On May 6, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shared and praised the Aizhai Bridge in Jishou City, on the social media platform X. The bridge, often called a "cloud project," holds four world records. Her post sparked enthusiastic responses from overseas netizens, who marveled at China's engineering achievements.

The post writes: 

"Blocked by mountains, beak through. Halted by rivers, bridge over. 

In central China's Hunan, the Aizhai Bridge—1,176m span, 355m high, holding four world records—has cracked open a sealed mountain region and delivered real change to the people. "

The Aizhai Bridge is located in Jishou City, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province, spanning the Dehang Canyon. It is a key engineering structure of the Baotou-Maoming Expressway and a vital transportation link connecting ethnic regions in southwestern regions of China. The bridge opened to traffic on March 31, 2012, setting four world records: the longest main span, a separated tower and beam structure, carbon-fiber rock-anchored suspension cables, and the track cable sliding method for girder erection.

At both ends of the bridge lie two Miao villages, one named "Happy" and the other "Family." For centuries, the two villages faced each other across the gorge, with no direct connection between them. For weddings, villagers had to travel over the mountains and across the canyon. The bridge has now brought the two villages together—turning "Happy" and "Family" into one happy family. Agricultural products like Huangjin Tea and Golden Autumn Pears have come out of the mountains and reached markets nationwide. The Aizhai Wonder Scenic Area has been upgraded to a national 5A-level scenic area, allowing locals to benefit from tourism right at their doorstep. The cultural tourism industry has become a true pillar industry for the local economy. 

A drone photo of the Aizhai Bridge. (Photo/Chen Hao) 

Bridges bring prosperity to industries. By 2020, Xiangxi, the birthplace of the "targeted poverty alleviation initiative," had completely eliminated the absolute poverty that had persisted for a thousand years. In 2023, a national conference on experience exchange for culture and tourism empowering rural revitalization was held in Xiangxi. People of all ethnic groups across Xiangxi Prefecture have set foot on a pathway of high-quality development.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn.  

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: Voice of Hunan