Chinese BridgesThis book, like the author's The Chinese House, explores the full range of this important architectural form, emphasizing regional patterns, historical developments, and structural forms, but also the symbolism implicit in the decorative elements which make up Chinese bridges. Not only admired by Western travelers from earliest times to the present, Chinese bridges of all types figure as conspicuous landmarks in Chinese brush paintings and prominent parts of the landscape in gardens. Ancient bridges of many types survive throughout China's countryside and cities, giving clear evidence of the technical and artistic accomplishments of past bridge building. |
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abutments aesthetic architectural areas atop Autonomous Region balustrades bamboo Beijing boat bridge structures bridge's bridges in China builders built cables cantilevered carved Causeway century Changjiang Yangzi River Chinese bridge building Chun construction craftsmen cross curve cut stone deck dragon early elegant engineering flood forms Fujian gallery Garden Bridges Grand Canal Hangzhou Hebei province horizontal Huanghe Huanghe Yellow River imperial capital innovations Jade Belt Bridge Jiangnan Jiangsu province kilometres Kunming Lake landscape Liang Sicheng lions load lotus Lugou Bridge Mao Yisheng massive materials metre long metres metres wide motifs multiple span nearby open spandrels pavilions pedestrians plates Rainbow Bridge segmental bridges semicircular arch Shanghai SHANXI Shaoxing single arch South-East Asia stone arched bridges stone beam bridges stone bridges stone slabs stream suspension Suzhou Tang dynasty taotie temples thin piers timber Tongzhou Bridge tow-path Trestle vertical voussoirs Wedge-shaped stones West Lake Yellow River Zhaozhou Bridge Zhejiang province