Comment by VariousPrograms
Comment by VariousPrograms 13 hours ago
As someone who doesn't keep up with bridge news, China seems to have a monopoly on incredible new mountain bridges.
Comment by VariousPrograms 13 hours ago
As someone who doesn't keep up with bridge news, China seems to have a monopoly on incredible new mountain bridges.
When I first visited Asia 13 years ago, this is the feeling I got too. It's wonderful and intoxicating and new.
It spoke to me so strongly, that I immigrated and started my first business. Not to China, but nearby (Viet Nam). It was a very tough road, I never ended up particularly wealthy, but I have no regrets.
I hear this a lot... except that when I travel, I usually want to go to cute historic cities in old Europe. Or southwestern deserts in the US. Or beautiful mountains in Colorado.
I moved to the country; I prefer living in a place that isn't all that modern. I'm honestly not sure why people obsess over skyscrapers.
China is superlative in every way possible and many people don't really seem to get it.
It has several of the tallest mountains in the world—dozens over 7 km, and many of the eight-thousanders, given it borders the Himalayas and contains part of the Hindu Kush and most of the Tibetan Plateau. Given such immense mountains it also makes sense that there's a huge rain shadow behind them, and therefore China also contains both the Gobi and Taklimakan deserts.
It also has historic old cities that form the core of their modern glass and steel cities, with plenty of Chinese architecture to go around.
It also has 50 000 km of newly-built high speed rail with rolling stock that rips through all of those mountains and deserts at 350 km/h.
> China is superlative in every way possible and Americans don't really seem to get it.
A a latino it's amusing to watch. After the soviet union failed, Americans thought they had won the civilization game forever.
I would never move to China due to political concerns, but at the game of empire they are kicking butt, and that unnerves some Americans.
Must be odd being born and raised in a first world country (?)
There's quite a few places that have them, but don't prioritize bridge height. The other Himalayan countries (India, Nepal, Pakistan, etc) have similar terrain, but prefer vastly cheaper slope-hugging roads, and tunnels with shorter bridges. Not to mention the danger of winter winds in Himalayan canyons.
The US or Mexico could build a bridge over the deeper bits of their national canyons and hold the undisputed crown, but won't.
China has incredible engineers and architects.
Say what you want but the only region in the world I went that felt like looking forward is Asia, even borderline decaying countries like Japan are clearly looking forward, you can see it from what and how they build, and not just in major centers.