China is organizing a string of commemorative activities to mark the 1,400th anniversary of the building of a bridge located at Zhaoxian County in north China's Hebei Province.

The Anji Bridge, also known as the Zhaozhou Bridge across the Xiaohe River, is a large one-arch stone bridge built between 595 and 605 in the Sui Dynasty (581-618).

The bridge, designed by stonemason Li Chun, is unique in design and structure and graceful in appearance, said Zhang Junwei, a deputy head of the Zhaoxian County.

It is 64.4 meters long and the span of the arch is 37.02 meters. "It is the best preserved one-arch bridge with the longest history and the largest span in the world," Zhang said.

The bridge has withstood nine fierce wars, eight major earthquakes and innumerable floods. It still stands firm today and is in unscathed magnificence.

In 1991, the American Society of Civil Engineers confirmed the bridge as an "international historic site for civil engineering," running parallel in fame with Pyramid, Panama Canal and Eiffel Tower.

According to Zhang, the Zhaoxian County government will hold a nine-day commemorative activities that started Thursday to mark the building anniversary of the old bridge.

During the period, the government will issue bridge-related stamps, albums of paintings and books and organize commemorative conferences as well as trade fairs.

(Xinhua News Agency October 28, 2005)