China starts building world’s longest sea bridge

The construction of the world's longest cross-sea Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge began in China on Tuesday

China has started construction of the world’s longest sea bridge, Hong Kong – Zhuhai – Macau Bridge (Pont Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao, 港珠澳大桥, 港珠澳大橋), as part of a 73 billion yuan ($5.8 billion) plan to rejuvenate the Pearl River Delta, the manufacturing hub hit by a slump in demand for Chinese exports this year due to global financial crisis.

The 50 km (31 miles) long bridge will link Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland Pearl River Delta city of Zhuhai and the gambling centre of Macau in a giant Y-shape, 35 km (22 miles) of which will span the sea.

Expected to be completed in 2015/2016, the 73bn yuan cost of the bridge will be shared by the authorities in the three territories.

The structure also includes a 5.5km underwater tunnel with artificial islands to join it to bridges on each side. According to the engineering group Arup – which has helped with the design – it is the first major marine bridge-and-tunnel project in China. But the engineering firm described the structure as 38km in length; the reason for the disparity was unclear.
Work is expected to begin with land reclamation to create an artificial island of around 216 hectares (540 acres) off Zhuhai. This will become the customs point for those making the crossing.

An artistic rendering of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge

But much of the structure will be prefabricated offsite, so, for example, the concrete deck sections can be produced at the same time as the foundations are laid. The tunnel will be made of precast sections – each 100 meters long.

“It is designed with a service life of 120 years. It can withstand the impact of a strong wind with a speed of 51 meters a second, or equal to a maximum Beaufort scale 16 (184 to 201kmph),” said Zhu Yongling, an official in charge of the project construction. “It can also resist the impact of a magnitude-8 earthquake and a 300,000-tonne vessel.”

Six lanes of traffic will pass across the bridge at a maximum speed of 100kmph, cutting driving time from Hong Kong to Zhuhai from four hours to one.

According to projections more than 200 million vehicles a year will be using the bridge by 2020, carrying 170-220 million tons of freight.

The bridge was first proposed in 1983 as a way of fostering economic ties between China, Hong Kong and Macau. But it will be particularly welcome as the Pearl River Delta – for many years the hub of China’s manufacturing – is buffeted by economic problems. The area’s attempt to move up the value chain, combined with the rise of the yuan and the global economic crisis, has seen exports plummeting.

It is hoped the construction will help transform the Pearl River Delta into a modern export and services hub as it seeks to move away from its traditional low-tech industries snapping together cheap products for Western consumers.

“Through a more convenient and fast transport network, Hong Kong’s financial, tourism, trade and logistics and professional services can become better integrated with the Pearl River Delta and the surrounding areas,” said Donald Tsang, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, at a ceremony launching the project.

In a sign of the importance Beijing has attached to the project, the Chinese vice-premier Li Keqiang, the man widely tipped to succeed the prime minister Wen Jiabao in 2012, was on hand to inaugurate construction.

The plan has faced objections from environmental groups, including the World Wide Fund for Nature, who say that it will further diminish the Delta’s already battered marine ecosystems, imperilling endangered species including the crested kingfisher, mangrove water snake and rough-skinned floating frog.

Of particular concern is the effect on the Chinese white dolphin whose breeding patterns could be disturbed by the noise of the construction and dredging needed to sink the bridge’s massive piles into the seabed.

Officials, however, have pledged to protect ocean ecology and fishery resources. “We will control the construction noises and turbidity of seawater, and prevent oil pollution,” Zhu Yongling, an official in charge of construction, told China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.
It is only a year and a half since China opened a 36km span across Hangzhou Bay – in the eastern province of Zhejiang – which is currently the longest sea-bridge.

Wang Yong, the head of that project, said the design had led to more than 250 technological innovations and engineering breakthroughs, many of which will no doubt prove useful in building the new construction. He added that the Hangzhou bridge survived 19 severe challenges, including typhoons, tides, and geological problems during the three and a half years of construction.

The longest water-spanning bridge in the world is the Lake Pontchartrain causeway bridge in New Orleans, at 38.4km. But officials said that Hangzhou was a particularly difficult site to build because of its complex climate.

世界最长跨海大桥港珠澳大桥示意图

世界最长跨海大桥港珠澳大桥开建 投资700亿元

2009年12月15日, 港珠澳大桥在珠海举行动工仪式,首先开工的项目是珠澳口岸人工岛。大桥全长49.968公里，建成后将成为世界最长跨海大桥。大桥也是中国建设史上里程最长、投资最多、施工难度最大的跨海桥梁项目。港珠澳大桥工程包括：海中桥隧工程；香港、珠海、澳门三地口岸；香港、珠海、澳门三地连接线。口岸采用“三地三检”模式分别由各方建设、各自独立管辖。

海中桥隧工程起自香港大屿山，止于珠澳口岸人工岛，全长约35.6公里，隧道两端各设置一个海中人工岛，海底隧道最深处离海平面40米左右。大桥施工工期约6年，工程全部投资估算为729.4亿元，设计寿命120年，用钢量相当于建11个“鸟巢”，可以抗击8级地震、16级大风及30万吨巨轮撞击。

工程计划单列5000万元作为景观工程费，将专门设置海景观赏平台和白海豚观赏区。

大桥建成后将大大改善三地交通格局，促进三地经济圈的形成，开创粤港澳合作新格局。澳门经济学会会长刘本立说，港珠澳大桥是港澳之间第一条陆路快速通道，比以往减少2/3交通成本，意味着澳门进入整个港珠澳一小时经济圈。

港珠澳大桥三亮点

设立中华白海豚观赏区
大桥将穿越中华白海豚保护区，为保护中华白海豚，工程制定了严格的保护方案。比如在打桩和挖掘作业施工前，应在施工地点半径500米范围内连续监测5分钟以上，确保施工范围内没有中华白海豚活动后方可施工，尽量减少同时作业挖泥船的数量等。为了保护中华白海豚，广东省计划投入1.5亿-2亿元。
大桥建成后，有望在面向白海豚繁殖区域设白海豚雕塑，或将白海豚形象在大桥工程部分造型中得以体现，并设立白海豚观赏景区。

人工岛设平台观赏海景
根据大桥工程可行性报告要求，人工岛将成为集交通、管理、服务、救援和观光功能为一体的综合运营中心，除了岛上构筑物的造型美观外，还将重视岛区范围内的绿化工程，在海景较美的地方设置观景平台。
此外，珠海作为中国有名的蚝贝类产销基地，人工岛设计也可望采取蚝壳的特色造型。同时，大桥隧道出入口也将进行景观美化。

中转站也是艺术品
“大桥工程将分别在珠江口伶仃洋海域南北两侧，通过填海建造两个人工岛。”一名香港设计人员说，人工岛间将通过海底隧道相连，隧道、桥梁间通过人工岛完美结合，“同时，两者之间的转换采取了点、线、面相结合方式，既是中转站，又是艺术品”。

港珠澳大桥“三最”

内地最长寿：内地大桥一般使用寿命都是五六十年，而港珠澳大桥设计使用寿命是120年，建成后可抗八级地震。

世界最长：根据近期批复的大桥工程可行性报告，港珠澳大桥全长约50公里，主体工程“海中桥隧”长35.578公里，超越现时世界上最长的跨海大桥――杭州湾跨海大桥，建成后成为世界最长的跨海大桥。

世界最难：港珠澳大桥主体工程包括6648米海底隧道。大桥初步设计单位“中交公路规划设计院公司”董事长兼总经理张喜刚曾表示，大桥主体工程中的海底隧道和人工岛部分，其施工技术难度在目前世界上是首屈一指的。

研究25年方案十几种　单“Y”方案终定案

港珠澳大桥最早在25年前由香港合和集团主席胡应湘提出，此后陆续出台设计方案不下十几种。其中，把港澳、深圳、珠海四地连通的双“Y”字方案和公路铁路桥“二合一”的方案曾广受支持，但最终被舍弃，最后单“Y”字方案被选定。

粤港澳同入一小时交通圈

李培祥分析，港珠澳大桥这样的基础建设投资对目前经济回暖有所帮助，从长远来看，将对区域经济和社会融合有重大意义。专家学者普遍认为，港珠澳大桥的建设将加速粤港澳经济一体化进程，提升大珠江三角洲的综合竞争力。

目前，粤港澳国民生产总值占全国近20%，三地紧密合作已有实力参与世界城市群的竞争。广东的发展离不开港澳，粤港澳的发展与三地互利合作密不可分。改革开放以来，广东承接港澳产业转移，通过加工贸易发展壮大，粤港澳合作发挥了重大作用。

港珠澳大桥建成后将促使粤港澳三地联系更紧密，形成城市圈，物流综合成本有所降低，配送时间更快，形成更大城市配送物流需求。

香港运输物流学会前会长梁刚锐分析，港珠澳大桥的兴建将拉近香港和珠三角的距离。业内人士指出，“长期以来，香港仅可借深圳进入内地，路径过于单一，辐射打折。”港珠澳大桥无疑给香港注射一剂“强心针”，不仅使其通往内地更加便捷，还扩大了香港的发展空间，港珠澳大桥彻底结束了香港与珠三角西翼的交通难题。

澳门经济学会会长、曾组建“民间关注港珠澳大桥小组”的立法会议员刘本立在接受有关媒体采访时表示，对于澳门而言，港珠澳大桥的建设使港澳之间出现了第一条陆路快速通道，这比以往减少2/3交通成本，意味着澳门进入整个港珠澳的一小时经济圈，“澳珠都市区”将与“港深都市区”媲美。

激活珠江西岸

有关珠江三角洲的物流业调查显示，珠三角东岸已经成为以电子产品加工、制造为主的国际性制造业基地，尤其以深圳、东莞最为突出，东岸是香港航空物流、港口货运的主要腹地，通往香港的陆路成为中国最繁忙的公路之一。与此相对，珠三角西岸的外向物流中心却尚未真正形成。

据悉，珠江三角洲东西岸之间的联系并不十分紧密，现在的珠三角运输网络被珠江给分割开来。主持《香港与珠江西岸交通运输研究》课题研究的陈元龙认为，港珠澳大桥可满足香港与珠三角西岸沟通和联系的需要，把香港在法律、物流、金融、国际贸易方面的优势和珠三角地区制造业的优势紧密联系互动起来，可为双方赢得广阔的发展空间。

据统计，深圳港的集装箱吞吐量中，深圳地区的货源占30%，东莞地区的货源占43%，珠江三角洲西岸地区占 10%，珠江三角洲以外的地区仅为17%。珠江口东西岸之间的过江通道严重不足，公路仅有虎门大桥，水路仅有虎门渡口。省交通运输厅负责人介绍，由于连接珠江两岸的虎门大桥一个昼夜的车流量达到7万—8万辆，已接近饱和，节假日时常拥堵。

珠三角西岸地区的崛起需要更紧密地与港澳融合，而港珠澳大桥建成后，将激活现有的西部沿海通道，带动西岸地区以至粤西经济发展。

北京南锣鼓巷，香港李小龙故居当选亚洲必去景点 Nanluoguxiang, Beijing – One of 25 Authentic Asian Experiences

美国杂志《时代》周刊今晨精心挑选出了亚洲25处你不得不去的好玩儿的地儿。北京南锣鼓巷榜上有名。

这25个地方有的新奇好玩，有的惊险刺激。总之能够让你不虚此行。如在缅甸的茵莱湖上泛舟，在越南春节为灶神放鱼，在印度看舞蹈表演者为您讲故事，在蒙古尝尝土拨鼠的滋味等等。

十年前，来北京喝咖啡的地方仅限于少有的几家大型的商务酒店。而现在已经截然不同了，在北京能够在购物的同时游览名胜古迹。

这其中最棒的是南锣鼓巷，一条传统的北京胡同，但是里面也布满了酒吧、咖啡馆、饭店，和出售北京传统特色商品的小店。在这儿你能体会到的不仅仅是购物的愉悦，还能体验到北京城的风俗。

其他上榜中国景点
江苏省吴江市同里 ：中国古代性文化博物馆
这座博物馆异常火爆。象这个有特色的博物馆是你在北京无法看到的。
云南：向古茶径前进
几个世纪以来，虎跳峡坎坷的小径和陡峭狭窄的山路只有茶商跋涉过。而现在这个古老的“茶径”成了这个世界上最有价值的徒步旅行地点之一。
香港：参拜功夫大师
李小龙也许是香港最有名的人物了，而如果你不游览他所居住居所，你永远不会了解他。
和田：寻找美玉
数千年来，玉在中国一直是财富和美德的象征。这从2008年奥运会的奖牌中镶着玉就可见一斑。而位于新疆的白玉河是中国最著名的和田玉的原产地。
澳门：赛狗场
大多澳门观光客首要去的场所就是澳门的赌场，游览具有78年历史的赛狗场是一次不错的旅行经历。

中国古代性文化博物馆位于江苏吴江的古镇同里。这座博物馆是中国创办时间最早、藏品最丰富的性文化博物馆，展品4000余件。

1994年，上海大学教授、著名性学家刘达临在上海青浦创办中国古代性文化博物馆。在上海期间，性文化博物馆经历三次搬迁，并于2003年下半年确定迁址同里。

博物馆藏品是刘达临和同事在十多年间花费大量心血和资金搜集而来的。这座博物馆在中国绝无仅有，在国际上也享有很高的声誉，参观者中有70%来自海外。博物馆最古老的展品诞生于8000多年前，5000年前的文物则有20多件，分别来自红山、马家窑等文化遗址。部分展品在香港、台湾等地展览时，都曾引起轰动，被誉为“华人世界五千年来的第一次”。

千年古镇同里距离上海仅80公里，拥有“世界文化遗产”退思园。退思园隔壁的丽则女校旧址则成为中国古代性文化博物馆的新家，面积约7000平方米。

性文化博物馆展览由四个基本部分组成：一、原始社会的性，主要展示远古时代的文物；二、婚姻与妇女，展品主要有花轿、小鞋、婚床等；三、性在日常生活中，这其中最引人兴趣的，莫过于旧时代的“压箱底”；四、特殊情况下的性，包括同性恋、性变态等。此外，还有“金瓶梅”、“女子缠足”等专题展览。

刘达临，1932年生于上海，1953年毕业于北京大学新闻系，现为亚洲性学联会副主席。自1985年起，他开始重点研究性科学，著有相关著作 60余本。1989年至1990年，刘达临主持了全国两万例性调查。美国《时代》周刊曾评论他是“引导中国走向幸福的21世纪的六个代表人物之一”。

三景点游客必到港府走宝

美国《时代》杂志网站选出廿五项游客不容错过的亚洲体验，榜上有三项来自本港，包括仅余三年寿命、被誉为本港「粤剧殿堂」的北角新光戏院、武打巨星李小龙 故居及香港电影资料馆。连外国人也对新光戏院视若珍宝，粤剧界人士盼政府能珍惜保留该建筑物；有立法会议员狠批政府当局「唔识宝」，促请政府购下新光业 权。

粤剧已被联合国教科文组织列作非物质文化遗产，《时代》的选举结果亦指出，新光戏院一直是本港的粤剧表演场地，本年初曾因加租而几乎结业，令这种传统表演 艺术濒临绝迹；直至有保育人士抗争，迫使港府介入补贴一半租金，始成功令场地续租三年。不过，新光业主已表明，约满后会收回物业重建发展，因此《时代》推 介游客在二○一二年之前到这个将消失的场地看看。

而位于九龙塘的李小龙故居，该幢别墅被用作经营时钟酒店，经李小龙迷多年争取，港府月前卒与业主达成协议，会把别墅「还原」为李小龙纪念馆。 《时代》建议全球李小龙迷值得到此一逛。另外，西湾河的香港电影资料馆收藏逾三千套港产片，可重温国际著名华人导演吴宇森在七五年拍摄的《帝女花》，被《时代》形容为香港以至亚洲最伟大的视觉艺术宝藏。

外国人对新光戏院及李小龙故居推崇备至，但港府却一直不热衷于保育两幢建筑物。八和会馆主席汪明荃对新光获外国人赏识感高兴，亦慨叹政府对保留新光态度冷漠，「已经讲过好多次，结果都系一样！」

立法会议员王国兴批评港府「唔识宝」，甚至质疑官员不懂欣赏文化艺术。他说，新光是香港人的集体回忆，普庆和利舞台等以往用作演出粤剧的戏院都已全部拆掉，故新光更有保留价值，促政府改变初衷买下新光业权。

25 Authentic Asian Experiences by Times Magazine, 2009

From taking in the towering mountain ranges flanking the Karakoram Highway to a tall, pink glass of air bandung, here are 25 places to go, people to see and things to try across Asia.

1. Catch a Fly Ball at the Tokyo Dome
2. Find Out What Marmot Tastes Like
3. Stroll Along Kabul’s Great Wall
4. Forge Through a Gorge in Yunnan
5. Find Your Own Beach in Boracay
6. Worship the Moon at Loy Krathong
7. Witness a Disappearing Act
8. Watch the Bulls Run on Madura
9. Catch the Frontier Spirit in Xinjiang
10. Ride a Giant in Mondulkiri
11. Try an Aesthetically Challenged Fruit
12. Walk Among the Faithful in Manila
13. Pay Homage to the Kung Fu Master
14. Watch a Dancing Storyteller
15. Step into Living Cold War History
16. Place Your Bets at Macau’s Dog Races
17. Capitalize on Beijing’s Capitalism
18. Give the Kitchen God an Offering He Can’t Refuse
19. Feast on Fish in Peshawar
20. Have a Vintage Cuppa in New Delhi
21. Pick Up Some Ancient Wisdom
22. Take the Slow Boat on Inle Lake
23. Drink Something Pink in Malaysia
24. Lose Yourself in Celluloid History
25. Get Lost on the Karakoram Highway

Forge Through a Gorge in Yunnan, China

For centuries, the rocky pathway that clings to the steep sides of the narrow Tiger Leaping Gorge in China’s Yunnan province was traversed only by the horse caravans of tea merchants. Now this ancient route offers one of the most rewarding hikes on the planet. Imposing Himalayan foothills tower over either side of the canyon, framing the nine-mile (15 km) trek as amazing scenes of rugged natural beauty emerge around each of the many switchbacks. The two-day hike isn’t particularly difficult, but it should be broken up with a stay at one of the hostels in the farming villages along the route. The Halfway House is a simple inn that serves up cold beer, magical apple pie and the “Toilet with the Best View Under Heaven” — a convenience offering a spectacular vista of the jagged peaks of the Jade Dragon Mountains.

Catch the Frontier Spirit in Xinjiang, China

For millenniums, jade has been a symbol of wealth and virtue in China — a ring of jade was even inserted into the 2008 Beijing Olympics medals. Among the most valuable is the “mutton fat” jade from the Yurungkash River that flows through Hotan, a city in China’s far western province of Xinjiang. At more than $120 a gram for high-quality stones, rumor has it some locals have found jade pebbles and immediately crossed the street to exchange them for cars. You can roll up your pant legs and join the residents scouring the stony river bottom. After thousands of years, the jade is a little picked over, but it’s a fun excuse to get one’s feet wet, overturn some boulders and go digging in the muck. Cost: free.

Pay Homage to the Kung Fu Master, Hong Kong

Bruce Lee may be Hong Kong’s most famous export, but you wouldn’t know it from touring around town. Aside from a lone bronze statue erected in 2005, Hong Kong has done zilch to honor the man who almost single-handedly garnered worldwide respect for kung fu, Hong Kong film and Asian masculinity. But that’s about to change: the Hong Kong government, along with three professional organizations and a local billionaire, has recently accepted proposals to transform Lee’s last residence into an official memorial. Today, his home is a sleazy love motel offering three-hour stays and a car park with curtains to obscure the cars (and license plates) of its tiptoeing guests. But for die-hard fans of the Little Dragon, it’s still worth a visit — at least until he gets the respect he deserves.

Lose Yourself in Celluloid History, Hong Kong

Hidden in a honeycomb of middle-class high-rises is the Hong Kong Film Archive, one of the Special Administrative Region’s (and Asia’s) greatest visual treasures. From the Edison Company’s 1898 shorts of sedan chairs and other Hong Kong street scenes to the animated misadventures of the beloved cartoon pig McDull, the center has over 3,000 movies from the legendary Hong Kong film industry. You can peruse the collection at audiovisual booths for just $6.50 a day, or catch weekend screenings of rarely seen features like John Woo’s gorgeous 1975 adaptation of the Cantonese opera Princess Chang Ping — who knew he had a soft side? There’s more to Hong Kong cinema than triads and kung fu kicks.

Place Your Bets at Macau’s Dog Races, Macau

Most visitors to Macau head straight to the gambling mecca’s glitzy colony of new casinos. For a taste of the city’s gambling past, head north of the main strips to the 78-year-old Canidrome, Asia’s last dog-racing track. There’s no big money there — last year’s bets at the track amounted to less than 1% of the city’s $14 billion gaming revenue — but the up-close view of lightning-fast greyhounds will make your head spin. Take your glasses.