The Luanhe River Iron Bridge

The Luanhe River Iron Bridge

The Luanhe River Iron Bridge is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

In the northeast of Laozhan Village, Luan County, stands an old iron bridge weathered by time and covered in rust. This is the grand Luanhe River Iron Bridge, designed and supervised by Zhan Tianyou, known as the "Father of China's Railways," and also the first railway bridge in Chinese history.

In 1881, the Kaiping Mining Bureau hired British engineer C.W. Kinder to build China’s first self-built railway—the Tangxu Railway. Ten years later, Viceroy Li Hongzhang **specially invited this British expert to oversee the railway project from Gujiayu to Shanhaiguan. As a key component of this project, the Luanhe River Bridge was initially contracted to British, Japanese, and German engineers, but all failed due to the river’s strong currents, heavy silt, and rapid flow. At just 32 years old, Zhan Tianyou took on the challenge. After studying the construction methods used by foreign engineers and conducting meticulous surveys of the riverbed geology, he decided to relocate the bridge site and pioneered the use of the “pneumatic caisson method” for pier foundation construction in China’s railway history—thus ensuring a solid base for the bridge.

The grand Luanhe River Iron Bridge operated safely for 45 years before being taken out of service in 1939 after the completion of a double-track railway bridge upstream. In 1951, to accommodate road traffic, the tracks were removed and replaced with wooden planks, turning it into a road bridge. It was finally retired in 1974 when the official highway bridge was completed. During the 1976 Tangshan Earthquake, the highway bridge was destroyed, yet the iron bridge remained intact. Today, four bridges stand side by side over the Luanhe River within Luan County. The grand Luanhe River Iron Bridge, as a cultural relic, stands resolutely above the surging waters, inspiring boundless reflections among travelers from east to west.

The stories of its “birth” and five periods of “service” (two as a railway bridge and three as a road bridge) have been passed down through generations. This single-track railway bridge was constructed in 1892 and completed in February 1894, spanning 670.6 meters with 17 steel truss spans, making it the largest railway bridge in China at that time. Initially built by foreign engineers, the project encountered repeated failures in constructing stable piers due to the deep and fast-flowing river, leaving everyone at a loss. Eventually, Mr. Zhan Tianyou employed the pneumatic caisson method to successfully build the piers, astonishing and earning the admiration of foreign engineers. In 1943, with the opening of a new double-track railway bridge, the old bridge was converted for road use. In November 1948, on the eve of the liberation of Tangshan, the Nationalist army blew up the double-track bridge in an attempt to block the southward advance of the Liberation Army from the northeast. The old bridge once again served as a vital railway temporary bridge and played a significant role in supporting the Pingjin Campaign. In the new China era, the old bridge **became a road bridge, bustling with vehicles, horses, and pedestrians year-round. In 1974, with the completion of a new highway bridge, the old iron bridge was finally “retired.” Unexpectedly, during the 1976 earthquake, the new highway bridge was destroyed while the old iron bridge remained unscathed—leading to its fifth activation. Two years later, the rebuilt highway bridge was completed, and the old iron bridge was finally laid to rest. In 1983 and 1998, the Luanhe River Iron Bridge was designated as a county-level and city-level cultural relics protection unit by the Luan County and Tangshan City governments respectively, becoming one of the few surviving Qing Dynasty structures in the city.

A close look at the iron bridge reveals that all the steel beams are riveted together, with every joint tightly sealed—allowing the bridge to withstand over a century of wind and rain without collapsing. This leaves later generations in awe of the craftsmanship and rigorous work ethic of its builders.

In May 2013, the Luanhe River Iron Bridge was listed as part of the seventh group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units