[Photo by Wu Liguan]

"I am a retired civil servant. I take photos of bridges because I love traditional culture and heritage. Chinese bridges are built using many materials - soil, stone, wood, bamboo, rattan, brick and iron. They are proof of China's social and economic changes and development. These bridges have been witness to the many trials and hardships faced by our people over time... They are of historic and artistic value. The Anping and Luoyang bridges in Quanzhou, Fujian province, Baling bridge in Weiyuan, Gansu province and Woqiao bridge in Lanzhou, Gansu province along the Silk Road provide us with glimpses of China's glorious past and its future. Since 2005, I have traveled 180,000 kilometers in 25 provinces at my own expense, shooting 11,000 photos of more than 500 ancient bridges. Through photography I hope to create more awareness about the need to protect our ancient bridges."

- Wu Liguan, photographer and author of China's Ancient Bridges