Old Temma Bridge over the Okawa River in Osaka (Japan) depicted by Kotsushika Hokusai

Spring is passing.
The birds cry, and the fishes’ eyes are
With tears.

Sicking on journey,

My dream run about

A desolate field.

Poems by Mathou Basho,
poet from Osaka

Painting of the Broken Bridge over the West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang (China)

Tall willows shade the long embankment,
Through scattered leaves leak the rays of a waning moon.
With confident stride I pace the sand beneath the pines,
Thinking for a moment that perhaps it is snow upon which I tread

Poem by Zhang Dai about the Broken Bridge

translated by Duncan Campbell

Heureka Bridge over the Keravanjoki river in Vantaa (Finland) painted by Kimmo Palikko

Each of the geometric pieces follows its own structural system and is clad with different materials, so they act as a kind of construction demonstration. Starting from the competition stage, the architects worked closely with visual artist Lauri Anttila. Structural engineer Matti Ollila also had a considerable influence on many of the technical solutions, such as the slender steel structures of the entrance canopy and the cylindrical central space. The same design team also designed the Heureka bridge over the Keravanjoki river.

Architect Kristo Vesikansa 

about Heurka Science Center

Drawing of the Yanzhou Cable Bridge crossing the East Lake in Wuhan, Hubei (China)

When the cart reaches the mountain, there must be a road
When the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally be straight

Chinese proverb

Painting of the Qiantang River Bridge in Hangzhou, Zhejiang (China)

Great waves roll up like snowbanks white
The river extends till lost to sight
Jewels and pearls at the Fair on display
Satins and silks in splendid array

Poet Liu Young about Hangzhou

Painting of the Pont du Gard near Nimes, Gard (France)

 

"The way in which the stones of the Pont du Gard are laid is not only a triumph of technical skill, but shows a vigorous belief in law and discipline."

Kenneth Clark

Painting of the Yudai Bridge over the West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang (China)

The West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou, comprising the West Lake and the hills surrounding its three sides, has inspired famous poets, scholars and artists since the 9th century. It comprises numerous temples, pagodas, pavilions, gardens and ornamental trees, as well as causeways and artificial islands. These additions have been made to improve the landscape west of the city of Hangzhou to the south of the Yangtze river.

West Lake Cultural Landspace of Hangzhou

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ohashi Bridge over the Sumida River in Edo, ancient Tokyo (Japan) painted by Vincent Van Gogh

"All my work is based to some extent on Japanese art…"

Vincent Van Gogh

Painting of the Railway Bridge over the Gaoping River between Kaoshiung and Pintung in Taiwan

Tailing the dusk
Quietly creeping up from behind to enfold me, wrap around me
An incomplete moon hangs lonely in the sky
Reflected in the reed-tangled bed of the stream
The surface of the stream as clear as the glass in a mirror
With now and then a floating wisp of white cloud
And the shadows of birds crying softly as they skim the water ….

From the poem Solitude

by taiwanese poet Chou Meng-tieh

Ponte Milvio (Milvian Bridge) over the Tiber River in Rome (Italy) painted by Gaspar van Wittel

The Emperor Constantine I the Great faced his rival Maxentius in the decisive Battle of the Milvian Bridge. Constantine had a divine vision of the Christian cross the night before the battle and then won by proclaiming Christianity as the religion of the Empire.

Legend of Ponte Milvio

Bridge in a Christmas greeting card

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are your branches!
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are your branches!
Not only green in summer’s heat,
But also winter’s snow and sleet.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are your branches!

Chistmas song.

Old Lange Bridge across the river Havel in Postdam (Germany) painted by Alfred Trippel

Zu Potsdam unter den Eichen
Im hellen Mittag ein Zug
Vorn eine Trommel und hinten eine Fahn
In der Mitte einen Sarg man trug.
Zu Potsdam unter den Eichen
Im hundertjährigen Staub
Da trugen sechse einen Sarg
Mit Helm und Eichenlaub

At Potsdam under the oaks

A train in bright midday

A drum in front and a flag in the back

In the middle was a man carrying a coffin.

At Potsdam under the oaks

In the hundred-year-old dust

There were six carrying a coffin

With helmet and oak leaves

In a poem by Berthold Brech

Puente del Milagro (Miracle Bridge) over the Mora River in Mora de Rubielos, Teruel (Spain) painted by Julio Monzón

"In 1870 a great storm made the Mora River waters reach the height of the Old Bridge , destroying its stone parapets; in the middle of the turbulent waters, only the pylon of the Virgin of the First Sorrow stood out, immutable, and since then it has been called the “Pylon of the Miracle”.

Legend

Bridge over the river Restonica in Corte, Haute Corse (France) painted by Marina Vandel

La mer, le sable chaud

On l'a attendu ohhh

Les couleurs de l'été, 

les cocktails genre mojito

On veut tous êtr bronzés, 

Avoir la peau dorée

S'fabriquer des souv'nirs

Ça nous fait tous rêver

Ça nous fait tous rêver

Mais l'été il est où?

Pour moi la Corsica

Jp'eux pas partir sans toi

Impossible, je peux pas

Impossible, je peux pas

Corsica, song by Monteur Baptiste

Russky Island Bridge over the Eastern Bosporus in Vladivostok (Russia) painted by Roman Bayánov

 I'm torn apart, I'm losing my heart,

I'm squeezing a lucky ticket to there,

Where I was hurrying so much from...

Perhaps, (I) stumbled...

Well, what should I change?

I am so sorry, my love,

I definitely know, (that I) won't forget you

I am so sorry and at sunrise

I'll fly Moscow-Vladivostok

From the song Moscow-Vladivostok

Yulia Savicheva

Painting of the Ponts Couverts over the river Ill in Strasbourg, Alsace (France)

Dès qu'il la vit, il fut séduit
Par ses grands yeux et ses vingt ans
Un beau soir, en Alsace, au printemps
Il s'approcha, elle lui sourit
Il l'invita, elle lui dit : "Oui"
Un beau soir, en Alsace, au printemps
...

From Printeps d'Alsace

song by Line Renaud

Painting of the Suspension Bridge over the Gangkou River in Manzhou, Pingtung (Taiwan)

There can be little doubt that in many ways the story of bridge building is the story of civilization. By it we can readily measure an important part of a people's progress.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Kalinov Bridge over the mythological Smorodina River painted by Nikolai Kochergin

Kalinov bridge connects two banks of the Smorodina River. Smorodina is a fiery, seething river, and Kalinov bridge is burning and red-hot. Feather light souls cross this bridge. And they can never go back. This place is guarded by the serpent called Zmei Gorynich. Later on Baba Yaga will live here in her chicken-legged hut. In prehistoric times this was the kingdom of Morena, Morena made sure that events were taking the right course, she kept peace between the worlds.

Russian legend

Bridge in a painting by Jeff Rowland

“I’m never happier than when I’ve got a paintbrush in my hand. Over the years, I have started to choose more intense colours to create a focal point – a refuge if you will – from the rain.”

Jeff Rowland

Rainbow Bridge over the Bianhe River in old Bianjing, Hunan (China) painted by Zhang Zeduan

A wall of gold has been mounted on Shu brocade.
Craftsmen from Wu collect spare change
The watchtowers of the city rise to great heights.
To pay tribute to the abundance of a myriad of families.
The bustling scene is truly impressive.
It is a chance to explore vestiges of bygone days.
At that time, people marveled at the size of Yu,
And now, we lament the fates of Hui and Qin.

Poem in the original painting.