Zhongshan Bridge, Steel bridge in downtown Lanzhou, China

Zhongshan Bridge is a five-span steel truss bridge over the Yellow River in Lanzhou, 233.5 metres long and 8.46 metres wide, with a 6-metre roadway and two walkways. Its through-truss girders, 5.1 metres high, rest on four concrete piers and two abutments; steel arches were added above the trusses in 1954. Gold-coloured ornaments crown the upper steelwork.

A pontoon bridge stood here from 1385 until 1909. In 1906 the Lanzhou official Peng Yingjia signed a contract with the German firm Telge & Schroeter, which commissioned an American design; construction began on 9 May 1908. The bridge opened on 19 August 1909, and in 1928 it was renamed to honour Sun Yat-sen.

The bridge was renamed Zhongshan Bridge in 1928 to honour Sun Yat-sen; before that it was simply the First Bridge. Two pailou gatehouses once stood at its ends, each hung with plaques reading "First Bridge", "Jiuqu Anlan" and "Sanbian Liji"; they were destroyed in the Republican era and the plaques are lost.

The bridge is now reserved for pedestrians after vehicle traffic was banned in 2013 to preserve its historical character. Visit early in the morning or at sunset for the best experience, when crowds are lighter and the views are most peaceful.

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, workers repainted the bridge from bright red to dark grey to make it less visible during air raids. Traces of this wartime camouflage remain visible on parts of the structure today.