The Old Tuanhe River Bridge

The Old Tuanhe River Bridge

The Old Tuanhe River Bridge is a cultural relic protected at the provincial level in Henan Province.

The Old Tuanhe River Bridge, commonly known as the "Foreign Bridge," is located about 20 meters southeast of the high platform beneath Jutan Park on the eastern side of Nanyang County. The bridge was funded by Bie Tingfang, commander of the Wanxi Militia during the Republican era, subsidized by the Henan Provincial Construction Department, and contracted to Tianjin Daxing Company for construction. It commenced construction on November 25, 1936 (the 25th year of the Republic of China) and was completed and opened to traffic in July 1937. Stretching 308.60 meters from east to west with a width of 4.10 meters and a height of 5 meters, the bridge has 28 spans and is a reinforced concrete structure. Notably, its lower section features a row of pile-supported central piers, giving it an elegant, majestic appearance. It could support vehicles weighing up to 13 tons and was one of the three permanent bridges in Henan Province at the time.

The Nanyang Tuanhe River Old Bridge is a modern architectural heritage site. It was not only a rare highway bridge in the province at that time but also one of the earliest examples of introducing Western architectural techniques and materials to Henan. On June 8, 2006, it was designated as part of the fourth batch of provincial-level cultural relics protection units by the Henan Provincial People's Government.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units