Waibaidu Bridge Maintenance (February, 2008)

The Wabaidu Bridge, the trademark of Shanghai, will vanish from the Bund for one year. A project will be carried out by the city government to dismantle the Waibaidu Bridge for piece-by-piece maintenance. And the dismantled steel structure will be transported to a local shipyard for conservation.

The Waibaidu Bridge, over the changing water, bears silent witness to the city's vicissitudes, which was originally built in 1856 by English businessman Wells when Shanghai opened to the outside world. But after completion, Chinese people had to pay a toll of one copper coin for use while the privileged foreigners went through the bridge free. Naturally, the Chinese people called it Waibaidu ("Wai" means foreigners, "baidu" means ferry free) and boycotted the discriminatory toll with anger, rendering the bridge literally nonprofitable. Finally in 1873, the bridge had to been sold to the Shanghai Municipal Council and was replaced by a floating bridge.

The existing bridge was built in 1906 and completed in 1907. It has two spans and was the first steel bridge built in China, which has endured the weathering for 100 years. Since 1949, it has undergone four major repairs and reinforcing. In the middle of 1999, Waibaidu Bridge experienced the largest face-lift of its history to date and was restored to its full beauty, glory and strength.

The coming maintenance project will commence on next month. And the bridge will greet the locals and tourists in the original vision on March 2009.