China’s oldest stone segmental arch bridge, the Zhaozhou Bridge, has spanned the Jiao River for 1,400 years. As the world’s first stone segmental arch bridge (its arch is a segment of a circle, as opposed to a complete semicircle), it predates other bridges of its type throughout the world by 800 years. In excellent condition, and part of a riverside, landscaped park, it is 50.82 meters long and 9.6 meters wide, with a span of 37 meters.
Twenty-two stone posts are topped with carvings of dragons and mythical creatures, with the center slab featuring a magnificent taotie (an offspring of a dragon).
The bridge is in Zhaoxia county, about 40 kilometers southeast of Shijiazhuang and 2 kilometers south of Zhaoxian town.
