贵州：天工成就的世界桥梁博物馆

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世界桥梁看中国，中国桥梁看贵州。

贵州是中国唯一一个没有平原的省份。其地理环境独特，境内地势西高东低，平均海拔1100米左右，素有“八山一水一分田”之说。

贵州是山的王国，因山而美、因山而出名。徐霞客游历贵州时曾感叹“天下山峰何其多，唯有此处峰成林”。贵州的崇山峻岭塑造了奇伟雄壮的自然美景，但也给贵州的交通出了大难蹶。古往今来，贵州的交通问题都是西南地区互联互动的难点。为了方便交通，勤劳智慧的贵州人世代秉持“逢山开路、遇水搭桥”的精神，从古至今修建出各种类型和造型的桥梁。仅福泉市，修建于明清时期并保存至今的石桥就有130座，中国桥梁专家茅以升在福泉办学时对此曾赞叹不已，并将当地明代修建的葛镜桥誉为“西南桥梁之冠”。

时过境迁，古驿道上的石桥现已失去功能，但它们仍是“古代造桥技艺的集大成者”——它们有的伫立在村落之间，有的横跨在绝壁之上，无惧风雨，历经百年，连通两地的生活，守护两岸的幸福。而如今，继承了先辈“桥梁精神”的建设者守正创新，突破了山区千米级悬索桥、大跨径斜拉桥、连续刚构桥、高性能机制砂混凝土等关键技术，在喀斯特高原上架起了两万余座桥梁，将贵州变成了桥梁数量多、类型全、技术复杂、难度大的“世界桥梁博物馆”。

目前世界高桥前100名中，有近半数就在贵州；前十名的世界高桥中，贵州更是独占五座。一座座世界级大桥横空出世，惊艳世人，淋漓尽致地诠释了什么叫做“一桥飞架南北，天堑变通途”。

例如，位于贵州和云南交界处杭瑞高速公路上的“北盘江第一桥”，北起都格镇，南至腊龙村，横跨尼珠河大峡谷，全长1341.4米，桥面至江面垂直高度为565.4米，2019年被吉尼斯官方认证为“世界最高桥”。北盘江第一桥，其桥面采用双向四车道高速公路标准，是一座上承式推力转体式铁路钢管混凝土拱桥，代表着钢筋混凝土桥建造的最高水平，是世界特大跨径钢桁斜拉桥的典范。北盘江第一桥从2013年动工，历时三年。正式竣工通车的那天，全国乃至世界的媒体蜂拥而至，曾经偏远的都格小镇也因此变得热闹起来。

如果想要近距离触摸宏伟的世界级大桥，那你可以去安順市高原重丘区看一看坝陵河大桥。它全长2 237米，主桥跨度1 088米，高370米。在这里，你可以沿着桥梁内部观光通道在高空漫步，穿行在云雾之间，零距离欣赏桥梁建筑的结构之美，领略山地峡谷风光与“钢铁巨龙”的完美融合。在坝陵河大桥极限运动区还有世界最高的商业蹦极设施，足有370米，另有空中秋千、降落伞、滑翔伞等极限项目等待挑战者来征服。大桥五公里范围内还可以游览黄果树瀑布群，漫步关索岭古驿道，探秘红崖天书，品尝布依美食。

在兴义市东北部有一条地球造山运动中剖削深切的大裂水地缝，谷内群瀑飞流，翠竹倒挂，溶洞相连，两岸更有千姿百态的古树名木点缀其间，这里正是被誉为“地球上最美丽的伤疤”的马岭河峡谷。如果说马岭河峡谷是大自然的鬼斧神工，那横跨马岭河峡谷的马岭河大桥就是能工巧匠智慧的结晶。清晨驾车穿越马岭河大桥，仿佛置身于仙界。在这贵州第一座也是最大的一座三跨预应力混凝土双塔双索面斜拉桥上观赏马岭河峡谷大瀑布，感受到的是超级工程和超级风景的完美融合，是自然与人共创的杰作，壮哉！美哉！

除此之外，贵州的世界级大桥还有：世界最大跨径钢桁梁斜拉桥——鸭池河大桥；世界第一高混凝土桥塔的特大桥——平塘特大桥：双塔双索面叠合梁斜拉桥——六广河特大桥；世界首座非对称混合式叠台梁斜拉桥——红水河大桥；单跨板桁结合加劲梁悬索桥——贵瓮高速清水河大桥……

曾经“飞鸟不通地”，如今“千山万岭度若飞”，贵州用了两万多座大桥来翻越峡谷，用高速公路来穿越险阻，在连绵的大山中建起了一片“高速平原”。这一座座桥梁不仅是串联黔山贵水的重要纽带，也是自然与工程结合的风景线，更是大山的希望。

前望群山连绵，瀑布喷涌飞溅；侧见云海深谷，大桥宏伟壮观。驰骋在贵州的层峦叠嶂间，享受尖端科技的建设成果，看千山万壑上“飞架”万桥。它们点缀在悬崖怪石、深林山川、峡谷地缝之间，串起了青山秀水，成就了贵州“世界桥梁博物馆”之名，让曾经饱受大山制约的山区人民和大山实现了联通与共赢，也给曾经偏远的生活带来了前所未有的希望。

Guizhou， World Bridge Museum

While China boasts a myriad of majestic bridges， itis in Guizhou that you’ll encounter the most impressivebridges China has to offer.

Guizhou is the only provincein China devoid of plains. Its distinctgeographical environmentfeatures a terrain that slopes fromthe west to the east， with an averageelevation of roughly 1，100 meters.This unique geography makesGuizhou a province of “eightmountains， one river， and a solitarypatch of farmland”.

Guizhou is a kingdom ofmountains famous for its naturalbeauty. The ancient Chineseexplorer Xu Xiake once marveledat the sight of Guizhou，proclaiming， “Of all the mountains in the world，only here do they transform into lush forests.”While the sheer cliffs and rugged ridges bestowupon Guizhou stunning beauty， they also createsignificant transportation challenges. Historically，navigating through Guizhou has been a formidabletask in southwest China. To overcome thesechallenges， the industrious and ingenious localshave labored to carve roads into the mountains andconstruct a variety of bridges over the water bodies.Take， for example， Fuquan City. During the Mingand Qing dynasties， the city saw the construction of130 stone bridges， all of which remain standing tothis day. Among them， the Gejing Bridge， built inthe Ming Dynasty， was praised as the “crown jewel”of bridges in southwest China by Mao Yisheng， arenowned Chinese bridge expert who once presidedover a university in Fuquan.

As time unfolds， the stone bridges adorning the ancientpost routes may have lost their practical use， but they continueto symbolize the artistry of early bridge-building techniques.Some gracefully link quaint villages， while otherscross towering cli s. Having withstood the test of weatherand time， these structures have for centuries served as theveins of communication， linking lives， and preserving joyamong local people. In modern times， people have inheritedthis “bridge-building spirit” and made breakthroughsin crucial technologies used in kilometer-long suspensionbridges， large-span cable-stayed bridges， continuousrigid-frame bridges， and those utilizing high-performancesand-concrete. Over20，000 of these marvelsnow stand on thekarst plateau， turningGuizhou into a “worldbridge museum” showcasingdiverse designsand sophisticated technologies.

Currently， Guizhou is home to almost half of thetop 100 highest bridges globally， and an impressivefive of the top ten. These towering structures standas tangible testaments to the engineering mantra of“linking the north and south with a single bridge，transforming treacherous terrains into navigablepathways”.

One such example is the “First Beipan RiverBridge”. Situated on the Hangzhou-Ruili Expressway onthe border of Guizhou and Yunnan， it stretches fromDuge Town in the north to Lalong Village in the south.This monumental structure spans 1，341.4 meters overthe Nizhu River Grand Canyon， with the bridge deckstanding 565.4 meters above the river. In 2019， it waso cially recognized by the Guinness World Records asthe “World’s Highest Bridge”. The bridge deck， designedto accommodate a two-way， four-lane expressway， representsthe pinnacle of swivel arch bridges constructedof railway steel pipe and reinforced concrete. It is alsoa cable-stayed bridge with super-long-span steel truss.Construction of this colossal structure began in 2013and took three years. On its inauguration day， mediaoutlets from China and around the globe gathered towitness the spectacle， transforming the once secludedDuge Town into a hive of activity.

To marvel at an exceptionalfeat of engineering， set yoursight on the Baling River Bridgein the mountainous area nearAnshun City. This world-classstructure stretches an impressive2，237 meters， with its mainspan reaching 1，088 metersin length and 370 meters inheight. You have the chance towalk amongst the clouds on thebridge’s viewing deck， immersingyourself in its architecturalbeauty and the stunning view ofthe mountainous landscape. The Baling River Bridge is also a magnet for thrill-seekers，boasting the world’s highest bungee jumping platformat a breathtaking 370 meters. Adrenaline-pumpingactivities like sky swings， parachute jumping， andparagliding are also at your disposal.Within a 5-kilometer radiusof the bridge， you can explore therenowned Huangguoshu Waterfall，meander along the ancientGuansuoling post route， delve intothe secrets of the Red Cli Carvings，and relish the unique cuisine preparedby the local Buyi ethnic group.

Traveling northeast of Xingyi City， you’ll comeacross the Maling River Gorge， a natural formationetched by the mighty forces of tectonic movements.In the valley， a series of waterfalls cascade down lushbamboo canopies and interlinked caves. The two gorgewalls are peppered with ancient， uniquely shaped trees，giving the gorge the title of “the most beautiful scar onEarth”. The Maling River Bridge that spans this gorgeis a testament to human ingenuity. It is the first andthe largest three-span prestressed concrete twin-towercable-stayed bridge in Guizhou. Driving across thebridge in the early morning is akin to entering a mythicalrealm. From here， you can admire the dramaticwaterfalls of the Maling River Gorge and experience the harmonious blend of engineering marvel and aweinspiringnature. Truly， it’s a masterpiece co-created bynature and humans.

Other world-class bridges in Guizhou include theYachi River Bridge， the world’s largest-span steel trusscable-stayed bridge; the Pingtang Bridge， which boaststhe world’s tallest concrete bridge towers; the LiuguangRiver Bridge， an intricate double-tower， doublecable-plane composite beam cable-stayed bridge; theHongshui River Bridge， the world’s tallrst asymmetricalhybrid composite beam cable-stayed bridge; andthe Qingshui River Bridge on the Guiyang-Weng’anExpressway， a unique suspension bridge featuring asingle-span plate truss with a stiffening girder.

The challenging topography of the region once madetravel a daunting endeavor. Today， a journey acrossGuizhou feels as though you can easily traverse a thousandmountains and valleys. The province has constructed morethan 20，000 large bridges， soaring across the deep gorgesand highways that defy the obstacles of the rugged terrain.The result is a metaphorical “high-speed plain” carved intothe sprawling mountains. These bridges serve not just ascritical conduits across Guizhou’s mountains and rivers， butalso as architectural gems that harmonize beautifully withthe natural landscape， infusing life into the mountains.

As you travel in Guizhou， endless mountains stretchinto the horizon， with waterfalls cascading down theirsides. Deep valleys are shrouded in a sea of clouds， withawe-inspiring bridges towering over them. Driving throughthe undulating mountains of Guizhou， one gets to marvelat the feats of modern engineering while witnessingnumerous bridges “swooping” across countless peaks andvalleys. These structures embellish the cliffs， unique rockformations， dense forests， and ssures of gorges， seamlesslyconnecting the scenic mountains and rivers. This hasmade Guizhou the “World Bridge Museum”. The bridgeshave brought not just connectivity， but also immeasurablebenefits to the residents of these mountainous regions，surmounting the limitations set by the terrain and o eringnewfound hope to the once isolated communities.