Life beside ancient bridge

SHIJIAZHUANG - Li Zhengjie says people in his village were born "shouldered" with a nearby ancient bridge. In his eyes, the 1,400-year-old Zhaozhou Bridge they have been so proud of has become a reason for their falling behind China's urbanization drive.

"We can't find jobs in the neighborhood as there are no factories nearby. Property developers are not allowed to build apartments so as to preserve the bridge and landscape," says the 66-year-old.

Zhaozhou Bridge is in Zhaoxian County, North China's Hebei province, around 300 kilometers south of Beijing. Built in Sui Dynasty (581-618), it is the world's oldest single-arch bridge, with a span of 37 meters.