Yi Xin Qiao (Photo/www.cqcb.com/)

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the leading global professional body in land, real estate, infrastructure and construction, recently announced the winners of the 2019 RICS Awards China.

The “Yi Xin Qiao” Bridge Project in Dujia village, southwestern China’s Chongqing municipality, won the Jury's Award thanks to its outstanding concept and achievements in environmental protection, sustainable development, public welfare in rural areas, and technological innovation.

The project was submitted collectively by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Tsinghua University, Chongqing Jiaotong University and Chongqing University.

Shao Changzhuan (right) (Photo/www.cqcb.com/)

Made of more than 700 Moso bamboo plants, the covered arch bridge measures 21 meters in height and 3 meters in width, with a service life up to 20 years. Prior to this project, the team built China’s first modern bamboo bridge in Xiaowu village.

The project was supported by the One University One Village Rural Sustainable Development Assistance Program launched by CUHK, said professor Xiang Zhongfu at Chongqing Jiaotong University, adding that his student, Shao Changzhuan, now a Ph.D. student at CUHK, designed the bridge.

Moso bamboo, abundant in southern China, only takes three to five years to grow and is more environmentally friendly and less costly than typical steel and concrete structures, said Xiang.

The bridge serves as a reference for the broader application of bamboo in rural infrastructure going forward.

(Photo/www.cqcb.com/)