China boasts seven of Asia's 11 longest bridges. Four of them connect to the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail line. Below is a list of Asia's longest bridges, according to World Atlas .
1. Danyang-Kunshan Viaduct, China
The Danyang-Kunshan Bridge is the world's longest viaduct, measuring 102.4 miles (164.8 km). Opened in June 2011 as part of the Jinghu High-Speed Rail (Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Rail), it spans the Yangtze River Delta on the route between Shanghai and Nanjing.
2. Changhua Viaduct - Kaohsiung, Taiwan
The Changhua-Kaohsiung Viaduct in western Taiwan (China) is the world's second longest bridge, measuring 97.7 miles (157.3 km). This structure is essentially a series of interconnected bridges that together support Taiwan's high-speed rail line from Baguashan in Changhua County south to Zuoying in Kaohsiung City, and it opened in 2007.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge at night.
PHOTO: REUTERS/Aly Song
3. Kita-Yaita Viaduct, Japan
Japan's 114.4-kilometer Kita-Yaita Viaduct is a section of the Tohoku Shinkansen high-speed rail line, connecting Tokyo north with the city of Yaita in Tochigi Prefecture. The Tohoku Shinkansen is the longest high-speed rail line in the country. The Kita-Yaita section opened in 1982, making it the oldest bridge on this list, nearly two decades older than the others.
4. Tianjin Grand Bridge, China
The Tianjin Grand Bridge is another section of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway line, spanning 113.7 km and connecting Langfang and Qingxian (Qing County) in Hebei Province. The bridge was inaugurated in June 2011.
5. Cangde Grand Bridge, China
As the third section of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, the bridge is 105.9 km long and supported by more than 3,000 bridge piers spanning the eastern coast of Hebei, designed to absorb the region's frequent seismic activity.
The beginning section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
PHOTO: REUTERS/Aly Song
6. Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge, China
When the Weinan Weihe Bridge opened in 2008, it held the Guinness World Record for the world's longest bridge. This 79.7-kilometer-long bridge is part of the Zhengzhou-Xi'an high-speed railway line running through central eastern China. This record didn't last long. Within three years, four longer bridges had been built in China, and the Weinan Weihe had dropped to sixth place on the world list, none of which were built outside of Asia.
7. Bang Na Highway, Thailand
Holding the Guinness World Record for the longest road bridge, this is actually a six-lane elevated toll highway. Its 54-kilometer length runs between the Bang Na and Chon Buri interchanges and was built to alleviate chronic traffic congestion in and out of Bangkok.
8. Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, China
It shares the title of longest bridge over water with the bridge on Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana, with records distinguished by category: the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau structure is recognized for "total length" while the American bridge holds the title for "continuous length". The Chinese structure is 55 km long from end to end but passes through a 7 km underground tunnel in between, which is why the official Guinness figure for the bridge alone is 48.3 km.
China has inaugurated the world's longest sea bridge, and one of the longest bridges in the world, connecting Hong Kong and Macau with mainland China.
PHOTO: REUTERS/Aly Song
9. Beijing Grand Bridge, China
The Beijing Grand Bridge is the fourth project on this list of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway line. The bridge stretches 48.2 km east from Beijing South Station, traversing the inner city suburbs to Langfang in Hebei Province, marking the beginning of the southbound railway line from the capital.
10. Metro Manila Elevated Highway System, Philippines
The 39.2-kilometer toll highway in the Philippines connects the northern and southern Luzon highways, traversing urban areas and avoiding ground-level traffic congestion in central Manila and several neighboring cities.
11. Wuhan Metro Bridge, China
The list concludes with Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province. Wuhan's elevated subway line No. 1, spanning 38 km between Huangpu Lu and Zhongguan stations, with 32 intermediate stations, makes it the world's longest elevated subway line, opening in 2004.