city with the most bridges in the world is in China. It is Chongqing, a city surrounded by rivers and known as the "mountain city".
China has the world's largest number of bridges
Every city has more or less bridge construction, but the number of bridges in Chongqing is unimaginably large. As of now, there have been more than 13,000 bridges within the scope of Chongqing, nearly 33 times the number of bridges in Venice, the "City of Water".
The abundance of bridges in Chongqing is due to its unique geographical factors, with undulating mountains and crisscrossing rivers. Providing much convenience for residents to cross mountains and rivers, bridges are of high importance for Chongqing, the city of mountains and rivers.
The number of bridges in Chongqing is not only the most in China, but also the most in the world, far exceeding the number and density of other cities.
As of 2020, among those 13,000 bridges, there are 8,462 regular highway bridges, 2,974 expressway bridges, 1,551 city transit bridges, 16 dedicated railway bridges, 4 dedicated light rail bridges, plus 41 bridges under construction crossing the Yangtze River and Jialing River, the total number is the highest nationally and globally.
Actually, Chongqing did not have a large bridge spanning across rivers until 1958, and residents had to rely on ferries to travel to the opposite side.
Until the 1960s and 1970s, the two banks of the Yangtze River in the main area of Chongqing were only accessible via the Jialing River Bridge.
But under the rapid economic development of Mainland China, the needs of transportation in Chongqing surged, and so did the number of bridges, which has increased to more than 13,000 within just 50 years.
In the main urban area, there are 22 bridges built on both banks of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, which all fall under the category of Grand Bridge. The quantity and density surpass those in Wuhan and Shanghai, making Chongqing the only city in China officially recognised as the "City of Bridges".
According to statistics, there are two large bridges every 5 kilometres in the main city area of Chongqing, and 60% of residents have to cross at least two bridges when they go out every day, showing how bridges are fully integrated into the lives of Chongqing residents.
A collection of modern bridge designs
In addition to ranking first in China and the world in terms of number, many of Chongqing's bridges are also world record breakers.
Among them, the Chaotianmen Yangtze River Bridge is the world's first arch bridge; the Wanzhou Yangtze River Bridge is the world's largest span reinforced concrete bridge; the Wushan Yangtze River Bridge is the world's largest span steel pipe concrete arch bridge; the Yangtze River Bridge double line bridge is the world's largest span continuous steel structure bridge; and the Caiyuanba Yangtze River Bridge is the world's largest span public rail dual-use structure arch bridge.
Chongqing is like a bridge museum.
Besides the abundance and density, the most important thing about Chongqing's bridges is their diversity.
Modern bridges are generally divided into four types: arch bridges, beam bridges, cable-stayed bridges, and suspension bridges, which could all be found in Chongqing. More impressively, each bridge there blends in remarkably well with the local natural and human landscape.
