【Modern Times】Qiantang River Bridge

Qiantang River Bridge (钱塘江大桥), also known as Qianjiang First Bridge, is a double-deck truss bridge spanning the Qiantang River in Hangzhou. Designed by Chinese bridge expert Mao Yisheng, it is the first double-deck railway and road combined bridge designed and built by the Chinese. Its construction began on 8 August 1934 (the 23rd year of the Republic of China era) and the railway bridge and the road bridge were respectively completed and opened to traffic on 26 September and 17 November 1937 (the 26th year of the Republic of China era); On 23 December 1937, it was blown up to prevent the Japanese invaders from advancing south and was successfully restored in May 1948 (the 37th year of the Republic of China). Now, it is a national key cultural relic protection unit.

In 2021, it was selected into the list of "Top Ten Representative Historical and Cultural Buildings in Hangzhou" by the Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, TV and Tourism. The reason for the selection: Qiantang River Bridge is the most important representative building in the modern history of Hangzhou. Once the most important railway bridge in China, it is a masterpiece that represents the level of modern industrial science and technology in China and reflects the highest level of modern railway and highway bridge construction in China at that time.