Famously Poor Quality 'Tofu Dregs' Bridges and Ancient Bridges Thousands of Years Old in China

A series of recent bridge collapses has raised questions about the safety of China's road and bridge infrastructure, which was built rapidly in recent decades. These structures are called tofu dreg by the Chinese. However, in contrast to modern bridges, ancient Chinese people built many sturdy bridges that have lasted for thousands of years, known as millennium structures. Today's video will review these historical structures. Recently, the country's Ministry of Emergency Management directed local authorities to closely monitor major infrastructure such as highways and railways, key areas like water-related construction projects, and high-risk locations such as bridges, urban underground spaces, and tunnels. However, incidents and accidents continue to occur frequently. Many Chinese netizens took to the social media platform The term tofu dreg project, first coined by Premier Zhu Rongji in 1998, refers to shoddy infrastructure projects. The term gained national attention after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, where 20,000 of the nearly 70,000 victims were schoolchildren who died in collapsed school buildings, later proven to be hastily and poorly built. Earlier this month, at least two people were killed and dozens went missing after a highway bridge between two tunnels collapsed following flash floods and mudslides in southwest China's Sichuan province. At least three vehicles plunged into mountainous terrain after the bridge collapsed. On July 19th, a highway bridge collapsed in Shangluo in the northwestern province of Shanxi, killing at least 38 people, with 24 still missing. Twenty-five vehicles were swept away after a three-lane section of the bridge plunged into a river following a sudden downpour and flash floods. Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged all-out rescue and relief efforts to safeguard people's lives and property following the highway bridge collapse. In May, over 50 people were killed in the country's deadliest road collapse when a portion of the expressway linking Meizhou City with Dabu County in Guangdong Province crumbled. The collapse reportedly occurred after a month of heavy rains in a mountainous part of the region. Vehicles fell down the slope and some caught fire. Opened in 2014, the Meizhou-Dabu Highway was built at an estimated cost of 6 billion yuan, 828 million U.S. dollars. The project has faced complex technical challenges as it traverses mountainous and steep terrain. The series of collapses has raised questions about the safety of China's road and bridge infrastructure, which was built rapidly in recent decades. The Guangxi-Butu Bridge, costing over 14 million yuan, had its deck collapsed just eight years after it was opened to traffic. The Butu Bridge in Dabu District, Hezhou City, Guangxi, China, cost over 14 million yuan and collapsed suddenly less than eight years after it was opened to traffic. It has been questioned as another example of China's scumbag engineering. The authorities claimed that no one was injured and no vehicles were damaged in the accident. According to Chinese Communist Party media CCTV News, Dabu District, Hezhou City, Guangxi, China, received a report at about 9.40 p.m. last Sunday, 19th, that the local Butu Bridge deck collapsed and footage of the collapse was exposed the next day. Photos show the front wall and part of the sidewalls of the Butu and of the Butu Bridge abutment collapsed from the top, shocking everyone. According to reports, after receiving the notice, relevant local departments rushed to the scene to handle the incident and implemented controls on the road sections on both sides of the bridge. They claimed that no casualties or vehicle damage had occurred so far. Further inspection is required to determine if the main structure of the bridge is damaged. According to mainland media reports, there were previously no bridges in the Butu section of the Hejiang River. With the establishment of Hezhou as a city in the 21st century, the construction of various infrastructure projects accelerated. The construction of the Hejiang-Butu Bridge began at the end of 2009, costing 14.33 million yuan, and was completed and opened to traffic in July 2015. The bridge is a reinforced concrete box arch bridge with a mortar stone abutment, prefabricated concrete hollow slab, and reinforced concrete columns. As this significantly constructed bridge collapsed just eight years after it opened to traffic, there is widespread suspicion that In contrast to the modern tofu bridges, which are unsafe and inefficient, the ancient Chinese built many sturdy bridges that have lasted for hundreds or thousands of years to this day. These bridges have become an important symbol of ancient Chinese civilization and demonstrate the intelligence and talent of ancient Chinese people. The oldest bridge still in existence and standing strong in China is the Anji Bridge, constructed between the years 595 and 605. For most visitors to China, sightseeing means a daily encounter with Chinese architecture of one type or another, ranging from temples through gardens, mausoleums, pagodas, and so on. Following Chinese bridges is also a unique aspect of Chinese architecture. Ancient Chinese bridges are universally acknowledged and have enjoyed high prestige in the history of bridges in both the East and the West. Throughout history, the Chinese nation has erected thousands of ingeniously designed and magnificent bridges. Crossing over mountains and spanning rivers, they have facilitated transportation, beautified landscapes, and have become one of the marks of ancient Chinese civilization. Here we list seven great ancient bridges. If you are interested in Chinese architecture, these bridges are must-see attractions that you should never miss. Zhaozhou Bridge Known as China's first bridge, the Zhaozhou Bridge is located in Zhao County, Hebei Province. It was constructed by stonemason Li Chun of the Sui Dynasty 1,400 years ago. It is the oldest bridge in the world. Shuanglong Bridge Located in Jiangsui, Yunnan Province, the Shuanglong Bridge, with 17 apertures, was constructed in the Qing Dynasty. Rainbow Bridge Located in Wuyuan, Jiangxi Province, the Rainbow Bridge was constructed in the Song Dynasty more than 800 years ago. The 140-meter-long bridge has five apertures and four piers. Qiandao Bridge Located in Shaoxiang, Zhejiang Province, the 382-meter-long Qiandao Bridge was constructed in the Tang Dynasty and repaired in the Qing Dynasty, 1862. Bishui Bridge Located in Kufu, Shandong Province, the Bishui Bridge was constructed in the Ming Dynasty. Chengyang Bridge Located in Sanjiang, Guangxi Province, the Chengyang Bridge was constructed in 1912. It was a treasure of China's wooden architecture. Guangji Bridge Located in Chaoyuan, Guangdong Province, the Guangji Bridge was constructed in the Southern Song Dynasty, 1170. The 515-meter-long bridge has 24 piers. New Tofu Construction Shopping malls and stores collapse in two cities on the same day. Tofu projects and buildings have mushroomed under the CCP regime due to rampant corruption among officials and cadres. Corruption permeates from top to bottom, even in the construction sector, leading to the use of substandard materials, steel, and cement. As a result, these constructions are of poor quality, with crumbling walls made of sand, concrete without reinforcement, and buildings that easily collapse during unexpected incidents. Many cases of residential buildings and large traffic bridges collapsing have occurred in causing significant loss of life and property. The number of such incidents increases every year, but the CCP regime continues to ignore the problem. Recently, on the same day, shopping malls or shops collapsed in both Chongqing and Changzhou, Jiangsu. In Chongqing, one person was killed and another injured, while fortunately, no casualties were reported in Changzhou. However, a witness claimed he had narrowly escaped death, passing the site only two minutes before the collapse. On the afternoon of September 21, local time, a netizen in Chongqing posted in an online community that a house collapsed in Gaomiao Village, Shapingba, Chongqing, and it was suspected that people were buried. Mainland media later reported that at 8 or 9 a.m. on the 21st, a shop engaged in waterproofing business collapsed in the Lianfang Waterproof Wholesale Market on Shixiao Road, Shapingba District, Chongqing. Several people were buried at the scene of the accident, though the specific casualties were initially unknown. Later that day, the Chongqing Shapingba District Media Center released a statement saying that the interlayer of a store at No. 160 Shixiao Road, Shapingba District, had collapsed, trapping two people. After rescue efforts, both were sent to the hospital. One person died after unsuccessful resuscitation, and the other was injured but not in life-threatening condition. The cause of the collapse is under investigation. On the same day, netizens in Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province posted about a pedestrian corridor on the second floor of Changzhou Taifu Times Square collapsing. Fortunately, it was still early, and there were few people in the mall. No one was passing by at the time, so no casualties occurred. Another eyewitness posted a video of the scene, saying that he had just passed by the corridor when it collapsed. I was scared to tears. It suddenly collapsed. It was just two minutes before and after I passed by the god of death. The netizen also reflected, At that moment, I realized nothing is more precious than life. That afternoon, Dafeng News, part of the mainland media Huashang Daily, reported that the corridor collapse at Taifu Times Square in Zuchtown, Zhonglu District, Changzhou City, occurred at around 8 a.m. on the 21st. A passage in the accident scene had been completely destroyed, with pipes spraying water, and the scene was chaotic. A merchant in Taifu Times Square told Dafeng News that the collapsed corridor on the second floor of Futai Times Square was neither affected by the typhoon nor undergoing any shop renovation. It just collapsed. The specific cause is still under investigation. In China, the term tofu dregs, the remnants left after making tofu, is widely used as a metaphor for poor workmanship, meaning that a tofu dreg project refers to a poorly executed endeavor. The term tofu project was first coined by former Premier Zhu Rongji in 1998, when he remarked during a tour of the Yangtze River Flood Protection Embankments that they were as fragile and spongy as tofu dregs. The term gained national attention after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, where 20,000 of the nearly 70,000 victims were schoolchildren who died in collapsed school buildings, later shown to have been hastily and carelessly built. In July 2010, anger erupted in the hard-hit Sichuan earthquake area, when a building intended as a new home for earthquake victims collapsed just weeks before it was due to be put into use. The prevalence of these tofu projects results from rampant corruption and graft in China. Officials often skim money from projects, leaving insufficient funds for quality materials, qualified staff, and proper workmanship. Additionally, projects are frequently awarded to companies based on political connections rather than qualifications. Due to frequent house collapses and poor quality tofu dreg construction, the mainland media outlet, Shangguan News, listed five warning signs before a building collapse for readers to be aware of. 1. The ground suddenly sinks, hollows or cracks appear suddenly and increase. 2. Severe cracks develop in load-bearing columns, beams, slabs, or walls. 3. Deformation of load-bearing columns, beams, slabs, or walls, or serious decay or corrosion of wooden components. 4. Large areas of the wall or ceiling suddenly peel or fall off. 5. The building suddenly makes abnormal sounds.