Which island is connected to the mainland by an iron bridge. Connecting continents. What bridges are breathtaking for all travelers. Weather in Phuket, tourist seasons

Rightfully occupies the most important place among other islands of Thailand. This is not only the largest Thai island, but also one of the smallest provinces (only Samut Songkhram is smaller). That is why it is not marked on the map with the word Koh, which means island. The province of Phuket includes the island of Phuket itself and 39 other islets surrounding it and is equal in area to Singapore.

One version of the formation of Phuket says that the island used to be part of the mainland and separated as a result of tectonic activity. A clear evidence of tectonic shifts is where 43 large and small islands are located.

Ancient map of Siam

The arrowheads that were found by archaeologists in the Kamala region are over 3,000 years old, which means that Phuket was inhabited several millennia ago. Whether the descendants of the Stone Age people lived here, some of whom can still be seen (the Mani and Sakai peoples), is still unknown. They disappeared from the provinces of Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi. Other early inhabitants of Phuket are called sea gypsies (Mokenov and Cheo Le), who moved here from the Nicobar and Andaman Islands and still inhabit coastal areas. They have their own language, culture and religion, different from the Thais.

Fountain in Phuket Town, 1920s

The first settlers may have been nomadic sailors, people from India and Burma at the beginning of the Iron Age. Even before our era, the island of Phuket became a convenient place for merchants following from the Indian Peninsula to China. At that time, Phuket was known under the names Manikram, which is translated from Tamil as “Crystal Mountain”, and Hai Leng from the Chinese “Sea Dragon of the Indian Ocean”. Claudius Ptolemy in his "Geography", compiled in the 2nd century AD, mentions a port in the west of the Malay Peninsula with the name Takola, referring to modern Phuket. But now this fact is being disproved more and more, moving the port north to the mainland, to the area of Phang Nga province.

Yaowarat street in the 20s

Although Phuket Island was not a major city on the Great Silk Road, merchant ships from Persia, Sri Lanka, Arabia, India, Burma, China and Siam entered the port, which could not but affect the life of the island. Immigrants began to appear: Malays, Indians, Siamese, who brought their culture, religion and traditions. But until the 16th century, Phuket, like the entire coast of the Andaman Sea, was attacked by pirates. Only when the ancient Thai state of Ayutthaya entered into a struggle with Malacca for control of the strait and trade routes, and the Portuguese colonists retreated a little to the east, did Phuket appear in the first international written sources under the name of Junk Ceylon. And the Siamese records from the time of King Naraya spoke of the island of Muang Thalang or Thalang Bangkhli. Thus, you realized that Phuket had many names that were reflected in the name of the Thalang Island area and the name. The most likely version of the origin of the name Phuket is from the Malay word Bukit, which translates as “hill, mountain”. For the first time, the island began to be called that during the reign of Rama V. And in 1967, the name was officially changed to Phuket.

Thalang street in the 20s

In the 14th century, tin deposits were discovered in Phuket, and Europeans began to flock here: the Portuguese, French, British and Danes, who at first were limited in access to the mines. The period of the “tin boom” came in the 19th century, and at the end of the century, Phuket became the second most developed city in Siam, second only to Bangkok. Thousands of ambitious Chinese workers rushed to Phuket to work in the mines of European owners or serve under foreigners. The Chinese brought their traditional culture, religion and cuisine with them. The new settlers intermarried with the locals and created a special culture called “baba-yaya”. The ethnic composition of the island changed, Chinese settlers occupied the middle of the island, pushing the Muslim inhabitants to the coast and north. The Portuguese, by order of the governor, could get full ownership of the mine if they built a street in modern Phuket Town, so Montri, Dibuk and others streets appeared. Over time, many Chinese workers and merchants became rich and built mansions for their families. In 1830, the British ambassador John Crawford wrote about the new settlers: "The Chinese are the most valuable product brought to Siam from China." The influence of the Sino-Portuguese style can be fully felt when walking along the narrow streets of the old Phuket town.

The most important event of the island of Phuket is the attack of the Burmese in 1785 and the feat of the heroine sisters. At that difficult time, most of the men left the island to participate in the hostilities of the mainland. The governor's wife, Chan (her name is still pronounced Jan), was mourning her untimely death when news of the impending Burmese attack reached her. Then the brave Chan, with the support of her younger sister Muk, gathered all the women, shaved their heads baldly and dressed them in men's clothes. With fake weapons made of palm leaves, everyone lined up on the rampart blocking the entrance to Phuket. The Burmese besieged the ford for about a month, but then retreated. King Rama I, having learned about such a feat, granted the title of Thao Thep Kasatri Chan and the title of Thao Si Sunthon to her sister Muk. One of the main streets of Phuket is now called Thep Kasatri in honor of Chan, there is a monument to two heroine sisters on it, and next to it is the Si Sunthon temple in honor of Muk. Every year on March 13, the Heroine Day is celebrated, and the Thais, passing by the monument, are sure to greet the sisters.

Monument to sisters-heroines in the 50s

In parallel with the extraction of tin, other industries in Phuket also developed: growing hevea trees, shrimp and fishing. Engaged in these industries, mainly Siamese and Malays. Rubber trees appeared on the island at the beginning of the 20th century thanks to the governor of the province of Trang Phraya Ratsada. At that time, rubber plantations occupied 40% of the entire vegetation of the island, and today they have reduced to only 30%.

Tin mines in the 20s

Crossing from Phuket to the mainland, 1952

By the 1980s, it was impossible not to appreciate the environmental damage from the by-products of tin processing, then local residents staged mass actions against the construction of new factories. In 1992, the last tin mine was closed. Paradoxically, tin mining marked the beginning of tourism. On the site of tin mines, golf courses and a famous one were built. However, there are almost no natural lakes in Phuket, all reservoirs were formed as a result of tin mining.

Family of Chinese settlers in national clothes in the 20s

The first few tourists began to appear in Phuket at the beginning of the 20th century. John Carrington wrote in 1906 about the island of Phuket: "One of the most beautiful and charming places in the world." Like most Asian resorts, mass tourism in Phuket was started by hippies in the 70s. In 1967, the Sarasin Bridge was built, connecting Phuket with the mainland, and in 1976 it was officially opened, allowing American soldiers, and then American tourists, to easily get to the paradise island on vacation.

Sarasin Bridge in the 70s

In 1976, the first hotel in Phuket was built - the Impiana Resort in Patong. At that time, the most developed beach now looked like a small village with bamboo huts, a dusty road and an absolutely wild beach. The pass from Patong to Karon was quite dangerous due to landslides and the fact that in the rains the clay road was transported. Over time, asphalt was laid, traffic lights were installed, more hotels were built, shopping centers appeared - Phuket discovered a new source of income.

Bridge connecting Phuket to the mainland in the 70s

Phuket island airport

In recent years, the island of Phuket is experiencing a new round of development of the tourism industry. Hotels, new shopping centers are being built, new places of interest for the guests of the island are opening up. There are some projects planned by the Thai government regarding the improvement of Phuket. A budget of 180 million US dollars has been allocated for the development of the airport, by March 2015 it will be able to receive 12.5 million passengers a year. A new Conference Center with a capacity of 5,000 people will be built in the Mai Khao area. In 2014, we are all looking forward to the underground tunnel at the crossroads, which will relieve traffic in Phuket Town. Two one-way tunnels through the mountain to Patong Beach are in the process of being approved by the administration. Phuket is changing for the better.

Patong Beach in the 80s

For the international community, Phuket's success has not gone unnoticed. More and more foreigners prefer to invest in the development of projects on the island. Among them are millionaires noted by Forbes magazine: New Zealanders Richard and Christopher Chandler, Hong Kong resident Alan Zeman, Finnish Formula 1 star Kimi Raikkonen, Briton of Indian origin Gulu Lalvani, who opened the well-known port of Royal Phuket Marina. International magazines and global communities vying with each other include the island of Phuket and its hotels in the lists of the best vacation spots in Southeast Asia. In 2011, Phuket was ranked 10th in the World's Best Destinations by readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine, where resorts were rated on 10 criteria, and ranked first in terms of "high quality for reasonable money" and "hospitality". Two Anantara Phuket hotels

In conclusion, I will add that the island of Phuket is not just a world-famous resort, but a unique history that has passed through the centuries is concentrated here. None of the popular resort places can boast such an interesting, brilliant, and sometimes sad experience behind them as the island of Phuket.

Phuket is pronounced as Рuket, previously referred to in European sources and navigation charts as Thalang, Junk Sailon or Jen Sailen - is
one of the southern provinces of Thailand. This is a respectable first-class resort,
"sharpened" for a relaxing holiday. Its length from north to south
is 48 kilometers, from west to east 21 kilometers. Distance from the capital - 862 km. The capital is the city of Phuket, it is located off the western coast of Thailand, in the Andaman Sea of the Indian Ocean. Interestingly, the very name of the resort island "Phuket" in translation from the local language means "mountain". Indeed, the island of Phuket looks like a mountain, which is literally born from the clear sea waters. It is thanks to the picturesque landscapes, exotic nature, rich underwater world and magnificent coral islands that most
tourists rightly call Phuket the best place to relax in Thailand. The landscapes of Phuket Island, located in the Andaman Sea off the southern coast of Thailand, are extremely unique and diverse: on Phuket Island, tourists can find both rocky highlands and long wide sandy beaches, regal limestone cliffs, wooded gentle hills, shallow estuaries, magnificent lagoons and colorful tropical vegetation of all
types. The large size of Phuket Island causes the coexistence of various microclimates in different parts of Phuket. Despite the fact that it is inferior in size to Singapore, Phuket leads the list of the largest islands in Thailand. The island is connected to the mainland by two bridges. With a rich and colorful history, Phuket's earlier prosperity was based on tin and rubber mining. And since it was on one of the main trade routes between India and China, it was constantly mentioned in Portuguese ship logs,
French, Dutch and English merchants. Today, the province receives most of its income from the huge tourist popularity of the island as a seaside resort.
How to get there: In the north of the island there is an international airport that accepts international charter flights and domestic airlines. A plane flight from Bangkok takes about an hour (a round-trip air ticket costs about 180 US dollars. During the season, direct charter flights fly to Phuket from Moscow and some regions, including Perm, the flight time from the Russian capital is about 9 hours.The duration of the transfer depends on the resort area where the hotel is located.The farthest distance is Panwa Cape and Kata Beach.The island is also connected to the mainland by the Sarasin Bridge, which provides car and bus traffic.The bus from Bangkok to the island takes 12-14 hours.
Transport features of Phuket: the easiest way for tourists to get around the island is by car or by scooter, which can be easily rented at the resort.
Taxi: Taxis can be easily hailed on the street, taxis are located on
parking lots near shopping malls. You can negotiate the price with the driver on the spot.
Also on the island are the so-called "tuk-tuk" cars (or rickshaws), plying throughout the island. Car rental: car rental is well developed, almost every local travel agency provides car rental or
motorcycles, as well as bikes.

Climate

You can visit Phuket all year round. Thanks to the wonderful climate of this area, holidays here are popular not only among our compatriots, but also among Europeans, as well as the ubiquitous Chinese.

The climate of Phuket is tropical monsoonal. There are usually two main seasons: the rainy season and the dry season. The rainy season lasts in Phuket from April to November, at which time precipitation on the island is quite frequent, however, as a rule, it rains only in the evening and at night. Of course, it happens that the rain can charge for two or three days, but this is extremely rare. During the dry season, there is practically no rain in Phuket.

The weather on this wonderful island is always warm, sometimes even hot. . The air temperature during the day averages +29...+32 °С, at night it is a little cooler +22...+25 °С. The highest air temperature during the day occurs from February to April.

The greatest amount of rain falls in the month of September: about 400 millimeters. In total, about 2200 millimeters of precipitation falls during the year. The water temperature in the sea in the Phuket area throughout the year is 28 ... 29 degrees Celsius.

Attractions

The 49-meter Big Buddha Statue is located on a mountain between Kata and Chalong. The height of the mountain is 350 meters, so the southern and eastern parts of the island are perfectly visible from here: Rawai, Chalong, Phuket town. The construction of the statue has been carried out since 2008 on donations - a Buddhist temple is currently being built at the base of the Statue. Here you can buy souvenirs, as well as contribute to the construction of the temple by buying a marble tablet or a bell for making wishes.

The views from the Big Buddha are simply amazing, especially at sunset. If you ride a motorbike, be careful, the road is very steep.

Background information about the Big Buddha Statue

Schedule: daily 09:00-18:00
Entrance fee: for free
How to get to Big Buddha: by car or motorbike. From Patong you need to go through the beaches of Karon and Kata to the Chalong Circle, turn left at the ring (on the road leading to the airport). After about 700 meters, there will be a sign to the left at the traffic light. From the pointer you need to follow the arrows for 6-7 km.

The great advantage of Phuket is that there is always something to do and see, whether it's raining or the sun is shining. The range of entertainment and beautiful places to visit is vast and varied. We present you a list of the 10 best Phuket attractions, as well as ways to spend time. Even if you visit only half of these destinations, you will have an unforgettable holiday. Do not forget to share your impressions, leave feedback in the comments, publish your photos.

Phang Nga Bay, northeast of Phuket.

Tin mines in the 20s

In the 20th century, tin mines were depleted, and the cost of tin on the world market fell completely. During the Japanese occupation, trade and business in the country declined, and several Chinese families stayed afloat in Phuket. Thanks to their hard work and skills, the island of Phuket was reborn. In today's society, many influential people are of Chinese origin. For example, one of the descendants of Chinese immigrants became the current governor of Phuket. By the 1980s, it was impossible not to appreciate the environmental damage from the by-products of tin processing, then local residents staged mass actions against the construction of new factories. In 1992, the last tin mine was closed. Paradoxically, tin mining marked the beginning of tourism. On the site of tin mines, golf courses and the famous Laguna hotel complex were built. However, there are almost no natural lakes in Phuket, all reservoirs were formed as a result of tin mining. The first few tourists began to appear in Phuket at the beginning of the 20th century. John Carrington wrote in 1906 about the island of Phuket: "One of the most beautiful and charming places in the world." Like most Asian resorts, mass tourism in Phuket was started by hippies in the 70s. In 1967, the Sarasin Bridge was built, linking Phuket to the mainland, and in 1976, the international airport was officially opened, allowing American soldiers, and later American tourists, to easily get to the paradise island on vacation.

Sarasin Bridge in the 70s

Bridge connecting Phuket to the mainland in the 70s

After the Catholic Christmas, on December 26, 2004, a tsunami came to Phuket, killing more than 500 people on the island. As the Thais say, "the sea inhaled and exhaled." Due to sheer ignorance, the lack of warning systems, and unfortunately due to the negligence of the Earthquake Administration, no warning was issued. “Such a warning would create negative feedback in the tourism industry in the event that a tsunami does not occur,” the ministry decided. The beaches of Patong and Kamala, where the wave height reached 5 meters, were particularly affected. But worst of all was the coast of Phang Nga province and the south of Ranong, where the wave height reached 11.6 meters. This disaster has affected the lives of every resident of Thailand. The grandson of King Rama IX, who was at that time on a yacht off the coast of Khao Lak, died. But through the efforts of volunteers and the Thai government, which day after day restored the island of Phuket, the Phoenix rose from the ashes. To date, all beaches have warning signs, warning systems have been established. In recent years, the island of Phuket is experiencing a new round of development of the tourism industry. Hotels, new shopping centers are being built, new places of interest for the guests of the island are opening up. There are some projects planned by the Thai government regarding the improvement of Phuket. A budget of 180 million US dollars has been allocated for the development of the airport, by March 2015 it will be able to receive 12.5 million passengers a year. A new Conference Center with a capacity of 5,000 people will be built in the Mai Khao area. In 2014, we are all looking forward to the underground tunnel at the intersection of the Central Festival shopping center, which will relieve traffic in Phuket Town. Two one-way tunnels through the mountain to Patong Beach are in the process of being approved by the administration. Phuket is changing for the better. For the international community, Phuket's success has not gone unnoticed. More and more foreigners prefer to invest in the development of projects on the island. Among them are millionaires noted by Forbes magazine: New Zealanders Richard and Christopher Chandler, Hong Kong resident Alan Zeman, Finnish Formula 1 star Kimi Raikkonen, Briton of Indian origin Gulu Lalvani, who opened the well-known port of Royal Phuket Marina. International magazines and global communities vying with each other include the island of Phuket and its hotels in the lists of the best vacation spots in Southeast Asia. In 2011, Phuket was ranked 10th in the World's Best Destinations by readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine, where resorts were rated on 10 criteria, and ranked first in terms of "high quality for reasonable money" and "hospitality". The two hotels Anantara Phuket and Amanpuri have once again been included in the list of the Best Hotels in the World, and the Six Senses Yao Noi Beyond Phuket hotel was included in the Golden List of Hotels 2012 from Condé Nast Traveler magazine. The international portal Tripadvisor noted several family-friendly hotels in Phuket in 2012: The Chava Resort, Marriott's Phuket Beach Club, Outrigger Laguna Phuket Resort & Villas, Marriott Mai Khao Beach, Destination Surin Resort and Spa, Andara Resort and Villas, included in the list of the 10 best hotels in Thailand.However, other awards can be listed endlessly.In conclusion, I would add that the island of Phuket is not just a world-famous resort, but a unique history that has passed through the centuries is concentrated here.None of the popular resort places can boast such an interesting, brilliant, and sometimes sad experience behind him as the island of Phuket.

When it comes to shortening the path, transporting goods or crossing to the other side, bridges have no equal. And these 10 also unite different countries, making travel and trade between them much easier.

Ambassador Bridge, USA and Canada

This suspension bridge across the Detroit River connects the cities of Detroit in the US and Windsor in Canada. Its length is 2300 m. The Ambassador is the busiest international bridge in North America: about 25% of all trade between the States and Canada is carried through it. And this is about $ 1 million in turnover daily.

Express info by country

The Earth is in third place in terms of distance from the Sun and in fifth place among all the planets in the solar system in terms of size.

Age– 4.54 billion years

Medium radius - 6,378.2 km

Middle circle - 40,030.2 km

Square– 510,072 million km² (29.1% land and 70.9% water)

Number of continents– 6: Eurasia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia and Antarctica

Number of oceans– 4: Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic

Population– 7.3 billion people (50.4% men and 49.6% women)

Most populous states: Monaco (18,678 people/km2), Singapore (7607 people/km2) and Vatican City (1914 people/km2)

Number of countries: total 252, independent 195

Number of languages in the world– about 6,000

Number of official languages- 95; most common: English (56 countries), French (29 countries) and Arabic (24 countries)

Number of nationalities– about 2,000

Climatic zones: equatorial, tropical, temperate and arctic (basic) + subequatorial, subtropical and subarctic (transitional)

Second Severn Bridge, England and Wales

The Second Severn is an automobile cable-stayed bridge across the Severn River. It connects the English city of Ost with the Welsh Boulevard. The bridge was opened in 1996 and has a length of 5128 m. The old (first) Severn Bridge was built in 1966 and is located 3.5 km upstream.

Øresund Bridge, Denmark and Sweden

It is both a railway (two tracks) and a road (four lanes) bridge. It passes through the Øresund Strait and connects the Danish capital Copenhagen and the Swedish city of Malmö. The bridge has a length of 7845 m, which makes it the longest combined road in the world. In addition, partly it is also a tunnel: in a certain section, cars and trains literally “dive” under water.

Bridge of three countries, Germany, France, Switzerland

The name of this bridge speaks for itself: it crosses the Rhine at the border between France, Germany and Switzerland. Well, well, the Swiss border is located a little further - 200 meters from the bridge, but you can close your eyes to this. The bridge is pedestrian.Its length is 248 m, and this is a record among arched suspension bridges.

Rainbow Bridge, USA and Canada

The Rainbow Bridge was built in 1941 across the Niagara River, a few hundred meters from the famous waterfall. It connects America and Canada. The 440 m long bridge is designed for both traffic and pedestrians. It got its name due to the almost constantly hanging rainbow here. This place also attracts tourists with breathtaking views.

Bridge "New Europe", Bulgaria and Romania

"New Europe" is a combined road and rail bridge across the Danube. It connects the cities of Vidin in Bulgaria and Calafat in Romania. Put into operation in 2013, total length - 3598 m.

Victoria Falls Bridge, Zimbabwe and Zambia

This bridge is one of the most beautiful in the world due to its location: it is located next to the magnificent Victoria Falls.The arch bridge over the Zambezi River connects Zambia and Zimbabweand is both road, rail and pedestrian. Its length is 198 m. The Victoria Falls Bridge was opened in 1905, and it was built in just a year.

King Hussein Bridge, Israel (Palestine) and Jordan

This bridge crosses the Jordan River and connects the Palestinian city of Jericho with Jordan. It has a long and very interesting history. The first bridge on this site was built by the Ottomans in 1885. Then, in 1918, the British replaced it with a new one, which, however, was destroyed in 1946 during the Arab-Israeli war. In its modern form, the King Hussein Bridge appeared here in the late 1990s, after the conclusion of peace between Jordan and Israel.

Bridge of No Return, North Korea and Republic of Korea

On the border of the DPRK and South Korea is one of the symbols of the Cold War between these states - the Bridge of No Return. During the Korean War, prisoners were exchanged here. The bridge was last used for this purpose in 1968. It has been closed since 1976, but even today there are checkpoints on both sides.

Friendship Bridge, Tajikistan and Afghanistan

The Friendship Bridge across the Pyanj River connects Tajikistan and Afghanistan. It is interesting that the money for its construction - about $500 thousand - was given by the United States of America and Norway. The length of the structure is 135 m.

We returned from our trip to Krabi the other day, so now I have time to write about it on the blog page. The trip turned out to be very eventful and interesting. We went to Krabi, but I will write about this later.

This article will focus on the bridge connecting Phuket with the mainland of Thailand, the Sarasin Bridge. This was our first stop on our way to Krabi.

A little background:

The Sarasin Bridge is a bridge that connects Phuket and the mainland. It was built in the mid-sixties of the last century. Its official opening took place on July 7, 1967. On one side of the bridge is the strait, and on the other - the ocean. The Sarasin Bridge also has a second name - the “suicide bridge”. Every year more than thirty people commit suicide here. There are several inexpensive restaurants at the foot of the bridge. They serve fresh, freshly caught seafood delicacies.

By the way, I just found out about the second name of the bridge). I can say that in appearance it does not produce any sinister impression.

The road to the Sarasin bridge.

As everywhere in Phuket, the road to the Sarasin Bridge is excellent. We drove from the Nai Harn area, so if you look at, you will see that we had to drive through the whole of Phuket. One point about the road deserves attention. To get to the Sarasin Bridge, you have to essentially leave Phuket. And this means that you need to pass the check point, this is something like a border point. We were driving without a license and only found out about the checkpoint when we saw it. Fortunately, we did not have time to get scared, as we passed it.

Nevertheless, people were there both when we left Phuket and when we returned back. In our case, no one slowed anyone down, and we did not see anyone stop there at all, but keep in mind.

Also, on the way to the Sarasin Bridge from Phuket, you will drive right along the Mai Khao beach - very long and almost deserted. There you can slow down and take some cool photos.

Where to park near Sarasin Bridge.

If you are driving from Phuket, as we did, then it is most convenient to drive over the bridge and turn left at the first exit. And not just turn around, but drive a little back straight to the Sarasin bridge. We didn’t understand on the go and drove a little further, parked and walked to the bridge on foot. Later, when we were approaching, we saw a parking lot right by the bridge.

Sarasin Bridge

Bridges are amazing creations of engineering, they unite disparate parts of cities, countries, and sometimes even continents. Despite all the seeming power, they are just threads, but it is thanks to them that the patchwork quilt of this world is sewn together. You can talk about these structures endlessly, so we have selected seven of the most popular and invite you to remember once again why they fascinate everyone who sees them so much.

Tower Bridge

If you bought in London, better known to all residents of the post-Soviet space as the capital of Great Britain, then one of the first associations that pops up in your imagination will be either the famous clock tower - Big Ben, or the Tower Bridge, which easily claims to be the main sights of the British capital.

Tower Bridge was inaugurated on June 30, 1894. The middle part of the structure is pulled apart by hydraulic motors when a ship passes under the bridge. The bridge has its own team, which operates it like a kind of ship.

There is a pedestrian gallery on the upper level. It is interesting that it was from the very beginning, but in 1910 it was closed, because asocial elements began to accumulate in it, and people shunned this transition. Only in 1982 the gallery began to operate again, but already as a museum and an observation deck.

Golden Gate

The suspension bridge across the Golden Gate Strait in the USA, which connects the city of San Francisco with the suburb of Sausalito, was the largest suspension bridge in the world since its construction in 1937 and until 1964, its length is 2737 m.

The Golden Gate Bridge has gained immense popularity thanks to American cinema and the fogs, which in these places are so strong that they rise more than 200 meters above the water and tightly envelop this giant structure.

The Golden Gate is notorious for being a place of suicide. Along the span of the bridge there are special telephones that can be used to contact the crisis counseling center.

The Brooklyn Bridge

Thanks to the “dream factory”, another American bridge, Brooklyn, is world famous, which connects the heart of New York Manhattan with the Brooklyn area. In cinematography, moving across this bridge towards Manhattan is a symbol of the desire for a better life.

It is interesting that pedestrians are given its central part, which rises above the carriageway. The bridge was opened in 1833, its length is 1825 meters. A week after the start of its operation, there was a rumor among people about its possible collapse, which caused a stampede and the death of 12 people. To assure the people of the strength of the structure, the authorities ordered 21 elephants from the circus to be led along it.

In 2006, workers discovered a secret bomb shelter in the support wall with a huge amount of food and medicine, created in the 50s of the XX century.

Bridge over Hangzhou Bay

The undoubted leader in the length of bridges is China. All the longest bridges on the planet are located in this country, but perhaps one of the most interesting of them is the bridge across the Hangzhou Bay in the East China Sea. It connects the cities of Shanghai and Ningbo (Zhejiang Province) and is the longest transoceanic bridge in the world. With a length of 36 kilometers, it is the ninth in the world and is made in the shape of the letter S.

The bridge was opened in 2008, and a platform island with a service center was built on it halfway, where drivers and passengers can relax and have a bite to eat.

Seoul fountain fountain

Seoul "Rainbow Fountain", opened in 2009, the longest bridge of this type in the world (1140 m). It crosses the Hangang River and is equipped with light and music fountains on both sides, through which 190 tons of water passes every minute. The jets hit 20 meters in length.

The light show can be seen from April to October on weekdays at 12:00, 20:00, 21:00, on weekends - 12:00, 17:00, 19:30 (in July and August sessions are added at 20:00 , 20:30, 21:00, 21:30). The duration of the show is 15 minutes.

Khaju Bridge in Iran

This masterpiece of oriental architecture is located in the ancient Iranian city of Isfahan, an important point on the Great Silk Road. The bridge was built in 1650 and perfectly combines the aesthetic function with the practice, it is a water supply dam that serves the city gardens.

This grandiose arched bridge was built of bricks and large stones, its length is a little over 100 m. Along its entire length there are 23 graceful arches, decorated with patterns and ornaments in oriental style, a stone staircase topped with sculptures of lions leads to the bridge.

A special feature of this building are the beautiful octagonal pavilions, from which you can admire the river scenery on one side and the panorama of the city on the other.

Chinese wind and rain bridges

China also has some amazing rain and wind bridges. Chenyang is one of the most beautiful of them. With a relatively short length of about 65 meters, it includes 5 pavilions, 19 verandas, located on a three-story bridge at both ends, connected to the shore by special wooden platforms with stairs descending on a rise of wild stone. The bridge is wooden; it rests on three stone pillars with narrowed edges cutting through the water. And all this complex architectural composition in a purely Chinese style was made by the ethnic population - the Duns - without the use of nails, representing an exclusively prefabricated structure. The Chenyang Bridge was opened in 1916 over the Sanjiang River at a height of 10.6 meters.