World-Leading BridgeThe Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao BridgeThe world’s longest sea-spanning bridge, the highway-railway bridge with the longest span in the world, the first sea-spanning dual-use bridge in the world –t hese are just some of the “world firsts” China has created in the sphere of bridge building. But the one which best represents China’s modern industrial power is the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.The construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge began on December 15, 2009. As soon as the ceremony for the commencement of the project was over, the chief engineer, Su Quanke (苏权科), convened a meeting at which he laid out a high-speed plan for the construction work.Engineer Lin was the first to speak: “The topological features of the site for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge are very special: The bridge will span the busiest sea lane in Lingdingyng Bay, and possibly block it at its narrowest part. Also, it will be built near a busy airport. So we have to build it in a way that does not interfere with either sea or air traffic, don’t we?”The conference hall fell silent as the delegates all looked at each other. All the plans they came up with had some flaw or other. Inside the conference hall, sighs could be heard, and Su Quanke himself was racked with anxiety, when his gaze happened to fall on a photograph of an ancient Chinese bridge which was lying on a desk –w hy not get inspiration from the experience of ancient Chinese bridge builders? China has a multiplicity of complicated rivers and landforms, and the ancients took local conditions into account and used local resources to ensure a perfect addition to Nature.Excitedly, Su Quanke shared his idea with the other engineers: “Why don’t we work in harmony with the local natural conditions? Now, the bearing capacity of the bridge will be excessive if we build it directly across the sea, and the sea itself here has many winding bays, so why don’t we build the bridge to connect several different spots, and thus ensure unimpeded transportation both on the sea and in the air?” Even before his words had died away, his colleagues started to applaud. This was the first instance of innovative objective thinking in Chinese bridge building, based on the rich heritage of Chinese bridge building.Although the problem of the design for the structure of the bridge had been overcome, there still remained many difficulties concerning its actual construction. For instance, there were thirty-three sections of tunnel to be joined up. When the first section was laid, nobody was confident that it could be placed in the proper position, because this was the first attempt to do this in the history of Chinese bridge building, and, in fact, it would be the first attempt in the world. The engineers did not dare make the slightest slip. It took ninety-six continuous hours to lay the first section. When it was finally perfectly placed in its designated position, some of the workers were so tired that they slumped to the ground and slept right away where they lay. Finally, after innumerable difficulties had been overcome, on July 7, 2017 the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge was fully opened. Seen from the air, the winding bridge looks like a long dragon. From Zhuhai Bay, the bridge stretches for over thirty kilometers above the sea, together with six-point-seven kilometers of tunnels under the seabed, to end in Hong Kong. On the way, there are three specially modeled cable-stayed bridges, named “China Connection,”“Dolphin”and “Sail,” respectively, capable of sustaining a total of three hundred thousand tons of wheeled cargo.Su Quanke remarked, “The bridge not only links the three geographical regions, it also forms a link between our thoughts and feelings, including the creative superiority we have developed over centuries.”When we look at this magnificent sea-spanning bridge, as a great achievement of the century, we can see a combination of the millennia-long history of bridge building in China and modern technology, and the glitter of the Chinese people’s diligence and wisdom.The Moral of This StoryChina’s modern bridge construction is not just an embodiment of the development of modern industrial technology. It is even more an expression of the development of the heritage of China’s bridge-building industry and culture. It manifests China’s historical heritage, spirit of determination to overcome difficulties, and boldness in a pioneering way.现代桥梁屡创“世界第一”的港珠澳大桥世界最长跨海大桥、跨度最大的公路铁路两用桥、首座公路铁路两用跨海大桥……中国桥梁界为世界桥梁创造了众多的“世界第一”，而其中最能代表中国现代工业实力的，当属港珠澳大桥。
