Mao Yisheng, a native of Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, is an important founder of modern bridge engineering in China. 19 1 1 was admitted to the Department of Civil Engineering of Tangshan Institute of Railways and Mines. 19 16 was the first graduate student admitted to Cornell university to study in the United States at public expense. 19 19 received the first doctorate from Carnegie Institute of Technology. After returning to China, he successively served as a professor at Tangshan Jiaotong University, a professor and director of engineering at Nanjing Southeast University, the president of Hohai University of Technology, and a professor and president of Tianjin Beiyang University.

He presided over the design and led the construction of Qiantang River Bridge, the first modern bridge in China, and later participated in the design of the larger Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge. Elected as an academician of Academia Sinica, China Academy of Sciences and American Academy of Engineering. On September 25th, the commendation meeting of "The Most Beautiful Struggler" was held in Beijing, and Mao Yisheng was awarded the title of "The Most Beautiful Struggler".

qian tang river bridge

In an open contest with American bridge experts, the scheme put forward by Mao Yisheng team won with the advantages of fewer piers, more suitable for the hydrogeological environment of Qiantang River and low cost. However, in order to get a loan from the bank, we have to announce that the bridge was built according to the American design scheme. In the process of bridge construction, Mao Yisheng's team constantly encountered many challenges from nature and man-made, such as floods, planes hitting rocks and sinking, banks refusing loans, talent shortage, air strikes and so on.

In the face of strong will and determination, all the problems eventually turned into help and achieved great things. Every year, they send a group of engineering juniors from 15 universities to study and practice in Qiantang River Bridge. In the process of solving practical difficulties, they put forward some innovative achievements such as caisson method and water injection method according to local conditions. On September 26th, 1937, the Qiantang River Bridge was finally completed.