Feature: A bridge that is more than just iron and steel

Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-17 19:14:12|Editor: Lifang
Video PlayerClose

LANZHOU, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Zhongshan Bridge in Lanzhou of northwest China's Gansu Province always reminds Ma Ting of his grandparents.

His grandparents used to live by the Yellow River. "Every time I visited my grandpa, the bus I took went over the iron bridge," said Ma, 40. His grandfather, who was running a beef noodles restaurant at that time, "would cross the Yellow River bridge everyday by bike".

A PERMANENT BRIDGE

Zhongshan bridge, built in 1906, was among the oldest permanent bridges built over the Yellow River, known as China's mother river.

Crossing the Yellow River had been a challenge as it is fast flowing and treacherous. A folk song compared crossing the river with "passing through the gates of hell."

In winter, when the river iced over, people used to tie a bamboo pole across their waist and edge across the surface. If the ice broke, they would not be washed away. In more clement weather, rafts or floating bridges made the journey less perilous.

"Floating bridges were set up and dismantled each year. Sometimes they were damaged by floods," said scholar Deng Ming, who has spent more than 30 years studying the history of Lanzhou.

Zhang Debao, who once worked on sheepskin rafts, well understands the danger of his job.

"The Yellow River is turbulent, and the raft could be turned over at any minute. Doing this work, our lives were always on the line," he said.

Local officials during late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) had long-considered building a permanent bridge, and in 1906, Sheng Yun, then governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, gave the go ahead. The project was contracted to a German firm, Telge and Schroeter.

"Sheng once worked as foreign minister and was open-minded," Deng said. "The project was a pioneering act of international cooperation in China."

"All the materials were imported from Germany, from the steel structure down to the paint and screws," he continued.

They were delivered to Lanzhou by ship, train, horse carriage, mules and camels. The journey took 23 months. Consignment alone accounted for 40 percent of the total cost. The bridge was completed in 1909.

"It was painted orange so as to appear more Chinese," Deng said."During World War II, it played an important role in transportation and was painted gray so as to avoid bombing by the Japanese invaders."

In 1928 people named it Zhongshan Bridge in memory of revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen. In 1954, the bridge underwent an overhaul.

"They were so many workers," Deng said. "Many parents took their children to watch the project."

GOING THROUGH THE BRIDGE

For more than a century, many living near the bridge went through various changes, including those of Zhang Debao and Ma Ting.

Ma's great grandfather began cooking beef noodles early last century, and in the 1950s his grandfather, Ma Zilu, founded a beef-noodle brand with his own name.

"My grandpa devised the soup recipe, which was kept secret and only passed down within the family," he said.

Ma had no foreign apprentice until he met Seino Takeru from Japan.

Seino Takeru, 38, studied in Beijing in the late 1990s, and developed the habit of eating beef noodles. After he returned to Japan, he missed the noodles so much that he visited Lanzhou in 2015.

"I tried several restaurants and found that Ma Zilu was the best," he said. "Walking on the iron bridge, I made my mind to bring the beef noodles to Japan."

Ma Ting turned him down. But Seino Takeru did not give up.

"He visited me three times," said Ma Ting, "His sincerity and persistence moved us. We decided to make him our apprentice. After all, it is not bad to have Lanzhou beef noodles go abroad."

He taught Seino Takeru how to make hand-pulled noodles but still kept the soup recipe as a secret as his father had told him to.

In August 2017, Seino Takeru opened a Ma Zilu franchise in Tokyo. The soup powder was delivered by Ma Ting from Lanzhou at his request.

The restaurant proved a success locally. "The prices of noodles are slightly higher compared with others," Ma Ting said. He visited the restaurant in November, and queued for 40 minutes to eat the noodles, which, he said, taste similar to what he has at home.

THE INVISIBLE BRIDGE

Liu Li, a 38-year-old flight attendant with China Eastern Airlines, has also felt many changes over the years.

"I grew up by the iron bridge, where there were many visitors. But I seldom saw foreigners when I was young," she recalled. "Once I saw one, I would follow him or her curiously."

She began working as flight attendant in 2005.

"At first the foreign passengers we had were mostly tourists from Japan," she said. "We saw a boom of American and European passengers after 2010, as more performance troupes came in."

China Eastern Airlines opened its first international flight route in Lanzhou in 2013, which was to Singapore. In 2014, for the first time Liu served on an international flight, to New York.

"Chinese products are common in foreign countries, where many things are 'made in China,'"she said. "In Western supermarkets I can even find rice from Wuchang county in northeast China. Our country is becoming increasingly prosperous."

On Nov. 2, Michael Clauss, the German ambassador to China, visited the Zhongshan Bridge. He said the bridge was a sign of China's opening up to the rest of the world.

Now a new bridge has been set up between China and Germany - the Belt and Road Initiative. "Germany has welcomed and supported the Belt and Road Initiative from the beginning," Clauss said. "China has become our important trade partner in the world."

The Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to build infrastructure and trade networks to connect countries in Asia, Africa and Europe along ancient Silk Road trade routes, has gained support from more than 100countries and international organizations worldwide.

Zhang Debao's sheepskin rafts are no longer used for transport. He now serves tourists from around the world.

"Now that we have better roads and more bridges, we still should preserve the sheepskin rafts as part of our cultural heritage and hand it down through the generations," he said.

The iron bridge should also be preserved. In many ways it is a symbol of China's development and opening up to the outside world, and how the country is always reaching out to other cultures. So much of China's rise has been about building bridges, both real and metaphorical.

"The bridge played different roles in different periods of history," said Deng Ming. "Now people could still see the pioneering spirit it showed more than 100 years ago, which is always necessary in development." Enditem

TOP STORIES
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MOST VIEWED
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011100001369819691
凤凰彩票app下载 大发app 凤凰彩票app 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发彩票 乐发彩票app下载 大发彩票 乐发v官网 乐发lll 乐发lv入口 乐发iv首页 乐发ll登录 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发官网 乐发ii下载入口 乐发ll 乐发v平台 乐发v官网 乐发lll 乐发lv入口 乐发iv首页 乐发ll登录 乐发lv 乐发lll安装 乐发lv 乐发登录入口 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票登录 网信彩票 彩神 彩神彩票官方网站 彩神彩票官网首页 彩神官方app下载安卓版 凤凰彩票登录 彩神v3 凤凰彩票app下载 彩神官方app下载安卓版 网信快三 一分快3 快三彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票官方 快3官网 网信彩票 快3app 网信彩票平台 百姓彩票平台 网信平台官网 快3app下载 百姓彩票 每日彩票 快3app 百姓彩票 每日彩票 快3app 百姓彩票平台 幸运5分彩快3 快3彩票app下载 百姓彩票网站网址 大发10分PK10 快3下载 网信彩票平台 网信平台官网 快3彩票官网app 凤凰彩票官方 彩神彩票 大发10分PK10 彩神v3 大发彩票app下载 百姓彩票网站网址 彩神购彩平台 每日彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 彩神彩票购彩平台 百姓彩票 凤凰彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票app下载 彩神官方app下载安卓版 网信快三 一分快3 快三彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票官方 彩神彩票 大发10分PK10 彩神v3 凤凰彩票登录 乐发lv 乐发∨Il 百姓彩票网站网址 乐发彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 乐发lll安装 百姓彩票网站网址 凤凰彩票app下载 大发10分PK10 乐发2 乐发app 凤凰彩票 大发彩票app 乐发登录入口 乐发ll登录 乐发v官网 乐发官网 大发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票购彩平台 彩神彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 一分快3 百姓彩票网站网址 凤凰彩票app下载 大发10分PK10 乐发2 乐发app 凤凰彩票 大发彩票app 乐发登录入口 乐发ll登录 乐发v官网 乐发官网 大发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票购彩平台 彩神彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 1分快三平台 百姓彩票平台 凤凰彩票登录 幸运5分彩快3 彩神 乐发彩票 乐发 大发彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发lv 乐发lll 乐发ii下载入口 乐发彩票官方网站 凤凰彩票官方网站 凤凰快3 彩神彩票官网首页 1分快三平台 百姓彩票平台 凤凰彩票登录 幸运5分彩快3 彩神 乐发彩票 乐发 大发彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发lv 凤凰彩票app 乐发app 网信彩票平台 网信彩票平台 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票app 乐发lv 乐发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票app 网信彩票平台 乐发彩票app下载 乐发lv 乐发app 大发彩票安卓下载 大发彩票安卓下载 大发彩票 乐发彩票app下载 网信彩票平台 乐发iv游戏平台 彩神彩票 乐发彩票中心 极速快3彩票平台 人人快三凤凰 大发彩票app 大发彩票大全 乐发彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 乐发app 酷天堂彩票平台 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票大厅 凤凰彩票app 极速快3彩票平台 凤凰彩票 凤凰快3 乐发ll官网 乐发彩票中心 正规快三送彩金平台 凤凰彩票官方 乐发ll 乐发 网信彩票 彩神彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 大发彩票app 网信彩票用户 百姓快三 百姓彩票平台 乐发lv 乐发彩票app下载 彩信平台 网信彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 乐发∨Il 人人快三凤凰 凤凰彩票 凤凰快3 乐发ll官网 乐发彩票中心 正规快三送彩金平台 凤凰彩票官方 乐发ll 乐发 网信彩票 彩神彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 人人快三凤凰 乐发彩票 彩神彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发彩票 大发彩票中心 凤凰彩票登录 凤凰彩票app 彩神彩票 大发彩票 乐发ll 大发彩票app 凤凰快3 凤凰彩票 彩神彩票 乐发ll 凤凰彩票 乐发lll 凤凰彩票大厅 网信彩票 彩神彩票 乐发lv 快盈彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 盈彩网投资平台 大发官网 一分时时彩 乐发lv 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发app 大发官网 乐发lll 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发app 彩神iv 大发彩票app 大小单双平台 一分pk10 乐发lv 快盈彩票 乐发官网 快彩彩票 百姓彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 网信彩票 乐发彩票中心 网信快3 乐发 彩神xl 三分快3 大发彩票 大发官网 乐发lll 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 大发彩票 乐发 分分快3 彩神vl 55世纪 55世纪 凤凰快3 乐发彩票 乐发lv welcome凤凰彩票 乐发ll 1分快3 彩神 彩神ll 1分快3官网 1分快3的平台 welcome凤凰彩票 三分快3 彩神x 彩神vl 凤凰彩票 彩神xl 大发彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发官网 乐发ll 乐发lll 乐发lv 大发彩票app 大发彩票 乐发 乐发彩票 乐发彩票中心 凤凰快3 乐发彩票 彩神xl 腾讯快3 大发彩票 彩神xl 大发彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票app 快3平台 乐发 1分快3 乐发彩票 彩神x 凤凰快3 彩神xl 彩吧助手 大发彩票app 快3平台 大发排列3 彩神iv 彩神vl 乐发IV 彩神x 一分pk10 大发排列3 乐发lv 快3彩票 乐发app下载 三分快3 快三平台助手 乐发彩票ll 彩神iv 乐发lll下载 盈彩网投资平台 乐发Ⅲ 一分pk10 凤凰彩票 乐发Vll 大发官网 乐发ll 大发彩票 乐发1 凤凰快3 彩神vl 乐发lx 百姓彩票 乐发VI 彩神x 乐发IV 极速快3 乐发 凤凰快3 网信快3 乐发lv 快3彩票 乐发app下载 三分快3 快三平台助手 乐发彩票ll 彩神iv 乐发lll下载 盈彩网投资平台 乐发Ⅲ 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发lv 乐发lv 乐发lv 凤凰彩票 大发彩票 大发彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 乐发ll 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 乐发ll 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 彩神x 乐发 乐发ll 极速快3 乐发lv 乐发彩票中心 快3彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 彩神x 凤凰彩票app 分分快3 网信彩票 网盟彩票 凤凰彩票 百姓彩票 乐发 快彩彩票 乐发彩票 快3平台 百姓彩票 大小单双平台 凤凰快3 彩神xl 一分pk10 乐发lv 三分快3 大发彩票 乐发彩票 快3平台 百姓彩票 大小单双平台 凤凰快3 彩神xl 一分pk10 乐发lv 三分快3 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发ll 网信彩票 乐发lv 全民彩票 凤凰彩票app下载 快盈彩票 大发彩票app 大发官网 凤凰彩票 彩神iv 大发彩票 网信快3 凤凰彩票 百姓彩票