Today, Zhao Zhouqiao has become a famous national AAA tourist attraction in Zhao County, Hebei Province. With this as the center, Zhao Zhouqiao Park covering an area of 8.7 hectares has been built, with cultural relics exhibition halls, museums and other supporting facilities, creating a good sightseeing atmosphere for Zhao Zhouqiao.
As soon as they entered the lush and colorful park, the tourists all asked the tour guide, "Where is Zhao Zhouqiao?" It seems that everyone is eager to appreciate this "the first bridge in the world". Mao Yisheng, a famous bridge designer, inscribed "China Stone Arch Bridge" on the huge stone tablet at the entrance of the park, and introduced in detail the precious historical value of Zhao Zhouqiao in the history of bridge building in China.
This beautiful arc has been maintained for nearly a thousand years.
Continuing into the garden, a magnificent stone arch bridge suddenly jumped into everyone's eyes. Undoubtedly, this is the famous Zhao Zhouqiao! Although it was built in the great cause of the Sui Dynasty (AD 605-6 18), it has a history of 1400 years, and has experienced floods, eight wars and many earthquakes in 10. Natural and man-made disasters have not shaken the solid foundation of this ancient stone bridge at all, and it continues to maintain the beautiful arc on the Weihe River since ancient times. As Mao Yisheng said, regardless of the internal structure of the bridge, its existence for so many years speaks for itself.
It is said that this bridge has created three "world firsts" in one fell swoop-the oldest construction, the most complete preservation and the longest span. This single-hole open-shouldered stone arch bridge, which is extremely rare in the history of bridge construction in the world, cleverly adds two small arch rings at both ends of the upper side of the main arch ring, which can not only save materials, but also reduce the dead weight of the bridge (reduce the dead weight 15%) and increase the flow of river water under the bridge.
According to records, Zhao Zhouqiao has been restored eight times since its completion, so what we see today is the bridge body that has been restored many times in different years, and only a small part of the center of the bridge retains the original flavor when it was first built in the Sui Dynasty. If you want to see the "original" with great aesthetic and historical value in Zhao Zhouqiao, you can only go to the cultural relics exhibition hall in the park.
At that time, the bridge was about five or six miles outside the city, south of the city and south of the city gate. After crossing, the arch bridge technology is very advanced, because it is called shoulder opening on both sides and two small circles are added on one side, which saves materials. The other is to reduce the weight of the bridge and turn it into two holes. There is also a flood season, when the water comes up and rises to a very high level, which can drain water and all the holes are covered. It blocks the water, so many of them are excellent in engineering, water conservancy and modeling. Only about 200 years ago, nearly 200 years ago, did this kind of bridge appear so mature in Europe. This kind of bridge, that is to say, this bridge in the Sui Dynasty, was one thousand years earlier than that in Europe.
(explanation)
Zhao Zhouqiao was founded by a craftsman named Li Chun during the reign of Emperor Kai of Sui Dynasty. The Sui Dynasty was a short-lived dynasty in the history of China, but Zhao Zhouqiao's life span was very long, and it has stood for more than 1,400 years. Zhao Zhouqiao's shape is huge and ethereal, and his lines are concise and lively. It is magnificent and elegant, and it is the earliest open-shouldered stone arch bridge with the largest span in the world. As far as architectural art is concerned, Zhao Zhouqiao has two characteristics, one is firmness, and the other is stone saving. As early as more than 70 years ago, Mr. Liang Sicheng said in surprise after field investigation and calculation, "Zhao Zhouqiao's structure has a very good understanding of engineering mechanics and shows a very modern and progressive engineering spirit."
(real voice scholar Yang Hongxun)
This can be clearly seen from there. This arch ring consists of 28 stones with a width of 35 cm. Twenty-eight stones are piled into an arch ring, and the other one with a width of 35 cm is an arch ring. So there are 28 such arches, the middle of which always goes in and out, producing an inward horizontal component, which makes these 28 arches more closely combined. So the bridge is wide on both sides and narrow in the middle. It belongs to Babylon, because Babylon is a Babylonian country with two rivers, the Euphrates River and the Biris River. Their stone buildings developed very early and made many circles, including doorways, including bridge opening. This thing is also called waist iron. It's iron, so it's called waist iron. A thin-waisted iron sheet can't be pulled out even if it is inserted in the wrong position, so it is added with this, and there are two invisible stones in it, so the integrity of this bridge, although 28 independent arches are juxtaposed, is interconnected. Plus the stones at the top of the side, if these stones are connected again, they will be pulled together. What about the bridge deck of this stone? At that time, it was very historical, that is to say, it was used for more than 1000 years in ancient times, and many ruts were rolled, and the bridge deck was worn out by stones. It is full of grooves and mottled, and the bridge deck records the years of 1000 years, which looks very old. This is very important, the so-called historical information to be protected, because ancient cars were the only way at that time, and the utilization rate of this bridge was very high in ancient times. People come and go, and traffic is heavy. In the past, cars were made of wooden wheels or iron wheels with iron sheets, and many grooves were rolled. So it was fixed at 1955?
The level of understanding at that time! I think it is flatter and more beautiful.
(explanation)
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China more than 400 years ago, Zhao Zhouqiao has experienced numerous natural and man-made disasters. According to local records, there were more than eight earthquakes and more than eight wars. Suffering from disasters, relying on the careful care of the "Shenqiao" by Zhao County people, they have never moved, and the history of repairing and protecting the bridge in the local area has never been interrupted. 1955, the state allocated special funds to comprehensively reinforce Zhao Zhouqiao, which was the largest and most comprehensive maintenance in history. In addition to replacing the arch stone of the bridge body, the bridge deck, sentry box and railing are all copied. In order to protect this ancient bridge with great historical and scientific value, the government built traffic bridges next to the bridge twice to reduce the traffic pressure of the ancient bridge. At present, Zhao Zhouqiao is applying for World Heritage.
(real voice scholar Yang Hongxun)
This is the only thing that has survived. Look at this. How about this one? It's not good to leave it. They always feel that it should be flat on the whole, but it is still very new. As a result, there is only a little left in this piece. At that time, we advised everyone to have this. This is in the academic sector and university environment, and everyone has realized its sense of history. Guo Moruo, then president of the Academy of Sciences, said that antiques and ancient cultural relics recorded its age. Here's a story. Just put some of its fairy tales on it. A bridge was built by Grandpa Luban. The Eight Immortals and the two of them once walked across the bridge. This is the trace left. The ditch where Master Chai rolled, the ditch where his unicycle rolled, and the villagers said that Master Chai couldn't push the cart. He kneels here and pushes, but in short, he fills a lot of holes. It's like singing Guangxi folk songs, singing duet, singing duet, and turning it into a play. This is a very interesting and relaxing game called "Little Cowherd". Its lyrics are like this. When asked, he said, who will repair the stone bridge in Zhaozhou, who will leave the jade railing, who will ride the donkey bridge, and the ox cart will run over a ditch, and then how to sing? He said that the stone bridge in Zhaozhou was built by Lord Lu Ban, and the sage of the jade railing stayed. Zhang rode the donkey bridge and the cart of firewood ran over a ditch. This is a donkey's hoof print, leaving a pit! You have to ask your fellow villagers. Older people probably know that these historical traces are gone now, and the bridge has no sense of vicissitudes and history. What is left is a good cultural relic building. Generally speaking, it has three most valuable aspects. One is historical, scientific and artistic, which means that the bridge has all three standards.
(explanation)
Zhao Zhouqiao was overhauled by the government from 65438 to 0955, which not only strengthened Zhao Zhouqiao and replaced parts, but also dug up many exquisite fences of Zhao Zhouqiao that had been lost for a hundred years in the mud at the bottom of the river.
(The actual sound scholar Yang Hongxun and the reporter are in the exhibition hall)
These are two dragons of the Sui Dynasty. These two dragons are tied around their necks, so they are one dragon, so they are one dragon. This dragon has a small faucet and a thin body. Its style is completely a modeling style of the Sui Dynasty. Those dragons at that time were not quite the same as those in the later period. The dragon's body is not very long, not much like a snake, but more like later snakes and reptiles. The early dragons got closer and closer to the wild animals, and later they pulled more and more. These different components were supplemented during the rebuilding of the Qing Dynasty, which reflected the historical atmosphere of the bridge. Some components are still in historical maintenance, which is even later. This model belongs to the Ming Dynasty. The railing was missing during the overhaul in the Ming Dynasty, and then the craftsmen carved some new popular themes and crafts according to their own wishes, reflecting this era.
(explanation)
Most of the bridges in Zhao Zhouqiao have vivid shapes, exquisite carvings and bold styles. As Professor Yang said, these places have a deep historical and cultural atmosphere.
(The motorcade goes to Xiaoshiqiao)
Under the leadership of Professor Yang Hongxun, we went to Yongtong Bridge in the west of Zhao County. In the local area, Zhao Zhouqiao is called Dashiqiao. Yongtong Bridge is called Xiaoshi Bridge because it is very similar to it.
(real voice scholar Yang Hongxun)
This is a small stone bridge. Nicknamed Xiaoshiqiao, people call it Xiaoshiqiao. Its proper name is that this bridge was built later than Dashiqiao. It was built in the Tang Dynasty. Here is a rebuilt inscription, which was renovated after liberation. At the same time, more than 60 years ago, 1933, Liang Sicheng, a real person, and their Chinese architectural society, Mr. Liang and others came to inspect and found this bridge and another bridge at the same time. That bridge has been demolished now, which is similar to Dashiqiao. Son, that is, the smaller one, specifically, it is also an arch ring, with a smaller span than that, because the river is small and small, and there are sub-rings on both sides, which are called shoulders, so that the entities above the pier and the King Kong wall can be hollowed out to facilitate flood discharge in flood season. It is the same. This bridge was originally used, but now it is built for warranty. After the national repair, it will be built.
(explanation)
After the Sui Dynasty, Zhao Zhouqiao became a model, which had a far-reaching impact on the history of Chinese bridges. In addition to this Yongtong Bridge, more than ten similar bridges have been discovered so far. The existence of these bridges strongly proves the prominent position of Zhao Zhouqiao in the bridge history of China and even the world.