Spanning the Nujiang River in Baxoi County, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, at an elevation of 2,730 meters, the Nujiang Bridge sits at one of the most critical and treacherous points along the Sichuan-Xizang Highway.
The current crossing is actually the third bridge to stand on this site.
The first, a Bailey-type steel truss bridge completed in 1953, was built by military engineers working in extreme conditions through the gorge. Its original concrete pier remains standing, deliberately preserved as a memorial to those who died during construction. A second-generation concrete arch bridge later replaced it, and a third modern structure now carries traffic along the route.
An exhibition hall at the site documents this history through photographs, personal belongings and film footage. The displays trace the construction of the highway in the early 1950s, when troops crossed the Nujiang River with limited equipment and supplies. The site is designated as a regional-level revolutionary heritage site and serves as a center for carrying forward the "Two Roads Spirit," a phrase that embodies the sacrifice, perseverance and cooperation between soldiers and civilians that defined the road-building effort.
Author | Feng Huiting
Video | Feng Huiting
