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Encyclopedia ID 495

Stone Arch Bridge Builder

Also known as Anji Bridge, Zhaozhou Qiao · Anji · Zhaozhou bridge

Stone Arch Bridge Builder: photograph by wanghongliu and Xyklone
Photo: wanghongliu and Xyklone, CC0, source on Wikimedia Commons

Place curved stones (voussoirs) on a wooden support frame so thrust balances, then remove the frame: a correct arch stands, a bad one falls.

Heritage note

Part of the living heritage of China.

Origins

Usually placed in the era of Age of Contact and Craft (about 1500 to 1800), although its exact origins are uncertain, within the cultural world of China.

Sources

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