Anji Qiao Bridge

The 51m/56yd long Anji Qiao Bridge was built between 605-616 by Lu Chun from 28 blocks of stone. The colloquial name of the bridge, which lies 40km/25mi to the southeast of Shijiazhuang in the district town of Zhaoxia, is Zhaozhou Qiao. It is the oldest arched stone bridge in the world. The structure spans the river with a single arch 37m/40yd long and 9.6m/10yd wide. To relieve the strain on the main arch and to relieve the pressure of the water, the builder added two small arches to the end of each bridge. The structure represents without doubt an innovation in bridge construction.