On April 16th, the stone railing of the “Talented Scholar Bridge” in Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province, which was built at a cost of nearly 200 million and opened to traffic just over three years ago, collapsed. Local officials blamed the collapse on strong winds, leading to ridicule. The incident trended on April 17th, with netizens mocking the situation, joking that this year in Jiangxi, the “wind” is truly strong, stirring up a “hot search storm.” Similar incidents have occurred before.
The “Talented Scholar Bridge” is a bridge designed with concrete continuous arches, with a total investment of 195 million yuan, a length of 540 meters, width of 28 meters, and six lanes in each direction. It was opened to traffic in February 2021.
Officials from the Shangdun Ferry Town government in Lincang District stated that extreme thunderstorms occurred in the area the day before the incident, which may have been one of the reasons for the railing collapse.
Staff from the Lincang District Transportation Bureau also mentioned that the 11-level strong wind on April 16th could have been one of the reasons for the railing collapse, with the collapsed railing measuring tens of meters in length.
On April 17th, when responding to the news of the “nearly 200 million investment bridge with a collapsed railing” in Fuzhou, Jiangxi, the staff of the Lincang District Emergency Management Bureau mentioned that it might be due to the strong wind. According to information released by the Jiangxi Meteorological Bureau, Fuzhou experienced severe convective weather on the 16th, with an instant wind speed of 12 levels.
These remarks sparked ridicule and mockery among netizens.
Weibo user “Ma Zebing”: “The railing collapsed after only three years of construction, has it exceeded the ‘warranty period’? The staff casually blamed the wind with a simple ‘possibility of strong wind,’ making the wind indeed a ‘scapegoat.’ With just a blow of the wind, everything collapsed, and the bridge turned into a road instantly. Now it’s unsafe for anyone to pass by.”
“Website member ‘Liao Xiaoli’: “Being blown down by the wind, the wind is so wronged and can’t even speak, yet it still bore all the blame!”
Weibo user “A Chao_Hong Kong Media Perspective”: “Regarding the railing collapse incident of the ‘Talented Scholar Bridge,’ asserting that it is not a quality issue without a detailed investigation is evidently hard to convince. Hastening to absolve the quality issue only raises suspicions. The collapse of the Talented Scholar Bridge requires not just an explanation, but a profound reflection on design and construction.”
Weibo user “Breaking Fresh News”: “The bridge was just completed three years ago, yet the wind blew down the railing. Isn’t the main reason the poor quality? Many ancient buildings have withstood the test of time for thousands of years without any issues.”
“This weak bridge collapsed due to what standards it was built upon?”
The collapse of the stone railing of the nearly 200 million Talented Scholar Bridge in Jiangxi, with officials blaming the wind, is not an isolated case.
On August 5, 2023, in Yulin, Shaanxi Province, the 177 million yuan Wu’bao Yellow River Bridge collapsed and fractured hundreds of meters of stone railings due to extreme stormy weather, as per local officials.
Videos showed that nearly 200 meters of white bridge railings on both sides of the Wu’bao Yellow River Bridge collapsed, with some railing directly breaking and falling into pieces. Witnesses described the fallen rails scattered on the bridge deck, left unattended. The base of the railings also cracked, even the pedestrian walkway.
After the collapse of the Yellow River Bridge railing, the bridge was suspected of being a ‘shoddy project’ involving cutting corners.
The head of the Wu’bao County Publicity Department confirmed the railing collapse, mentioning that there was stormy weather the day before the incident, causing the railing to be blown down.
Media reports questioned the winds, noting that the gusts were not particularly strong at over 7 levels, and no similar incidents occurred on other bridges in the same river section. The fragile railing couldn’t ensure the safety of pedestrians and vehicles. With the railing collapsing just six months after opening, questions arise regarding the main structure of the bridge.
Reported by “Guangming Net,” “Neglect of responsibility lies behind man-made disasters. The wind that can blow down the railing meant to protect people’s lives and property is definitely not ordinary. This matter involves public safety and should not be taken lightly.”
A netizen sarcastically commented, “What kind of wind must it be to blow down the railing of a bridge in operation for just over half a year?” “Hold the thunderstorm accountable, it must be severely punished.” “Shifting blame to the heavens, aren’t they afraid of lightning striking?” “Design flaws, placing the railing without a foundation directly on the bridge, as if it’s for indoor use?”
On August 18, 2013, in Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, heavy rainfall accompanied by sudden strong winds caused the collapse of nearly 400 meters of stone railings on the east side of the Dongguan Bridge in Jinhua. A pedestrian walking on the bridge noticed that the large bluestone railings had collapsed, and rubble was scattered all over.
Three sections of the collapsed railings, spaced meters apart, totaled at least eighty meters. Some unreached railings also had cracks, appearing precarious.
According to mainland media reports, the stone railing of the Dongguan Bridge in Jinhua was blown down by strong winds. Citizens lamented, “Collapsing at the slightest breeze, this bridge is just too fragile, it can’t even withstand a bit of wind.” Some mocked it as a “paper bridge,” saying it must have been blown down by a once-in-a-century storm.