China-Turkey joint stamp issue

The joint stamp issue by Chinese and Turkish posts is dedicated to famous bridges of the both countries: the Yichang Yangtze Highway Bridge in China and the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Yichang Yangtze Highway Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the Yangtze River some 20 km downstream from the center city of Yichang, China. The bridge was essentially designed to be extremely similar in appearance to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, USA. The construction of the bridge started on February 19, 1998 and it was open for traffic on September 19, 2001. It was a main span of 960 meters. As of 2012 m it is among the 30 longest suspension bridges, based on the length of the main span.

The Bosphorus Bridge is one of the two bridges in Istanbul, Turkey, spanning the Bosphorus strait and thus connecting Europe and Asia. It is a gravity anchored suspension bridge with steel towers and inclined hangers. The aerodynamic deck hangs on zigzag steel cables. It is 1,560 long with a deck width of 33.40 m and the total height of the towers 165 m. The Bosphorus Bridge had the 4th longest suspension bridge span in the world when it was completed in 1973, and the longest outside the United States. At present, it is the 19th longest suspension bridge span in the world

Stamp Issue:  2012.11.26

Guangji Bridge

Guangji Bridge, also known as Xiangzi Bridge, first built in 1171, spans over a river in the east of Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province. An outstanding model in combining beam bridge, floating bridge and arch bridge, the structure features 24 piers at the eastern and western section, which support pavilions varying from one another. The central part of the bridge is formed by 18 shuttle-shaped boats connected appearance, characterized by an integration of girders and boats as well as an array of elegant pavilions in traditional styles. Representing the struggling spirit and persevering fortitude of the local people of many generations, Guangji Bridge is considered an important historical milestone of the Chaozhou culture as well as an artistic embodiment of the Chinese civilization.

Stamp Issue: 2009-11-16

Architecture of the Dong Nationality

Dong Nationality, a minority nationality in southwest China, has a population of about 2.5 million who mainly inhabit Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi provinces and autonomous region. The Dong people are not only good at singing and dancing, but also experts in knitting and building.

The drum towers are in the shape of a wood pagoda. Without a single nail or rivet, the towers could be three-to ten-storey high. The tower is spacious inside and has wood rails circling each floor. There is a calabash or crane on the top of the tower symbolizing auspiciousness and peace. The delicately wrought protruding eaves look as if to fly and leap. The square in front of, and the stage connected with the tower are the centre of celebration activities.


Wind and Rain Bridge, also called flower bridge, is another unique building of Dong people. As the weather in the region is changeable, Dong people build corridors on the bridges so passers-by could take shelter from the sun, wind and rain or take a rest. So the bridge is called wind and rain bridge. On the corridor and eaves of pavilions are carved with paintings featuring coloured and vivid figures, mountains and rivers, patterns and animal, displaying the Dong's national characteristics as well as their diligence and wisdom. Wind and rain bridges are the art treasures of Chinese wood architecture.

Stamp Issue: 1997-06-02

Architecture of Ancient China: Bridges

Zhaozhou Bridge also known as Anchi Bridge is the world's oldest open-spandrel stone segmental arch bridge cross the Jiao River, about 50 m long with a central span of 37.37 m. It stands 7.3 m tall and has a width of 9 m. Credited to the design of a craftsman named Li Chun, the bridge was constructed in the years 595-605 during the Sui Dynasty (581–618). Located in the southern part of Hebei Province, it is the oldest standing bridge in China. In the next 1400 years, the bridge survived at least eight wars, ten major floods and numerous earthquakes, the nearest of which being the 7.2 degree Xingtai Earthquake in 1966. Yet, the support structure remains intact and the bridge is still in use. Only the ornamental railings have been replaced every few hundred years.


Precious Belt Bridge is a Chinese stone arch bridge located near the city of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. The Precious Belt Bridge is located at the intersection of the Grand Canal and Dantai Lake, about 2.5 kilometer south east of Suzhou. The first construction of the bridge dates back to the year 816 AD, during the mid Tang Dynasty. The bridge's span is 317 m long and has a width of 4.1 m, with a total of 53 arches in its span. The three central arches are enlarged to allow for the passage of - by historical standards - larger river vessels without masts. The average span of each arch is 4.6 m.


Anlan Bridge is suspension bridge with Rope made from bamboo, crosses the Minjiang River bestriding the water of the Inner Canal and Outer Canal to connect Erwang Temple with the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.Anlan Bridge is 261 meters long. It is supported by wooden pegs and stone piers. The bridge crosses the river by using bamboo ropes. The bridge is secured by bamboo ropes on two sides, in length of which are about 500 meters each. When the bridge was restored, steel ropes were used instead of bamboo ropes. The wooden pegs which supported the cable were changed to ferroconcrete pegs, and the length of the bridge become 240 meters.


Chengyang Bridge also known as Yongji Bridge or Panlong Bridge, spans the Linxi River of Sanjiang County. Built in 1916, it is 64.4 meters long, 3.4 meters wide and 10.6 meters high. Constructed with wood and stones, the surface of the bridge is paved with wooden boards and both sides are inlayed with railings. On the bridge itself, there are five tower-like kiosks with 'horns' and eaves which resemble the flapping wings of birds. It is the best one among the wind and rain bridges in Dong stockade villages. At present, it is the largest wind and rain bridge also it is the crystal of Dong people's wisdom; it is one of the artistic precious things of Chinese wood architecture.

Stamp Issue: 1962-05-15

Interchanges in Beijing

Interchanges are multi-layer flyovers that have been built over the past several decades. With interchanges. Vehicles and pedestrians from all directions can cross each other by their own way without waiting for traffic light.


Interchanges generally fall into two categories, the simple flyovers and complicated interchanges. The former can only ensure the cross of vehicle at both the upper and lower layers, while the latter can guarantee the cross of vehicles at various layers and thus need more slip roads and occupy more land.


Interchanges have been developing rapidly over the past several decades since they can prevent vehicles from reducing speed and starting again at crossings and bring about considerable social-economic gains. China started to vigorously develop interchanges in mid-1970s. The first interchange in Beijing is the Fuxingmen Interchange which was built in 1974. Today, there are several hundreds of interchanges along the second, third and fourth ring roads of the city. In terms of architectural structure, the interchanges, with two to four layers, include simply flyovers and those in the shape of cloverleaf and butterfly, with H-and Y-type and single-column bridge piers.

At present, the largest interchange in China is the Siyuan Interchange in Beijing. It is a four-layer large interchange composed of 26 bridges, with the span between the single-column bridge piers being the largest in interchanges of the country. The bridges of the Siyuan Interchange, which covers 400,000 square meters of land, have a total length of 2.8 kilometers and a total area of 40,000 square meters.



Stamp Issue: 1995-06-20

The Summer Palace

The Summer Palace or Yi he yuan 'Garden of Nurtured Harmony' is a palace in Beijing, China. The Summer Palace is mainly dominated by Longevity Hill (60 meters high) and the Kunming Lake. It covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is water. The central Kunming Lake covering 2.2 square kilometers was entirely man made and the excavated soil was used to build Longevity Hill. In its compact 70,000 square meters of building space, one finds a variety of palaces, gardens, and other classical-style architectural structures. In December 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List.

1. Shiqikong Bridge (Seventeen-Arch Bridge)

2. Long Corridor

3. The Marble Boat

4. Garden of Harmonious Interests

5. Yudai Bridge (Jade Belt Bridge)

6. Back Lake

Shiqi Kong Qiao (Seventeen-Arch Bridge)

Built in the 15th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (1750), this 150-meter bridge links the east bank and the South Lake Island. It is the longest bridge in any Chinese imperial garden and was named for its seventeen arches. Over 500 stone lions in different poses are carved on the posts of the bridge's railings. At both ends of the bridge are carved four strange animals. Strong and powerful, they are outstanding evidence of Qing stone carving. 

Yudai Qiao (Jade Belt Bridge)

Built during Emperor Qianlong's reign (1736-1795), this high and thin bridge was named Jade Belt Bridge because its body and railings are made of gray white or white marbles which combine to resemble a jade belt. Under the bridge, the Kunming Lake inlet led to Yu River. When the emperors and empresses went by boat from the Garden of Clear Ripples to Jade Spring Hills, they would pass under this bridge.

Stamp Issue: 2008-05-10

Suzhou-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge

The Suzhou-Nantong Yangtze Highway Bridge, located between Suzhou and Nantong in Jiangsu Province and with a total length of 32.4 km, is the largest and most complicated bridge project in China's bridge-building history. Programmed by the Ministry of Communications of China, it is an important passage for national arterial highways to bridge over the Yangtze River, as well as an integral component of the highway framework of Jiangsu Province. This cable-stayed bridge has the world's longest span, deepest foundation, highest tower and longest cable. It is of great significance to perfecting the arterial highway networks of Jiangsu and the country at large, promoting the overall development in areas along the Yangtze River and improving shipping safety in the Yangtze River.

Stamp Issue: 2008-04-12

Ancient Bridges of China

The four ancient Chinese bridges shown on the maxicards are all arch bridges. They are located in Suzhou of Jiangsu, Linying County of Henan, Beijing, and Jianshui County of Yunnan respectively.

The Maple Bridge in Suzhou,(1st constructed between the 6th-9th c.). The bridge viewed from alongside the watchtower. Hanshan Temple was built to the west of Suzhou where three canals intersect; one being the famous Grand Canal. At this junction, there is a bridge called the Maple Bridge (Fengqiao), which dates back at least to the Tang dynasty, as there is a well-known poem by the Tang poet, Zhang Ji, entitled, 'Mooring to the Maple Bridge at Night'. On Chinese New Years Eve, people gather at the bridge to hear the bells of Hanshan Temple, as described in the poem.

XiaoShang  Bridge, a stone arch bridge,is the oldest stone arch bridge in the world, called 'the most beautiful ancient bridge', and prior to Zhaozhou Bridge. It once was identified by famous experts, such as Mao YiSheng, Luo  Zhewen.  The bridge has highly research value and is in fit for sightseeing.

The Lugou Bridge, also known as the Marco Polo Bridge, is a famous stone bridge located 15 km outside of the Beijing city center across the Yongding River a main tributary of Hai River.

Construction of the original bridge on this site commenced in 1189 and was completed in 1192 and was later reconstructed in 1698. The Lugou Bridge is 266.5 m (874 ft) in length and 9.3 m (30.5 ft) in width, supported on 10 piers and 11 segmental arches. Hundreds of artistically unique stone lions from different eras line both sides of the bridge. The most intriguing feature of these beasts is the fact that there are more lions hiding on the head, back or under the belly or on paws of each of the big lions. Investigations to determine the total number of animals have been carried out on several occasions but the results have proved inconsistent, ranging anywhere from 482 to 496. However, record has it that there were originally a total of 627 lions. The posture of each lion varies, as do their ages. Most date from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, some are from the earlier Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368); while the few lions dating from as long ago as the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) are now quite rare.

Shuanglong (Double Dragon) Bridge is five kilometers west of Jianshui, its arches across the confluence of the Lujiang River and the Tachong River. A combination of science and art, the stone bridge ranks first in Yunnan Province in terms of size and artistic value. When the bridge was built during the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing dynasty, it had only three arches on the north end. Later on, as the Tachong River changed its course, fourteen new bridge arches were added to the original ones and thus got the name 'the Seventeen - Arch Bridge'. A pavilion of three stories was built in the middle, and two others at the two ends of the bridge. With seventeen arches, the pavilion-style Double Dragon Bridge is a Qing Dynasty masterpiece and one of the best examples of its type in China. It is also, by the by, surrounded by some fairly butt-ugly buildings and required some degree of mucking about in the fields to get this shot. Shuanglong Bridge is a masterpiece among ancient bridges in China. It is considered one of the beautifully built ancient bridge of the nation, and has been classified as an important cultural relic under provincial protection. Shuanglong Bridge is a nice surprise on the road. Under the lingering caress of the setting sun, the ancient stone bridge spans over 140 meters and was constructed with over ten thousand huge rocks boulders. A continuous fourteen arches helps the bridge to alleviate pressures brought by occasional floods.

Stamp Issue: 2003-03-29

Wuhu Yangtze River Bridge

The Wuhu Bridge over the Yangtze River, a stayed-cable bridge for both highway and railway, is the first and largest of its kind designed independently by Chinese engineers. The Bridge, a key State-level project in the Ninth Five-Year Plan period, was constructed with joint investment by the Ministry of Railway and the Provincial Government of Anhui, and was put into operation in September 2000, after three-and-half years of construction. The bridge has a 10,624m long railway part and a 6,078m long highway part, with a main span of 312 meters. With a lot of advanced technologies adopted in the design work, this original bridge is a symbolic project of China's dual-purpose bridge construction in the 20th Century. Completing the railway and highway networks of eastern China, it bore great importance to the expansion of cargo and passenger transportations across the Yangtze River as well as to the economic development of the entire eastern China, especially Anhui Province.

Stamp Issue: 2001-09-20

Highway Bridges over the Yangtze River

Wanxian Highway Bridge is a reinforced concrete arch bridge built over the Yangtze River in 1995. It is located in the vicinity of the Three Gorges Dam in Wanxian, Chongqing, China. Its arch is 420 metres and it is 864 m in length. During the bridge construction, a concrete-filled tubular arch truss frame was built to support the weight of the concrete arch and embedded into the concrete arch. The Wanxian Bridge is longest existing concrete arch bridge in the world. It is a major highway bridge with lanes for vehicles and pedestrians.


Huangshi Highway Bridge is a cantilever bridge. The total length of  is 2,580m. Main span 245m (162.5+3×245+162.5)m continuous box girder.

Tongling Highway Bridge is a prestressed concrete cable stayed bridge with double towers and double cable planes. The total length of  is 2,592m (80+90+190+432+190+90+80)m. This bridge was built up and opened to traffic on December 26th, 1995, and won China Construction Engineering Luban Prize in 2000.

Jiangyin Highway Bridge is the most seaward suspension bridge to cross the Yangtze River of China. The concrete towers are 190 metres tall, roughly equivalent in height to a 60 story building. It connects the cities of Jiangyin and Jingjiang. The main span of the bridge is 1,385 metres long, making it the sixth-longest span suspension bridge in the world and the largest in China at the time of its completion in 1999. The bridge opened on September 28, 1999. 

Stamp Issue: 2000-03-26