Lanzhou

Zhongshan Bridge, also known as "Zhongshan Iron Bridge" or "Yellow River Iron Bridge", is located in the middle section of Binhe Road, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, under the White Pagoda Mountain. It is the oldest ancient bridge in Lanzhou and the first real bridge on the 5464 km Yellow River, hence it is known as "the first bridge over the Yellow River". The predecessor of Zhongshan Bridge was the Yellow River Floating Bridge. The Yellow River Floating Bridge was first built by Feng Sheng, the Duke of Song, seven miles west of Lanzhou City in the fifth year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1372 AD). In the thirty-third year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1907 AD), under the suggestion of Peng Yingjia, the Lanzhou Road, and the sponsorship of Sheng Yun, the governor of Gansu, the Qing government used more than 306,000 taels of silver from the national treasury. The first iron bridge on the Yellow River was built by the German merchant Tailei Yangxing Kauis, with technical guidance from the American Man Baoben and the German De Luo. It was initially named "Lanzhou Yellow River Iron Bridge". In 1942, it was renamed "Zhongshan Bridge" in memory of Mr. Sun Yat-sen, and the name of the bridge has been used to this day. The completion of Zhongshan Bridge ended the history of no permanent bridges on the upper reaches of the Yellow River for thousands of years. It is an ancient bridge with a long history in Lanzhou and the first real bridge on the 5464 km Yellow River, hence it is known as "the first bridge over the Yellow River". Zhongshan Bridge not only carries the history of Lanzhou but also embodies the culture of Lanzhou. It has witnessed the development and changes of Lanzhou and is an important cultural symbol and city landmark of Lanzhou. Today, Zhongshan Bridge has become a famous tourist attraction and tourist spot in Lanzhou, attracting a large number of tourists to visit, take pictures and keep as a souvenir.