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51-404: There is an old saying, " 到潮不到桥，枉向潮州走一遭 ", that means if you go to Chaozhou without visiting the bridge, you cannot say that you have been to Chaozhou. Mao Yisheng , a famous expert on the bridge, said, "A part of Guangji Bridge is connected by boats as a pontoon bridge . When it is open, there is a channel for ships and boats to get across. It can also be closed. Since it can be open or closed, it

102-507: A bridge. Han Xiangzi built the east bridge. He invited eight fairies (八仙) to help him. Han Xiangzi himself climbed Fenghuang Mountain , in Chaozhou, for stones. He changed the stones into black pigs and chased them to the bridge. On the way, a woman cast a spell so the pigs changed back into the stones, which could not move. Consequently, several piers in the east were not built. In order to commemorate this, people named it Xiangzi Bridge. Guangji

153-503: A large quantity of verse, frequently playful, on an immense variety of subjects, and under his touch the commonplace was often transmuted into wit. Among other pieces there is one on his teeth, which seemed to drop out at regular intervals, so that he could calculate roughly what span of life remained to him. Altogether, his poetry cannot be classed with that of the highest order, unlike his prose writings". The poem where Han Yu ruminated on getting old by recounting how he lost his own teeth

204-651: A mission to persuade a rebellious military commander to return to the fold. Han Yu held a number of other distinguished government posts such as the rector of the Imperial university . At the age of fifty-six, Han Yu died in Chang'an on December 25, 824 and was buried on April 21, 825 in the ancestral cemetery at Heyang. Although generally not considered a philosopher, Han Yu was an important Confucian intellectual who influenced later generations of Confucian thinkers and Confucian philosophy. He also sponsored many literary figures of

255-511: A moralist. Most modern scholarship, although content to assign to Han Yu a secure place in the history of Chinese literature, has been embarrassed by the violence of his Confucian passions. In honor of Han's contribution to Chaoshan when he was exiled to Chaozhou, the Han River flowing through Chaozhou is named after him. Han Yu Temple ( 韓文公祠 ) in Chaozhou was established since the Song dynasty at

306-639: A pioneer in bridge construction, and a social activist . Mao was born in Zhenjiang , Jiangsu province. He entered Jiaotong University 's Tangshan Engineering College (now Southwest Jiaotong University ) and earned his bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1916. He earned his master's degree from Cornell University and earned the first Ph.D. ever granted by the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University ) in 1919. His doctoral treatise entitled Secondary Stress on Frame Construction

357-450: A prefecture, repaired the bridge and had two statues of oxen cast, one for the west bridge and the one for the east, which were meant to protect the bridge. In 1842, the eastern ox statue was lost to a flood. There is a folksong about it, which praises the beautiful scene of Guangji Bridge, describing 18 boats, 24 piers, 24 pavilions, and the 2 statues of oxen made of cast iron ( 潮州湘桥好风流，十八梭船，二十四洲，二十四楼台，二十四样，二只鉎牛一只溜 ). After over 400 years,

408-526: A religion that was then popular at the Tang court. In 819, he sent a letter, "Memorial on Bone-relics of the Buddha", to the emperor in which he denounced "the elaborate preparations being made by the state to receive the Buddha's fingerbone, which he called 'a filthy object' and which he said should be 'handed over to the proper officials for destruction by water and fire to eradicate forever its origin'. Han Yu contrasted

459-507: A statue honoring its first doctoral graduate. The sculpture includes an inscription from China's Premier Wen Jiabao . On March 27, 2014, an eponymous play debuted at Beijing Jiaotong. Deans from the sister Jiaotong universities attended the premiere. Mao Yisheng's nephew Mao Yushi is an economist. Han Yu Han Yu ( Chinese : 韓愈 ; 768 – 25 December 824), courtesy name Tuizhi ( Chinese : 退之 ), and commonly known by his posthumous name Han Wengong (韓文公),

510-596: Is "Losing Teeth" ( 落齒 ). Han Yu ranks among the most important personalities in the history of traditional Chinese culture. His works not only become classics in Chinese literature, but his writings redefined and changed the course of the tradition itself. He was a stylistic innovator in the many genres he wrote in, and was a major influence on the literary and intellectual life of his time as well as later dynasties. The writings of Han Yu were influential to Song Dynasty writers and poets, in particular Ouyang Xiu who popularized

561-469: Is a special case in the history of bridges in China." There are various pavilions on the bridge, so there is a popular saying, "twenty-four pavilions have twenty-four styles". The pavilions housed businesses. It was a prosperous time, so people said, "In one Li one the bridge, there is one Li of business market." Guangji Bridge was built by Zeng Wang , a magistrate under the Song dynasty (1170). At that time, it

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612-551: Is often considered the greatest master of classical prose in the Tang. He was listed first among the "Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song" by Ming Dynasty scholar Mao Kun. Together with Liu Zongyuan he headed the Classical Prose Movement to return to the unornamented prose of the Han Dynasty. He considered the classical "old style prose" (古文, guwen ) to be the kind of writing more suited to argumentation and

663-714: Is treasured at the Hunt Library of Carnegie Mellon University and the university constructed a statue of him on campus in his honor. Mao was regarded as the founder of modern bridge engineering in China. With regard to traditional Chinese bridges, he once said "the most ancient bridge in China is the Zhaozhou Bridge , the most splendid the Lugou Bridge , and the most elegant and artistic the Five-Pavilion Bridge ." Mao's long and productive career included designing two of

714-1228: The National Chiao Tung University (now Southwest Jiaotong University ), Dean of Engineering College of National Southeastern University (later renamed National Central University and then Nanjing University , the engineering school of which later became Nanjing Institute of Technology and then Southeast University ), President of Hohai Technology University (now Southeast University and Hohai University ), President of Peiyang University (now Tianjin University ), President of China Chiao Tung University (later renamed Northern Chiao Tung University, with campus in Tangshan and Beijing , later Southwest Jiaotong University and Beijing Jiaotong University ), President of Director of Project Office of Hangzhou Qiantang River Bridge , and Director of Bridge Planning Project Office of Transportation Ministry of Kuomintang Administration. He significantly influenced Chinese engineering education by introducing new subject matter and innovative pedagogical approaches. In addition to his engineering expertise, he

765-509: The " Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song ". Han Yu was born in 768, in Heyang (河陽, present day Mengzhou ) in Henan to a family of noble lineage. His father worked as a minor official but died when Han Yu was two. He was then raised in the family of his older brother, Han Hui ( 韓會 ). He was a student of philosophical writings and Confucian thought. His family moved to Chang'an in 774 but

816-577: The "teacher" (師, shi ) who embodies the Way as expressed in "Discourse on Teachers" (師說, Shishuo ). Although Han Yu attacked Buddhism and Taoism, some of his ideas have Buddhist and/or Taoist roots; for example, the succession of the Way was inspired by the Buddhist idea of transmission of the dharma , while his concept of the "teacher" originated from the Buddhist and Taoist idea of religious mentor. In his "Discourse on Teachers" (師說, Shishuo ), Han Yu discussed

867-542: The Buddha" and "The Origin of Dao". Other notable works include "Text for the Crocodiles" ( 祭鱷魚文 ) in which he declares that crocodiles be formally banished from Chaozhou, and "Goodbye to Penury" ( 送窮文 ) that describes his failed attempt to rid himself of the ghost of poverty. Han Yu also wrote poetry. However, while Han Yu's essays are highly regarded, his poetry is not considered exceptional. According to A History of Chinese Literature by Herbert Giles , Han Yu "wrote

918-500: The Chinese civilization and barbarism where people were "like birds and wild beast or like the barbarians". He considered Buddhism to be of barbarian ( 夷狄 ) origin, therefore an unsuitable religion for the Chinese people. Again from Han Yu's letter, "Memorial on Bone-relics of the Buddha": "Your servant begs leave to say that Buddhism is no more than a cult of the barbarian peoples which spread to China. It did not exist here in ancient times. Now I hear that Your Majesty has ordered

969-581: The Ministry of Railway, president of Railway Scientific Research Center, chairman of Beijing Science Association, honorary president and vice-president of the China Association for Science and Technology, vice-chairman of Jiu San Society , vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), member of CPPCC, and the standing committee member of National People's Congress . Mao

1020-640: The Technical Advisory Committee composed of more than 20 foreign and Chinese bridge experts, and solved 14 difficult problems relating to bridge construction. He also led the structural design of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing . Returning to China, Mao was on the faculty of five major universities and served as president of four, such as the professor and President of Tangshan Engineering College of

1071-483: The bridge, there were various rooms and pavilions, with ox statues on the west and east bridge. People did business on it, so it was also known as "In one Li one the bridge, there is one Li of business market". Each pier of Guangji Bridge has a history of several hundred years. From the Song dynasty when the first one was built to the year when there were 24, it lasted over 300 years. In ancient times, with their backwardness, it

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1122-406: The bridge. Guangji raised his cane and created chains to connect the boats together. Mao Yisheng Dr. Mao Yisheng a.k.a. Thomson Eason Mao ( Chinese : 茅以升 ; pinyin : Máo Yǐshēng ; Wade–Giles : Mao I -sheng ; January 9, 1896 – November 12, 1989) was a Chinese structural engineer and social activist. He was one of the most famous Chinese structural engineers ,

1173-455: The chanting of poems, so that they were enraptured with his teaching and forgot about returning home". The sense of humor that is so obvious in his writing was also important in his life. Herbert Giles judged that it was "due to his calm and dignified patriotism that the Chinese still keep his memory green". Han Yu led a defense of Confucianism at a time when Confucian doctrine was in decline, and attacked both Buddhism and Taoism which were then

1224-509: The community of monks to go to greet the finger bone of the Buddha [a relic from India], and that Your Majesty will ascend a tower to watch the procession as this relic is brought into the palace. [...] The Buddha was a man of the barbarians who did not speak Chinese and who wore clothes of a different fashion. The Buddha’s sayings contain nothing about our ancient kings and the Buddha’s manner of dress did not conform to our laws; he understood neither

1275-442: The construction of 10 bridge piers. Ding Yunyuan built the most piers; and for his outstanding achievements, the bridge was called Ding Gong Bridge. In 1194 (the 5th year of Zhaoxi, 绍熙五年), a magistrate ( 太守 ) of Shen Zongyu prefecture built a pavilion on the east bank and named the bridge Jichuan Bridge. Later, more magistrates became involved in its construction. By 1206 (the second year of Kaixi 开禧二年), 13 piers had been built. After

1326-439: The construction of the east and west bridgeheads was completed, they were connected by some boats, which formed a bridge with the features of both a beam bridge and a pontoon bridge . In the years between the late Song dynasty and Yuan dynasty , the surrounding area of the bridge was sometimes prosperous and sometimes poor. In 1435 (Ming dynasty), a magistrate of a prefecture ( 知府 ) named Wang Yuan had it reconstructed. When it

1377-525: The court, and was thusly demoted and exiled to Chaozhou instead. After Han Yu offered a formal apology to the Emperor a few months later, he was transferred to a province nearer to the capital. Emperor Xianzong died within a year, and his successor Emperor Muzong brought Han Yu back to the capital where he worked in the War Office. He was then appointed to a high-ranking position after he successfully completed

1428-425: The distinction between Taoism, a homegrown religion, and Buddhism, a foreign faith. In "The Origin of Dao" (原道, Yuandao ), he argued that the monasticism of both Buddhism and Taoism to be economically nonproductive, creating economic and social dislocation. He also criticized both of these beliefs for being unable to deal with social problems. He considered Confucianism to be distinct from these two beliefs in linking

1479-411: The dominant belief systems. His writings would have a significant influence on Neo-Confucians of later eras, such as the Song dynasty scholars Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi . Although usually not considered a philosopher, he introduced a new intellectual direction for Confucianism as well as influential ideas to later Confucians. However, he was criticized by Song Confucians for being much more of a stylist than

1530-432: The duties that bind sovereign and subject, not the affections of father and son. If the Buddha were still alive today and came to our court, Your Majesty might condescend to receive him, but he would then be escorted to the borders of the nation, dismissed, and not allowed to delude the masses. How then, when he has long been dead, could the Buddha’s rotten bones, the foul and unlucky remains of his body, be rightly admitted to

1581-406: The expression of ideas. Han Yu's guwen however was not an imitation of ancient prose, but a new style based on the ancient ideals of clarity, concision, and utility. Han Yu wrote in many modes, often with discursiveness and daring experimentation. Among his most renowned essays are his polemics against Buddhism and Taoism and support for Confucianism, such as "Buddhism Memorial on Bone-relics of

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1632-576: The many archways of the bridge. One of the Chaozhou Eight Famous Scenes is of the rising river of Han River ( 湘桥春涨 ). Every year, the bridge attracts a large number of visitors. The construction of the Xiamen-Shenzhen Railway enabled a greater number of people to visit the bridge and learn the culture of Chaozhou. This bridge has the features of a beam bridge, arch bridge , and pontoon bridge, which makes it unique in China. On

1683-532: The military governor of Xuzhou . He gained his first central government position in 802 on the recommendation of the military governor. However, he was soon exiled for several possible reasons: for failing to support the heir apparent's faction, his criticism of the misbehavior of the emperor's servants, or his request for reduction of taxes during a famine. From 807 to 819 he held a series of government posts, first in Luoyang and then in Chang'an. During these years, he

1734-440: The monk invited eighteen arhats to help him build the bridge in the west. He went on Sanpu Mountain to get stones. He changed the stones into cattle and sheep and chased them back. On the way, he met an evil landlord who tried to stop him and get his cattle and sheep. Guangji lost some cattle, so part of the bridge was not built. He Xiangu , a female fairy, dropped a lotus petal onto the river and changed it into 18 boats connecting

1785-613: The most famous modern bridges in China, the Qiantang River Bridge near Hangzhou , and the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge in Wuhan . The Qiantang River Bridge is the first dual-purpose road-and-railway bridge designed and built by a Chinese. He also participated in the construction of China's first modern bridge – Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge. During the construction of Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, Mao Yisheng served as chairman of

1836-457: The necessity and principles of learning from teachers, and criticized the phenomenon of "shame to learn from the teacher" in the society at that time. He stated that "a disciple need not be necessarily inferior to the teacher, [while] the teacher need not be necessarily more virtuous than the disciple. The only fact is that [one may] acquire Dao earlier or later [than the others], [and there may be] specific field that one specialized in." Han Yu

1887-426: The palace? Confucius said: “Respect ghosts and spirits, but keep them at a distance!” Your servant is deeply ashamed and begs that this bone from the Buddha be given to the proper authorities to be cast into fire and water, that this evil be rooted out, and later generations spared this delusion." Han Yu was also critical of Taoism , which he considered to be a harmful accretion to Chinese culture. He nevertheless made

1938-416: The pavilions are gone, and the ox statue on the east pier washed away by floods. In 1958, a beam bridge supplanted the pontoon bridge. In 1989, another bridge was built to connect the east and west banks, which makes it possible to protect the ancient bridge. In 2009, Guangji Bridge, having been recently rebuilt, was re-opened. In Chaozhou, there is a street called Paifang Street. Beside this street, there are

1989-406: The private, moral life of the individual with the public welfare of the state. He emphasized Mencius 's method of assuring public morality and social order, and his concept of the expression of Confucian spirituality through political action would later form the intellectual basis for neo-Confucianism. Han introduced the ideas of the succession of the Way (道統, daotong ), as well as the concept of

2040-535: The riverside of Mount Han, which also named after him. Due to his dealings with crocodiles in South China, the extinct gharial Hanyusuchus was named after him in 2022. Erwin von Zach wrote Han Yüs poetische Werke , a German language study. The Poetry of Meng Chiao and Han Yü , a book by Stephen Owen published by the Yale University Press , was the first substantial English-language study of Han Yu. It

2091-419: The turn of the ninth century. He led a revolt against pianwen ( 駢文 ), a formal, richly ornamented literary style, advocating a return to a classical, simple, logical, and exact style. He felt that this classical style of writing—called guwen ( 古文 ), literally, "ancient writing"—would be appropriate for the restoration of Confucianism. Han Yu promoted Confucianism but was also deeply opposed to Buddhism,

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2142-430: The use of guwen as advocated by Han Yu, a style that would stay as the model for Chinese prose until the revolution in Chinese literature of modern China. In an inscription for a shrine to Han Yu, Song Dynasty poet Su Shi praised Han Yu: 文起八代之衰，而道濟天下之溺；忠犯人主之怒，而勇奪三軍之帥。 His prose reversed the literary decline of eight dynasties, his teachings aided the misguided throughout the world, his loyalty led him to risk

2193-462: The wrath of his master, his courage surpassed the generals of three armies. All the major accounts of Han Yu's life agree that he had an open and forthright character, which manifested itself in his unswerving loyalty to his friends. According to Li Ao , Han Yu was a great conversationalist and an inspired teacher: "His teaching and his efforts to mold his students were unrelenting, fearing they would not be perfect. Yet he amused them with jokes and with

2244-811: Was a distinguished scholar of the History of science in China . He advocated popular science education, and wrote "On Bridge", "China's Arch Bridges" and many other popular science articles. Mao served as a leader of the China Engineers Association , the Chinese Civil Engineering Society and the China Association of Science and Technology . He has also served as president of Southwest Jiaotong University (from Tangshan Engineering College to Northern Jiaotong University to Southwest Jiaotong University), director of Railway Institute under

2295-451: Was a floating bridge consisting of 86 large boats connected to one another. Its original name was Kangji Bridge . In the year 1174 (Chunxi Year 淳熙元年间), it was broken up by flooding, so another magistrate, of Chang Wei prefecture, had workers start to reconstruct it, beginning with bridge piers on the west bank. By 1194, several magistrates of the prefecture—including Zhu Jiang, Wang Zhenggong, Ding Yinyuan, and Wang Shujin—had been involved in

2346-434: Was a strong advocate of reimposing central control over separatist northeastern provinces. This period of service came to an end when he wrote his famous Memorial on Bone-relics of the Buddha ( 諫迎佛骨表 ) presented to Emperor Xianzong . The memorial is a strongly worded protest against Buddhist influence on the country. The Emperor, offended by Han Yu's criticism, ordered his execution. He was however saved by his friends at

2397-559: Was an essayist, Confucian scholar, poet, and government official during the Tang dynasty who significantly influenced the development of Neo-Confucianism . Described as "comparable in stature to Dante , Shakespeare or Goethe " for his influence on the Chinese literary tradition, Han Yu stood for strong central authority in politics and orthodoxy in cultural matters. He is often considered to be among China's finest prose writers. Ming dynasty scholar Mao Kun ( 茅坤 ) ranked him first among

2448-485: Was banished to Southern China in 777 because of its association with disgraced minister Yuan Zai. Han Hui died in 781 while serving as a prefect in Guangdong province. In 792, after four attempts, Han Yu passed the jinshi imperial examination . In 796, after failing to secure a position in the civil service at the capital, he went into the service of the provincial military governor of Bianzhou until 799, and then of

2499-569: Was elected as a member of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1955, foreign associate of the United States National Academy of Engineering in 1982. He was a senior member of International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering , honorary member of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers , and outstanding alumnus from Cornell University and Carnegie Mellon University. On April 18, 2006, Carnegie Mellon University set up

2550-645: Was finished, the west bridge had 10 piers supporting 9 spans and the east bridge had 13 piers supporting 12 spans, with 24 boats in between. There were 126 rooms in the pavilions on the bridge. The bridge was named Guangji Bridge. In 1513 (the eighth year of Zhengde), another magistrate of a prefecture, Tan Lun, added a pier and removed six boats; and the Guangji Bridge then consisted of 18 boats and 24 piers. People described it as, "eighteen shuttle boats [and] twenty-four continents" ( 十八梭船二十四洲 ). In 1724 (the second year of Yongzheng ( 雍正二年 ), Zhang Ziqian, magistrate of

2601-472: Was unimaginable that people could build such a long bridge. Therefore, there is a legend that it was fairies who constructed the bridge. When Han Yu , a famous poet in the history of China, came to Chaozhou, he always climbed the Bijia mountain (now called Han Mountain). From the top of the mountain, he saw the river and the difficulty of crossing it, so he asked his nephew Han Xiangzi and a monk Guangji to build

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